How do you want health care reformed?

I would like it to be a lot less of an industry and much more of an affordable right to life. Some, reasonable social advances need to be made here before we all become country of haves and have-nots because no matter how hard you may work- that is where we were headed. Drug companies are practicing fraud when they charge us far more than other nations for their product, among so many other injustices while they rake in record profits.

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RE How do you want health care reformed?

With all the rumors about the plan killing babies and grandma, we have gotten away from intelligent discourse. Polls say 70% of people want some kind of reform. What would you like to see in a health reform bill?

Personally I would like to see every American have access to affordable insurance and medication. The government doesn't have to pay for it just make it available for those who need it. This could be in the form of a government option or it could be making insurance companies open insurance for everyone- no more preexisting condition exclusions, no more dropping people because they got sick.

Second, I would like to ban drug companies from advertising. This might help control the cost of medication and divert more money to research.

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RE :How do you want health care reformed?

With all the rumors about the plan killing babies and grandma, we have gotten away from intelligent discourse. Polls say 70% of people want some kind of reform. What would you like to see in a health reform bill?

Personally I would like to see every American have access to affordable insurance and medication. The government doesn't have to pay for it just make it available for those who need it. This could be in the form of a government option or it could be making insurance companies open insurance for everyone- no more preexisting condition exclusions, no more dropping people because they got sick.

Second, I would like to ban drug companies from advertising. This might help control the cost of medication and divert more money to research.

Update: For those who don't want government control- right now it is being controlled by for profit companies.

Why would you trust for profit companies more than government to have your best interest at heart?

I am not even saying eliminate for profit- although there is great merit in that argument- but if government doesn't regulate then who will keep costs in control and ensure people ge the care they need?

2 following 18 answers

Unfortunately, the smartest thing would be a single payer system but those on the right will never agree to that. It is pitiful that they seem not to realize that we already pay a lot more for the uninsured than if we just gave them insurance to get medical care before their health conditions become so dire. Or that the for-profit systems drain away the money that should be used to pay for doctors, nurses, equipment, medication.

So, I guess the next best thing is to have a non-profit public insurance that will accept everyone without doing a pre-insurance health check so they can weasle out of paying for "pre-existing" conditions.

I agree about the advertising of pharmaceuticals. The big companies always talk about all they spend on R&D but fail to mention that they spend even more on advertising. As a chemist working in pharm. (with a PhD) I know I earned much less than the sales reps with a BS degree. Of course, I still made more than enough money and was able to save up and buy my house with cash when I finally quit my job back in 2000, so I can't really complain.

Start with tort reform. Reduced costs for lawsuits and malpractice insurance will drive down costs. Next open up insurance competition. Then revamp medicare and medicaid. I would like to give everyone an example of what the government mandates. My Step-father was bedridden and on Medicare. He needed a blood test. A nurse came to the house once a month. Medicare would not pay for the nurse to draw the blood, but they would pay for an ambulance ride to and from the ER plus the hospital costs. Eliminating situations like this need to happen. It is my fear that as long as government is involved, we will always have situations like this.

Edit: There is nothing wrong with making a profit. By opening up competition, it will bring down cost because of competition.

Now you are getting somewhere with this question

1) All able bodied persons must have insurance - or they wait for care via a charity system

2) Group insurance must be made available to all -

3) Major heath issues ( say costs over (example) $50,000) should be paid at the County level from a small Federal sales tax.

4) Walk in care clinics must be opened by all heath care providers - cost paid using health insurance - this would also give community organizers something to do - teach people how to use a walk in care clinic instead of going to the E.R. for a hang nail

No able bodied person should get a free lunch

.

How about we start by cracking down on Medicare/Medicaid fraud, which would lower the governments expense on health care, thus allowing it to expand the services that they provide. Seeing how those two programs were created to provide health care for those who can not afford private insurance (exactly what you are asking for above), I see no reason why we should create Medicare/Medicaid 2.0.

And banning advertising for drugs would just drive the costs up. As it is now, when a company invents a new drug, they have a 10 year exclusive right to that patent meaning no one else can develop and sell that drug. After these ten years, generic drugs hit the market and advertise as a competitor. If you didn't have advertising, people would not know there are other options available to them, thus allowing the first drug maker to monopolize the drug and charge whatever they want for it.

Tort reform and tax relief.

To cut down on frivolous lawsuits, the rule should be implemented that the loser pays court costs.

Institution a policy where doctors and nurses working in their field of practice in a charitable clinic (i.e. giving medical care to the poor) are able to deduct their hourly wage from their taxes as though it were a charitable donation.

Did you know that many drug companies provide free medicine to those who can't afford it?

I agree with you. I think that people should have some kind of access to affordable insurance. I would be okay with a public insurance that had a high deductible and covered things like surgery and major illnesses but not a trip to the doctor for the common cold. This would keep people from being bankrupted by major health care bills but they wouldn't get everything for free.

Unless we get single-pay health care we won't have any reform at all. The next time the right wing corporatists get control of the government they won't make any effort toward compromise, but go for the nuclear option right off the bat.