In case you haven't noticed, whatever the government comes up with, it isn't going to be good. The Donkeys or the Elephants aren't going to get it right. To see the most bulletproof plan, you have come to the right blog.
In no particular order, here are some of the highlights of my plan:
1. All medicine will be treated like cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgery is the only truly efficient medical market. Doctors publish their prices and people shop around. This will give folks a chance to negotiate and the good doctors will make more money because they will be able to charge more.
2 All medical insurance will be treated like car insurance. If you are high risk, you will get charged more. Fat? Pay more. Sky dive? Pay more. Smoke? Sorry, we don't cover lung cancer for you. High triglycerides? Cut out the sugar or PAY MORE. According to Bill Frist (former Senate Majority Leader and medical doctor), 70 percent of all medical costs are due to lifestyle. Wow.
3. If you can prove you ran a marathon in less than four hours in the last two years, you will have no co-pays; for anything.
4. No public option from the government. The insurance industry doesn't need more competition. Some in politics are finding in convenient to bash the insurance companies (I guess gas prices aren't high enough yet). But the last thing we need is the government in business.
5. Malpractice lawsuits will be judged by a jury of six doctors and six lawyers.
6. According ot Michael Milken, the world spends $50 trillion a year on cancer treatment. This staggering sum is offset only by $5 billion a year in medical research for a cure. So, more research for cures. I haven't put a dollar figure on it yet, but the government is going to pony up for some massive spending on this. I've got ideas to pay for it, but that is beyond the scope of this post.
7. Hospitals will be required to publish outcomes for cases they treat. If Acme Hospital has a 28 percent survival rate for open heart surgery, folks will tend to look elsewhere. Hospitals will also divide their outcome score by the dollars spent. Hospitals with a high ratio of successful cases to dollars spent will receive tax breaks from Uncle Sam. This will force hospitals to focus on outcomes, not treatments.
8. Primary Care Physicians will be rewarded for healthier patients.
If you have any suggestions for improving the Huber Health Care Plan, please post a comment below.
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3 comments:
I agree with MOST of your ideas. It's a good start. By publishing survival rates, you miss calculating the confounder of acuity. Hospitals will stop treating train wreck patients because it will ruin their numbers. "Oh...you have high blood pressure AND cancer? Sorry, we can't help you."
I don't want the gov't in the business of insurance either, but private insurance (at this time) won't cover little things like "pre existings". Only people like Greg, who don't need insurance, can get insurance. People like me, who never tanned a day in her life but STILL got melanoma can't get private coverage. Healthy weight, healthy lifestyle, would never dream of skydiving or smoking, 37 year old in no need of maternity coverage...I'm uninsurable. Cool!
My doctors are the best. I don't need that getting out! I'll never get an appointment!
Lori
I haven't cracked the code on the pre-existing conditions but we have to figure out a way to cover everyone. We're America, for cryin' out loud!
You'll also have to work on the medicine thing too....competition is great as long as one company doesn't have a monopoly on the drug.
Although buying your perscriptions from Canada can be a much cheaper alternative.... (I've considered it...)
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