Three Best Health Care Reform Ideas

[CougarPeasant]

In addition, get rid of Pelosi and Reid.

Just my 2 cents.

[scott715]

Best idea yet.

[BYULV]

Being in NV we may have some say in Reid's destiny this fall. Hopefully we can come up with a good candidate to run against him, because he is very vulnerable right now. 3-4 decent candidates so far, but no one has really stood out yet . . . hopefully soon.

[Mars]

Get rid of Pelosi and Reid.

As a Californian and a Mormon, AMEN and AMEN!!

[nuk13]

There are many problems with health care. From what I can see (no I haven't read the 2500 pages) they aren't fixing the problems, just paying for them.

I haven't heard anything about the hyper cost of med school. When someone goes to school 9 to 11 years and pays $300,000 and more we ain't gonna have reasonnable health care costs.

I also think lawyers and law suits needs to be addressed. That will be hard if there's as many lawyers in Washington as I've heard there are.

How much do medical people pay for government paperwork? Has that been addressed?

[BYULV]

There are many problems with health care. From what I can see (no I haven't read the 2500 pages) they aren't fixing the problems, just paying for them.
I agree. Fixing healthcare would be much easier if we addressed one problem at a time, actually attacking the problem and not complicating the issues with unrelated. Make 10 small bills, each adressing a separate problem. Let the debates roll and see what we can come up with to actually solve each problem. (side note: I hate it when I hear people defending this healthcare bill by saying, "well at least they are doing something. Something is better than nothing." The next person that says that to me is going to get a prescription for their cold . . . "Here's your cyanide tablet Mr. Jones. Doing something, anything is definitely better than just leaving it the way it is."

I haven't heard anything about the hyper cost of med school. When someone goes to school 9 to 11 years and pays $300,000 and more we ain't gonna have reasonnable health care costs.
I kind of agree with you here as well, however, healthcare costs are not on the rise because doctors are making more and more money every year. I started practicing medicine nearly 8 years ago and every expense I pay has gone up nearly every year. On the other hand, every reimbursement I receive from insurance companies has either stayed the same or gone up during that same 8 years. I'm probably a little sensitive on this point, because there seems to be a growing sentiment out there that doctors are getting rich on this system. I also see a trend toward devaluing the services physicians provide, especially in primary care... anyway, this cost of med school problem is now solved since Pres. Obama declared last night that we won't have to pay back our school loans if we work for the government for 10 years or if we pay back 10% a year they'll take care of whatever else is leftover... I love all this free money

I also think lawyers and law suits needs to be addressed. That will be hard if there's as many lawyers in Washington as I've heard there are.
Way important. You hit right on the problem here. With all the lawyers in Washington and in the States lobbying it is an uphill battle. There is an ever increasing attack by lawyers on doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and any other provider or supplier of healthcare services and supplies. All I see on daytime TV are ads for Plaintiffs attorneys and companies trying to sell gold.

How much do medical people pay for government paperwork? Has that been addressed?
It's a lot of work and expense to keep up with the government's demands and it keeps getting more onorous. OSHA, HIPPA, ADA, FMLA and other legislation aimed at protecting Americans in one way or another are becoming beuracratic nightmares for doctors and employers. We need an overhaul big time.

[bigbluepuma]

Excellent assessment, byulv. The problem isn't with the healthcare, at least not yet. That will change if this bill goes through. The problem is with runaway costs. The first thing that should be addressed is the out of control court system. That does more to increase the costs than anything. The second thing is the beurocracy. Unfortunately, that will be as likely to change as the court system. The third thing is the idea that it can AAAAAALLLLLL be fixed in one fell swoop with a single gigantic bill. What that is going to do, by all reports , is raise the cost of health care (see the original problem). I don't see any hope for relief other than keeping the government out of it as much of it as possible.

[BroncoBot]

http://bigjournalism.com/kashiver/2010/ ... m-efforts/

Not a huge fan of republicans, just a fan of stopping the federal govt from stepping on our toes at the moment. But I did find this article interesting. Repubs have had some good ideas on the table for a while now. And amazingly their bills are less than 200 pages long. Too bad non of them have been taken seriously by this so called "bipartisan" effort.

[bigbluepuma]

http://bigjournalism.com/kashiver/2010/ ... m-efforts/

Not a huge fan of republicans, just a fan of stopping the federal govt from stepping on our toes at the moment. But I did find this article interesting. Repubs have had some good ideas on the table for a while now. And amazingly their bills are less than 200 pages long. Too bad non of them have been taken seriously by this so called "bipartisan" effort.

Last night, Obama was on TV saying that bipartisanship didn't mean him agreeing with everything the republicans want to do. He didn't make any mention of agreeing with something from the republicans, or of the fact that the only chance for "bipartisanship" that has been offered to the republicans is to agree with everything the democrats want.

[CrimsonCoug]

A scattershot of thoughts:

A public system should:
cover low-probability, high cost events. Work backwards down the probability/cost spectrum to the point where the polity (median voter) believes the cost in taxes is too high--probably somewhere just below emergency appendectomies.

A public health care system should not:
cover behavior induced or exacerbated problems. No public money paying for problems caused by over-eating, bad dietary choices, smoking, drug use, etc.

Other related thoughts:
ban soda, candy, and high-calorie, low nutrient foods in school cafeterias and vending machines, and vendors of such within a half mile radius. And government subsidy of healthy school lunches and snacks is totally appropriate.

Give tax breaks to fat farms and drug rehab centers (are we already doing this?) and let attendees write off a share of the cost.