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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (13664)	2/28/2010 7:56:31 PM
From: skinowski	1 Recommendation Respond to of 42652

I see your points... going "free market" overnight is even more unlikely than going overnight single payer. My approach would be two prong - deregulation and tort reform. Both are politically possible. Tort reform is simpler - it just needs to happen. Wrongfully injured patients need to be compensated, but most can be handled on the level of state boards. Only a small minority should need to go through the legal system. I was never able to see the true necessity of the Joint Commission (JCAH). I think if it would be abolished (or shrunk by 90%), not much would be lost. Multiple levels of governmental controls and supervision MUST be simplified. I think it would make sense if insurers would compete nationally, not state by state. It was discussed on this thread months ago that a "pre-existing condition rider" attached to policies could resolve THAT problem. Avoid excessive mandates WRT what needs to be covered. Government should not specify anything beyond a basic package. Look for ways to simplify! I would conduct a study of hospital and clinic employees, and search for ways to minimize the number of positions which are not related to patient care. If a certain regulation is causing the creation of too many positions, that regulation needs to be changed - or abandoned. The government may need to expand its network of means tested clinics to help those who are truly needy. We need more high deductible policies. The reality is that the "first dollar coverage" is absurd. It is the same as "first loaf of bread" coverage. I could go on. Bottom line - there are many meaningful steps which can be taken and which are politically possible. No matter which way the nations healthcare will eventually evolve, those steps will make things better, more efficient, and help build a constructive foundation for the future.