Thursday, December 24, 2009

My solution for the health care dilemma

I haven't crunched the numbers, but just knowing how the government pads everything and costs go up everywhere when their sticky fingers go into the pie, I think my plan would not only be better, please everyone but would also be cheaper.

First, it would only be for U.S. citizens, native or naturalized.

Second, it would be clear and easy for anyone to understand; changes would have to fit into 10 pages or less.

Third, it would be the best health care found anywhere in the world based on the life expectancy and useful working years of a 40 year old.

Fourth, it would be completely portable and not dependent on an employer or a union.

Fifth, the federal government, not the states, would be responsible for the poor, and no pork would be allowed in determining those benefits, and children would need to be under age 18. The states, however, would have the task to getting the poor into the proper, competitive, market-driven program.

Sixth, Medicare is such a mess, I haven't figured that one out, because my generation has become accustomed to socialized medicine and don't want any claw backs. But then, neither has your esteemed and brilliant Congress. Whatever I come up with couldn't be worse than the current overpriced and easily scammed system.

So what is it?

The current health care system for federal employees.

"The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program can help you and your family meet your health care needs. Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country. You can choose from among Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums, or Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans, and their Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan."

Just the choices and options and the number of companies providing the services would bring costs down drastically. If a federal worker moves from HHS to HUD, she doesn't lose her insurance--it's portable. If he's unmarried and has no risky behavior, why shouldn't he take a high deductible and save oodles? If she wants tattoo removal and lasix surgery, she'd be able to buy it with her health savings plan (that's going away under the new take over). If genetic testing shows there's a problem down the road, she'll have plenty of notice.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Murray sez:
Here's my solution to healthcare reform:
1. Institute Tort reform (No cost)
2. Allow Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs. For people NOT on Medicare allow them to purchase drugs anywhere. (No cost)
3. Eliminate illegals from receiving FREE healthcare. (No cost)
4. Allow insurance companies to sell insurance across state lines. (No cost)
There it is. Healthcare reform at no cost to the taxpayer while lowering the cost of care!

Norma said...

Cheapskate.

Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com said...

You guys need to get Healthcare like the UK. We all complain about it but its actually really good. Nobody misses out.

Norma said...

About 80% of Americans are satisfied with their health insurance, the "reform" is just word play for "take-over." The number not insured refers to non-citizens and people between jobs, and those people who chose not to cary it because they either like risk or think they'll save money (these are usually young adults, but many are well off). Cost savings things will be cut in this, and our taxes will go up. There is a great deal of fraud and waste in our current government health programs, Medicare, Medicaid, S-Chip, etc. It's not like we don't have it. Most people would prefer the gov't first prove it can handle the section of the economy it has already carved out. Oddly enough, millions of Americans, mostly those on Medicare, don't seem to realize they already have socialized medicine. I'm sure there are good stories about UK Health--we usually hear the terrible ones.