Continuing the debate...
The comments posted in response to my recent entries
about socialized medicine have been divided into two
camps.
There are those who believe that somehow healthcare and insurance is an issue of personal responsibility. They seem to follow the line that any socialized program would be a violation of the basic tenants of our free market system. They remark that they don't want the government taking more of their hard earned money to fund the care of someone else. This camp also points to other socialized medical systems as failures (although no one can name one). Some people from this camp have made comments that were knee jerk reactions, which had no actual basis of fact...and failed to do the research to back those statements.
Then there is the other camp. These folks believe that the health and welfare of our citizens, is as important as any other civil right. They believe that in a civilized society, the government should progress and do more to advance the well being of it's citizens, instead of just maintaining the status quo. Also interesting is that many of the folks who support this argument, actually live in countries where they provide this so called horrible socialized medicine.
I believe the first camp:
a) can afford medical insurance (I can't).
b) have never experienced a catastrophic loss of income or insurance (I have).
c) have never seen their insurance company tell them or a loved one they can't have a certain treatment (I have).
d) never faced losing everything they owned due to an illness (I have).
e) never taken care of a terminally ill family member for a year and watched their insurance run out (I have).
In the tradition of beating a dead horse (my last entry on this subject)...but continuing a strong and exciting argument...I have some more to say...
There are those who believe that somehow healthcare and insurance is an issue of personal responsibility. They seem to follow the line that any socialized program would be a violation of the basic tenants of our free market system. They remark that they don't want the government taking more of their hard earned money to fund the care of someone else. This camp also points to other socialized medical systems as failures (although no one can name one). Some people from this camp have made comments that were knee jerk reactions, which had no actual basis of fact...and failed to do the research to back those statements.
Then there is the other camp. These folks believe that the health and welfare of our citizens, is as important as any other civil right. They believe that in a civilized society, the government should progress and do more to advance the well being of it's citizens, instead of just maintaining the status quo. Also interesting is that many of the folks who support this argument, actually live in countries where they provide this so called horrible socialized medicine.
I believe the first camp:
a) can afford medical insurance (I can't).
b) have never experienced a catastrophic loss of income or insurance (I have).
c) have never seen their insurance company tell them or a loved one they can't have a certain treatment (I have).
d) never faced losing everything they owned due to an illness (I have).
e) never taken care of a terminally ill family member for a year and watched their insurance run out (I have).
In the tradition of beating a dead horse (my last entry on this subject)...but continuing a strong and exciting argument...I have some more to say...
A physician recently posted comments discussing how
bad the
idea of socialized medicine is, and his own experiences in dealing with the
VA...and I certainly won't defend the VA. However, I think that the VA medical
system is in such a shambles because the government historically has never given
a damn about the quality of care and the proper funding required to make it a
good system. They also rely heavily on their own medical facilities and have no
incentive to be competitive or excel. They also don't answer to the people they
serve.
However...
Are you telling me our current system is the best? Are you telling me that this is the best we will ever get...because I propose to you that the insurance system has had it's way for umpteen years...and the medical establishment is in more trouble than ever:
-Drug prices have skyrocketed. Drug companies tell you that they have huge R&D and advertising costs...all the while their profits climb to record levels and their executives make money hand over fist. They wine and dine the medical establishment to push their drugs down peoples throats. The drug companies actually allowed people to die in Africa because they refused to lower their prices on AIDS drugs. And yet, other countries have been able to place cost controls on drug prices.
-If it weren't for the socialized Medicaid/Medicare programs, there would be millions of retired seniors on SS who couldn't afford to pay for insurance, much less co-payments and drugs costs. In fact, most senior drugs aren't just quality of life issues, but critical to life. We are talking about seniors making decisions about eating or buying drugs that keep their heart from stopping. The average seniors drug costs are over $6,000 a year.
-Insurance companies regularly dictate the treatment options available to you and cap your coverage.
-Medical malpractice insurance costs are through the roof.
I'm not asking for the government to operate the medical industry. I'm asking for them to pay for coverage. Medicare/Medicaid may not be perfect, but whenever my grandfather has needed treatment, he gets treatment. He gets to choose which clinic he wants treatment from. He even had in-home medical care when he got sick once.
Whenever you hear the word "socialized medicine," people shudder from this belief that is based on some planted horror stories of long lines and poor care. I'm not entirely sure that these arguments are 100% accurate...or just a farce to promote the status quo. Yes, I am sure these situations exist in some instances, but we're the fucking USA...can't we do better? Are you telling me that the insurance companies are better at providing or deciding on care? I don't think so. Their interest is not in providing the best care, but providing the cheapest care...they are a business after all. One example (along with drug companies) of a free market out of control.
We have many models to look at around the world, but people want you to believe that it has to be the same situation here. They are telling you that we, the American people, cannot solve this problem...we cannot learn from the mistakes of other nations and build a better system. Should Russia abandon the free market system and go back to the way it was, simply because it didn't work out for them...or should they keep trying?
My Alternative Healthcare System
By Alan Graham
This is a basic overview of what I would like to see made available to the citizens of this nation. Sure, there will be problems and issues that need to be dealt with, but I believe these issues can be worked out and smarter people than I can find the right solutions.
-Government collects a tax from your check (instead of your employer taking out $$ for insurance). That money goes into a single pay system. Everyone has a Medicaid type card.
-Employers no longer have the expense of providing care.
-Hospitals and clinics are private. They still have to compete with each other for business. And since they no longer answer to the insurance companies, they have to compete on the merits and quality of their care.
-Hospitals are open to government research grants and grants to improve their care. They can also receive private grants.
-When seeking treatment, you simply make an appointment at your clinic of choice...give them your card. Medical records are available through a central private database repository...and can be accessed no matter where you go for care. Only medical workers are allowed to see that data.
-Government enforces price controls on materials.
-Since you've just added 60 million new customers...there will be enormous growth within the industry. We will obviously need to make investments into the industry for infrastructure, but it will attract more medical professionals. More small clinics will be able to compete with larger clinic systems.
-Paperwork issues become a thing of the past. I know we are talking about beurocracy here, but it has to reduce the paperwork and manpower of tracking multiple insurance companies for patients. The cost of dealing with 5-6 different companies and their policies is much more complex than one system and one set of forms.
-Ease for the consumer and peace of mind. You have a patient bill of rights. You know what you get. You don't have to worry about switching jobs, or losing insurance if you lose your job.
-The government provides medical malpractice. You don't have to sue a doctor...you have a hearing. If there was malpractice...and it was criminal...they pull the coverage of that physician and he loses his license..and can't just move to another state and setup practice. If you are injured due to malpractice, you receive a settlement...and that settlement is capped at a certain amount depending on the injury...plus...a lot of medical settlements are for continued costs of dealing with the injury...but that isn't necessary because you still have full coverage...you will be taken care of. Also, if it was criminal...you are allowed to sue the doctor in a civil suit.
-No more insurance fraud. Now while some clinics or physicians might commit fraud...it won't affect the cost of your coverage. We all know that fraud is one major issue that causes our rates to go up.
-The type of treatment you receive is not based on the government or insurance company telling you what you will have. The physician can choose the best treatment. The AMA or some national group of Physicians can have a panel that approves certain treatments based on their safety.
-Preventative care. Each person is allowed a certain amount of doctor and dentist visits each year for preventative care. Preventative care will reduce the cost of medical care by catching things before they become serious. A simple visit to the dentist could reveal pre-cancerous cells which removed now...would not only save a life...but save hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancer treatment.
-Education. One part of this program is to teach children how to take better care of their health from a young age.
-By providing good preventative and regular medical care...we could eliminate many common diseases. We could have an impact on obesity, heart disease, cancer, infections, diabetes...basically eliminating many of the healthcare crisis which are hurting so many people in this country.
Of course these are just ideas...and there are problems with any solution...but I think the above is doable...and we can make it work.
However...
Are you telling me our current system is the best? Are you telling me that this is the best we will ever get...because I propose to you that the insurance system has had it's way for umpteen years...and the medical establishment is in more trouble than ever:
-Drug prices have skyrocketed. Drug companies tell you that they have huge R&D and advertising costs...all the while their profits climb to record levels and their executives make money hand over fist. They wine and dine the medical establishment to push their drugs down peoples throats. The drug companies actually allowed people to die in Africa because they refused to lower their prices on AIDS drugs. And yet, other countries have been able to place cost controls on drug prices.
-If it weren't for the socialized Medicaid/Medicare programs, there would be millions of retired seniors on SS who couldn't afford to pay for insurance, much less co-payments and drugs costs. In fact, most senior drugs aren't just quality of life issues, but critical to life. We are talking about seniors making decisions about eating or buying drugs that keep their heart from stopping. The average seniors drug costs are over $6,000 a year.
-Insurance companies regularly dictate the treatment options available to you and cap your coverage.
-Medical malpractice insurance costs are through the roof.
I'm not asking for the government to operate the medical industry. I'm asking for them to pay for coverage. Medicare/Medicaid may not be perfect, but whenever my grandfather has needed treatment, he gets treatment. He gets to choose which clinic he wants treatment from. He even had in-home medical care when he got sick once.
Whenever you hear the word "socialized medicine," people shudder from this belief that is based on some planted horror stories of long lines and poor care. I'm not entirely sure that these arguments are 100% accurate...or just a farce to promote the status quo. Yes, I am sure these situations exist in some instances, but we're the fucking USA...can't we do better? Are you telling me that the insurance companies are better at providing or deciding on care? I don't think so. Their interest is not in providing the best care, but providing the cheapest care...they are a business after all. One example (along with drug companies) of a free market out of control.
We have many models to look at around the world, but people want you to believe that it has to be the same situation here. They are telling you that we, the American people, cannot solve this problem...we cannot learn from the mistakes of other nations and build a better system. Should Russia abandon the free market system and go back to the way it was, simply because it didn't work out for them...or should they keep trying?
My Alternative Healthcare System
By Alan Graham
This is a basic overview of what I would like to see made available to the citizens of this nation. Sure, there will be problems and issues that need to be dealt with, but I believe these issues can be worked out and smarter people than I can find the right solutions.
-Government collects a tax from your check (instead of your employer taking out $$ for insurance). That money goes into a single pay system. Everyone has a Medicaid type card.
-Employers no longer have the expense of providing care.
-Hospitals and clinics are private. They still have to compete with each other for business. And since they no longer answer to the insurance companies, they have to compete on the merits and quality of their care.
-Hospitals are open to government research grants and grants to improve their care. They can also receive private grants.
-When seeking treatment, you simply make an appointment at your clinic of choice...give them your card. Medical records are available through a central private database repository...and can be accessed no matter where you go for care. Only medical workers are allowed to see that data.
-Government enforces price controls on materials.
-Since you've just added 60 million new customers...there will be enormous growth within the industry. We will obviously need to make investments into the industry for infrastructure, but it will attract more medical professionals. More small clinics will be able to compete with larger clinic systems.
-Paperwork issues become a thing of the past. I know we are talking about beurocracy here, but it has to reduce the paperwork and manpower of tracking multiple insurance companies for patients. The cost of dealing with 5-6 different companies and their policies is much more complex than one system and one set of forms.
-Ease for the consumer and peace of mind. You have a patient bill of rights. You know what you get. You don't have to worry about switching jobs, or losing insurance if you lose your job.
-The government provides medical malpractice. You don't have to sue a doctor...you have a hearing. If there was malpractice...and it was criminal...they pull the coverage of that physician and he loses his license..and can't just move to another state and setup practice. If you are injured due to malpractice, you receive a settlement...and that settlement is capped at a certain amount depending on the injury...plus...a lot of medical settlements are for continued costs of dealing with the injury...but that isn't necessary because you still have full coverage...you will be taken care of. Also, if it was criminal...you are allowed to sue the doctor in a civil suit.
-No more insurance fraud. Now while some clinics or physicians might commit fraud...it won't affect the cost of your coverage. We all know that fraud is one major issue that causes our rates to go up.
-The type of treatment you receive is not based on the government or insurance company telling you what you will have. The physician can choose the best treatment. The AMA or some national group of Physicians can have a panel that approves certain treatments based on their safety.
-Preventative care. Each person is allowed a certain amount of doctor and dentist visits each year for preventative care. Preventative care will reduce the cost of medical care by catching things before they become serious. A simple visit to the dentist could reveal pre-cancerous cells which removed now...would not only save a life...but save hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancer treatment.
-Education. One part of this program is to teach children how to take better care of their health from a young age.
-By providing good preventative and regular medical care...we could eliminate many common diseases. We could have an impact on obesity, heart disease, cancer, infections, diabetes...basically eliminating many of the healthcare crisis which are hurting so many people in this country.
Of course these are just ideas...and there are problems with any solution...but I think the above is doable...and we can make it work.
Posted: Sun - October 5, 2003 at 01:35 PM
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Total entries in this category: 25
Published On: Jan 29, 2004 01:35 PM
Total entries in this category: 25
Published On: Jan 29, 2004 01:35 PM