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View Full Version : Health Care Reform: Why We Lose.




__27__
07-30-2009, 03:36 PM
We lose because Americans KNOW the system is broken. They don't know why, and they don't know how to fix it, but they KNOW it is broken. So, when one side offers them a plan to fix it, and the other just sticks their fingers in their ears and says "lalalalalala, I can't hear you" they go with the only option on the table. We NEED to get someone in Washington to propose a counter plan, centered on the market. Someone with the courage to stand up and give Americans an open, honest debate on health care reform. Someone to give Americans a choice.

Yes, maybe it is too late. But maybe it's not. Below I will list some points I would like to see in health care reform. Please feel free to add to/critique any points per your opinion. Perhaps we can hammer out a plan and get SOMEONE in Washington with some balls to introduce it as a bill after the recess and prior to a vote on Obamacare, to open the discourse.

What I want to see:

- Remove insurance from employment.

- Give INDIVIDUALS the same tax break employers get for purchasing insurance.

- Allow the purchasing of insurance across state lines.

- Get rid of the HMO system and return insurance to a catastrophic coverage, not a managed care plan.

- Pay for routine visits in cash.

- Allow doctors and patients do decide what is appropriate for their lives, not bureaucrats and insurance executives.

- Significant tort reform, which allows those wronged to still sue and be recouped, but negates the incentive for lawyers to bring every frivolous case they can in an attempt for a big payday.

- Remove health care mandates that require 20 year old single males to have a policy that covers them in the case they develop ovarian cancer.

- Remove mandates that require insurance companies to cover ELECTIVE surgeries.

- Allow risk to be priced accordingly, if you eat yourself to 400 pounds and smoke 3 packs a day YOU SHOULD pay more for your premiums. If you are a 20 year old single male/female who works out on a daily basis, doesn't smoke and doesn't drink, you SHOULD pay less for premiums.

In short, freedom and competition for consumer dollars is the answer. Not government mandates, rationing and price controls.

Reason
07-30-2009, 03:40 PM
I agree with most of your points.

Unfortunately I have little faith for any type of logical well thought out result based on what I have seen of the current direction.

tangent4ronpaul
07-30-2009, 06:18 PM
I like this idea, but to really get health care costs under control we need to give the boot to some western medical orthodoxies - not just sell it on a free market basis. There is also some need for compromise if it's ever going to go anywhere.

There are a few areas where costs do need to be brought under control.

There are 16 physicians in Congress. If we could sell a plan to these people and get them to introduce an alternative, we might be able to do something.

http://www.policymed.com/2009/03/congress-congressional-physician-house-calls.html

-t

__27__
07-30-2009, 06:44 PM
I like this idea, but to really get health care costs under control we need to give the boot to some western medical orthodoxies - not just sell it on a free market basis. There is also some need for compromise if it's ever going to go anywhere.

There are a few areas where costs do need to be brought under control.

There are 16 physicians in Congress. If we could sell a plan to these people and get them to introduce an alternative, we might be able to do something.

http://www.policymed.com/2009/03/congress-congressional-physician-house-calls.html

-t

How do you think that restoring competition to the medical market will not bring prices down? What compromises do you propose? I'm open to listening.

tangent4ronpaul
07-30-2009, 06:51 PM
How do you think that restoring competition to the medical market will not bring prices down? What compromises do you propose? I'm open to listening.

I agree we need to restore competition. But we also need to attach things like FDA drug approval that had grown from 2-3 years from invention to market to over 10 years. Get realistic expiration dates on drugs. open up Rx drug availability and the notion that every patient HAS to see the doctor. Most times a RN knows exactly what's wrong with you and what the doc will ask her to do, but she can't lift a finger or say anything to you till the doc has seen you. throw out having to be right (defensive medicine) and go with most likely "come back in 3 days if you don't feel better and sooner if you feel worse". get rid of all but catastrophic insurgence and make it very hard to sue a medical provider for anything other than gross negligence. Make it easier for the public to purchase Rx medications, etc.

-t

__27__
07-30-2009, 06:58 PM
I agree we need to restore competition. But we also need to attach things like FDA drug approval that had grown from 2-3 years from invention to market to over 10 years. Get realistic expiration dates on drugs. open up Rx drug availability and the notion that every patient HAS to see the doctor. Most times a RN knows exactly what's wrong with you and what the doc will ask her to do, but she can't lift a finger or say anything to you till the doc has seen you. throw out having to be right (defensive medicine) and go with most likely "come back in 3 days if you don't feel better and sooner if you feel worse". get rid of all but catastrophic insurgence and make it very hard to sue a medical provider for anything other than gross negligence. Make it easier for the public to purchase Rx medications, etc.

-t

Completely agreed. We need some more input, and we need to get it together in a presentable fashion. We can't just spam people with incoherent piles of uncoordinated material, but if we approach Dr. Paul or any of the other Dr.'s with a cogent and well written plan, there's a chance one of them might take it seriously. If no one offers a different option I can guarantee you we will have socialized medicine before the end of this year.

tangent4ronpaul
07-30-2009, 07:25 PM
Completely agreed. We need some more input, and we need to get it together in a presentable fashion. We can't just spam people with incoherent piles of uncoordinated material, but if we approach Dr. Paul or any of the other Dr.'s with a cogent and well written plan, there's a chance one of them might take it seriously. If no one offers a different option I can guarantee you we will have socialized medicine before the end of this year.

Other things:
more focus on community provided health care. Local communities (churches, organizations,etc) running free clinics periodically. One of these happened in VA last weekend and I remember when a medical unit of the national guard did one. soldiers got hands on practice and community benefited.

pre-paid service - subscribe to service.

tests in house, if needed.

the above two are apparently in the Republican plan - anyone know the bill number?

making it easier for lay people to get some more advanced medical training - maybe through red cross or something. apprenticeship options - like in the old days.

eliminate the ceiling on medical fields. nurses, paramedics, techs, PA's, etc. all have ceilings on how far they can take their careers. I know one paramedic that got injured so could no longer do that. He had to start from scratch to become a nurse - college prerecs to LPN to RN. None of his years of experience counted for anything

-t