My ideas for health care reform

[zsdersw]

this is a strawman for single payer...

What is?

 

[ussfletcher]

Wouldn't the free market determine a similarly low price on its own?



Not exactly. It's paid for out of government funds (HHS, CMS, Medicaid/Medicare) not just the specific people who use the services.

The free market is exactly why costs are as high as they are, people are willing to spend all of their money, and money they don't have, to stay alive.

 

[cubeless]

Do "'bo bucks" also pay for the co-pay?

guaranteed they will be... how can 'poor people' who need their hi subsidised pay deductables or copays?

 

[nonlnear]

The free market is exactly why costs are as high as they are, people are willing to spend all of their money, and money they don't have, to stay alive.

Correction: the lack of a free market is exactly why costs are as high as they are. See my earlier post on what "free market" really means. Most of the time pundits use it they are deliberately misrepresenting what the term means to economists.

 

[ussfletcher]

Correction: the lack of a free market is exactly why costs are as high as they are. See my earlier post on what "free market" really means. Most of the time pundits use it they are deliberately misrepresenting what the term means to economists.

Lets not debate about what the term free market actually means, my point is, they only charge what people are willing/able to pay.

 

[nonlnear]

Lets not debate about what the term free market actually means, my point is, they only charge what people are willing/able to pay.

It's fundamental to the issue. The term is used by pundits on both sides to convince the public that ALL markets are either somehow good or bad when this is totally untrue. This happens from both sides. Corporate lobbyists do it to fight against regulations that would make oligarchic markets more competitive, and left-wing lobbyists use the term free market to demonize all markets by holding up the sins committed in totally un-"free" markets.

There are VERY few truly "free market" lobbyists, and precious few true consumer advocates, despite many lobbyists claiming one or both of those titles. The simple fact is most such lobbyists are either corporate oligarchs or statists.

 

[dmcowen674]

My ideas for health care reform

You're a day late and a trillion dollars short.

 

[Throckmorton]

While I'm sure these ideas are not original, I do believe in them and have not heard them floated during this debate, so here they are:

1. Eliminate health insurance. Why do we need a middleman? Why can't we deal with and pay doctors/hospitals directly? We are then free to spend our money (or whatever benefit system offered by our employer) on whichever doctor/hospital we believe delivers the best care at the lowest cost.

2. For immediate life-or-death emergencies, all hospitals must have an Emergency Room or section of rooms that is administered by the government (or some other independent third party) and paid for, on an as-needed basis, through the individual's income tax on whatever payment terms are reasonable. This is exclusively limited to true life-or-death emergencies and situations where the patient is not able to make hospital decisions.

These things would lower costs and would force people to be more accountable for their own health, which is never a bad thing.

Except for the income tax garnishing thing, this is how it is in third world countries. It sucks.

 

[Throckmorton]

I wouldn't mind catastrophic insurance, if it was restricted to only those maladys.. and eliminate insurance for everything else.

I used to think catastrophic insurance made more sense too.

But the reality is that having insurance that covers everything means you're a lot more likely to get early diagnosis and preventative treatment. If someone has to pay $300 for a yearly physical, do you think that makes them more or less likely to get it done?

 

[nonlnear]

you're a day late and we're a trillion dollars short.

ftfy

 

[werepossum]

You're a day late and a trillion dollars short.

LOL I think that might be the first thing you've said that made me laugh and not shake my head. I guess HCR put you in a better mood.

 

[WHAMPOM]

While I'm sure these ideas are not original, I do believe in them and have not heard them floated during this debate, so here they are:

1. Eliminate health insurance. Why do we need a middleman? Why can't we deal with and pay doctors/hospitals directly? We are then free to spend our money (or whatever benefit system offered by our employer) on whichever doctor/hospital we believe delivers the best care at the lowest cost.

2. For immediate life-or-death emergencies, all hospitals must have an Emergency Room or section of rooms that is administered by the government (or some other independent third party) and paid for, on an as-needed basis, through the individual's income tax on whatever payment terms are reasonable. This is exclusively limited to true life-or-death emergencies and situations where the patient is not able to make hospital decisions.

These things would lower costs and would force people to be more accountable for their own health, which is never a bad thing.

no #1 How will this stop the charges for $8.00 bandaids, $11.00 aspirins and the other huge markups found in a hospital stay?

no #2 Already done, but you still get over-charged (as in BIG bucks)for what it's worth.

 

[nonlnear]

no #1 How will this stop the charges for $8.00 bandaids, $11.00 aspirins and the other huge markups found in a hospital stay?

The OP's proposal wouldn't address this but mine (in the earlier post) would. Large group plans negotiate those prices down to sanity. If price discrimination were controlled, then individuals couldn't be held hostage for artificially inflated prices when it came time to assess their bills.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Lets not debate about what the term free market actually means, my point is, they only charge what people are willing/able to pay.

OH YA! Now tell me why health care costs are the major cause of bankruptcy and credit card debt? The free market only works when the consumer has some one else to turn to.

 

[WHAMPOM]

1. HI serves a purpose. I had a MRI a while back. When I got the bill docs claim it was worth $5300, insurance said FU and paid ~$900. If I were paying cash I'd assume I'd have to pay $5300.

2. Already covered, EMTALA 1986.

Shoud'a went to Japan and got one for $50.00, due to competition and GOV price controls they have developed and use smaller, cheaper MRI machines.

 

[WHAMPOM]

The OP's proposal wouldn't address this but mine (in the earlier post) would. Large group plans negotiate those prices down to sanity. If price discrimination were controlled, then individuals couldn't be held hostage for artificially inflated prices when it came time to assess their bills.

no #3 Prices up front and your old parts back just like your auto mechanic is required to do.