How do you solve the Health Care problem in the U.S.?

[tomdemaine]

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The system in Logan's Run would fix things

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I hope not, I'd look like a [censored] in a jumpsuit.

[Bobbo539]

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In many respects we have a national system.
Trouble is there are too many restrictions (age) and many simply do not apply who qualify.

It is called Medicade / Medicare.

Allow a greater participation, REMOVE the age requirements and walla, it can be done with no great effort or cost.

It is reasonable (about 120 per month with drug coverage).

Raise that price if you want a bit based on income......

OK, thoughts????????

but, then again I really do not think congress is REALLY interested in solving ANY problems, by TALKING it to death (nothing ever actually gets done) they look busy and get to keep their cushy job.

obg

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The problem with medicare and medicaid is that the government matches ever dollar the employer spends. An expansion of the system would lead to more government dollars going to health care, which takes away the competative element of the medical field. Also, employees get shafted because while they get health care, this comes directly out of their paychecks (instead of higher salaries) and is forced to meet a number of federal mandates that could be expensive and completely un-necsesarry. The way to limit costs is to open up the medical market to greater consumer choice, and the poor (and others with special circumstances) can still be covered by some sort of medical voucher system.

The main problems with health care right now (leading to the rise in expenses):

- Government mandates - every state has between 19 and 60 mandates that MUST be covered - some of these include gym membership fees, healthy diet plans, etc. The government should not mandate programs that would add to un-nescesarry expense to most consumers. LET THE CONSUMERS CHOOSE THEIR PLAN.
- Government dollars going to healthcare - instead of getting 5k extra in salary, employees might prefer a 7k health care plan thats matched by the government (for a 14k equity) - that includes expensive mandates - and leads to more government spending on healthcare - when most of the spending goes to waste.
- Lack of incentives for insurance agencies to cut costs - a private system would limit price gouging from doctors and hospitals.

It seems to me the Democrats are generally calling for proposals that expand the above problems, while Republicans are calling for efforts to put more market forces on it. Unfortunately, "Universal Health Care" sounds great to many Americans and private health care does not.

[mosdef]

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. . . the best health care systems are the socialized systems in Western Europe where doctors are civil servants.

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Oh, yes, absolutely. Let's run the health care industry for 300 million people like the [censored] post office and DMV.

OMFG. What world do you live in?

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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I'm not the world's biggest fan of socialized medicine, but there doesn't need to be a federal social health program. I assume you would be more comfortable (less uncomfortable?) with a state-level program. Centralization in the U.S. is a disaster because the population is too large and diverse.

[Borodog]

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. . . the best health care systems are the socialized systems in Western Europe where doctors are civil servants.

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Oh, yes, absolutely. Let's run the health care industry for 300 million people like the [censored] post office and DMV.

OMFG. What world do you live in?

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not the world's biggest fan of socialized medicine, but there doesn't need to be a federal social health program. I assume you would be more comfortable (less uncomfortable?) with a state-level program. Centralization in the U.S. is a disaster because the population is too large and diverse.

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You can't get more local than the [censored] DMV and it STILL SUCKS.

There is no [censored] problem except what governments create. JUST LEAVE IT THE [censored] ALONE.

[natedogg]

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. . . the best health care systems are the socialized systems in Western Europe where doctors are civil servants.

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Oh, yes, absolutely. Let's run the health care industry for 300 million people like the [censored] post office and DMV.

OMFG. What world do you live in?

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not the world's biggest fan of socialized medicine, but there doesn't need to be a federal social health program. I assume you would be more comfortable (less uncomfortable?) with a state-level program. Centralization in the U.S. is a disaster because the population is too large and diverse.

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That's not why. Small, homogenous populations have had miserable failures with strong centralized governments. Look no further than Cuba and North Korea for instance. It's the very concept of central planning that is the problem, not the population that is being subjected by it.

natedogg

natedogg

[mosdef]

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You can't get more local than the [censored] DMV and it STILL SUCKS.

There is no [censored] problem except what governments create. JUST LEAVE IT THE [censored] ALONE.

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Okay, fine. But I'm just saying that your comments regarding 300 million people makes a bad thing seem even worse. More centraliztion = Worse, even if you don't believe that Some centralization = Good.

[AzDesertRat]

The only way to "fix it" is to start from within and work your way out. Local health centers could be set up by individuals and groups to provide basic health care at a community level and move on from there. The places could stay open by individuals and groups donating money and resources. If enough of these take root and succeed, established hospitals would take note and would have to change their rates or practices and move on from there. There is no magic bullet for fixing our crappy system though--it will take time, lots of it.

And while we are at it, I would like to see members of Congress lose their lifelong healthcare benefits when they leave office. How the [censored] are they different than any individual working for a private corporation here?

Oh--I know, somehow we entrusted them with establishing laws in this country and they make the ones that benefit them. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]