My honest attempt to find middle ground on healthcare, what do you think?
By lilwonders
@lilwonders456 (8214)
United States
August 5, 2009 8:35pm CST
I do think it needs to be fixed. But I don't like this plan. At least not waht I have read so far. I don't like the insurance companies dictating people's medical decisions. And I definately don't want the gov to do it. So here is what I think. Put the power to make the decisions where it belongs with the people and the doctors. Noval idea huh? I also agree to get more people covered. So here is my ideas on how to compromise. I will am pretty sure I will just tick off both sides. But here I go anyway:
1. Pass legistation outlawing pre-existing conditions clauses and they can't drop people for actually using their insurance if they get sick with something major.
2. Allow insurance companies to operate across state lines. Right now they are limited. That would create better coverage. Bigger coverage groups and lower prices. Also it would make for more competition. WHich would lower prices.
I know this one sounds alittle confusing so let me explain.
Let say Walmart just to name a place that is in every state. One of the biggest employers in the country. Well they can't put all their employees under one plan or the choice of a couple of plans. They have to buy the plans for the employees in each state. which means the number of people in each group is smaller and cost more. But say all the employees nation wide could be under one Huge PPO or HMO (let them individually choose which they want) then it would greatly increase the number of people in the group and would greately lower prices.
Have a huge national wide PPO and HMO group for the small business to join. That would greatly reduce the costs for htem. And lord knows they need it. There would also be a big national PPO and HMO policy for individuals looking to buy their own insurance on their own. By putting them in a big group it will save them big bucks.
Also this would create big time competition between the insurance companies and to stay competitive prices would lower. Think of it. Don't like your insurance company? Well then shop around and get a new one. People getting employer provided insurance would be locked into that as their only option anymore either. Options and choices are always a good thing.
2. Cap profits. I know I know. Being a capitalist this is a BIG concession from me. But even I see something wrong with people paying all this money to insurance companies and they do everything they can not to pay or cover things. Not a good return on their investment for the consumer. So cap how much they are allowed to make in profits. Penalize the heck out of htem if htey go over. Which means now they have a big incentive to pay out.
3. Make a law that if the patient and his or her doctor make the decision that a cetain percedure is needed....then it is needed and covered.No second guessing the doctor and patients for the sake of profit margins.
I like this for several reasons....it puts the power where it belongs...with the people. It lowers costs which would increase the number of people covered because it would be cheaper for individuals as well as corporations... all while maintaining people's right to make their choices in both their medical decisions and who their insurance company is. I know it is not perfect. No healthcare overhaul plan is going to cover every individual persons situation. But I think it is a good balance of fixing the problems without taking people's choices and rights from them.
What do you think? (I am almost scared to ask).
2 people like this
4 responses
@phildozer (284)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I dont trust companies to do ANYTHING for me, they have noone to answer to besides the stock holders. Whos to say walmart wont cheap out anyway and buy a plan that only partly covers its employees? going across state lines doesnt seem to bother national health insurers like blue cross. Agreed, the bigger pool would lower costs, but its no guarantee that these companies will pass the savings down to the average American. And it still doesnt cover those who cant afford the insurance in the first place, or people who are between jobs and dont have insurance because of it. I like barring condition discrimination, but even that would allow insurers to jack up their prices. In my mind, health care is broken, simple as that, and I believe that we need some basic blanket, something that covers all americans too poor or sick or risky to be profitable to the companies, and if this security blanket can keep those companies honest, I am all for it.
2 people like this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
6 Aug 09
the security blanket could be a oversight comittee or group and/or watchdog group.
I just want to find a way that lowers healthcare costs while puting the power and choices in the poeple's hands instead of insurance companies (like now) OR the gov. hands (like the current plan being discussed in washington).
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
6 Aug 09
But let me guess....I am still going to be paying higher taxes to pay for the "public plan" even if I chose not to use it and go with my own insurance?
That is a big yes. So I will be paying twice. One for everyone else's insurnance and one for myself.
And that will only be til 2012. Then the private market healthcare gets slowly fazed out and everyone is slowly put on the public plan.
Think about it. I have choices (for now). But my kids when they grow up won't. According to the grandfather clause by the time they grow up and enter the work force they will only be able to get the public plan. Getting their own private insurance won't be an option for them.
I know congress has not voted on this plan and there will be a lot of talk and some changes when they get back into session. And they have two BIG problems to fix.
1. The math does not add up. What it is going to cost vs how they say in the bill they are going to come up witht he money don't match. Not by a long shot.
They have got to find a way to close the gap.
2. They have got to find a way to protect the populations right to have choices and options. More power to the poeple. Less to the insurance companies and the gov. when it comes to your healthcare decisions.
If htey can do that. then ya....I will back this plan.
I agree healthcare needs to be fix. I just don't agree with how they want to do it.
But I will keep an eye on this to see how the bill gets changed in congress before the vote before I make my absolute final decision on it.
1 person likes this
@phildozer (284)
• United States
6 Aug 09
You have the right to choose either way. In both cases is you dont like a plan, you change it. If you dont like government health care, you can pay for a private plan, and if you dont want/ cant pay for a private plan, you can take government healthcare. The difference with these private plans now is that they will be subject to consumer protections. Thats what the bill i've looked at says anyway.
1 person likes this
@phildozer (284)
• United States
9 Aug 09
What would you have them think about? Theyve had since the 90's when Hilliary called for reform. They've had since Obama took office to think up stuff. They get all of august to think it over. How much time do you want them to spend thinking about a bill thats really a no brainer. they know the problems, they've known them for years, and now they have solutions, multiple solutions.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Aug 09
You have some decent ideas here. What would be good to is to take most of the government intervention out of insurance... Take away the laws that favor the companies, the laws that favor the medical industry and the laws that favor the consumer. Allow for negotiations of benefits between the consumer and the insurance companies (both individual and group policies). That way the market can truly work in the system.
Right now we have a system where the insurance companies hide behind laws, the lawmakers hide behind the insurance lobby, and the consumer is left to choose between what is left.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
6 Aug 09
THose are some really good ideas to add to it. I feel if we really open up Health insurance to the open market it will greatly decrease prices.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
9 Aug 09
I remember during the campaign several of the candidates, including President Obama, had brought up making the plan members of Congress and all other federal employees have available to everyone and I think that would be a fantastic idea. I was in that plan myself for years and there are choices available which vary according to where you live and what your needs are, but I don't see why they haven't seemed to discuss this much lately. Everyone's premiums would automatically be lower since it would be one huge group plan. There would still have to be caps on the insurance companies profits, in my opinion, and there definitely needs to be a law against refusing or dropping anyone due to preexisting conditions. Also, I think we'd need something in place to help subsidize those who can't afford the premiums or co-pays but it wouldn't be like we'd be giving "free" health care to millions and since everyone would be covered costs in general would come down because here could be more emphasis on preventative care and fewer people using their local ER for their primary care. Let's face it, we're already paying for those who don't have insurance and/or can't afford to pay for their emergency treatment so wouldn't it be a lot better to pay a lesser amount to get them covered and make it so they can see a doctor BEFORE it's an emergency?
Another thing I've heard mentioned is to make some changes and allow everyone to be eligible for Medicare. People complain about government interference in health care but doctors will tell you they get a lot less interference from Medicare than they do from all the for-profit insurance companies. If a doctor says a patient needs a certain test, procedure or medication Medicare doesn't usually deny them while the insurance companies do that all the time. As it is now billions of dollars are spend every year just on administration costs so eliminating much of that alone would really put a dent in the total health care costs. The main thing that needs to be done is for people to calm down and listen to the facts about what is or may be proposed instead of falling for all the fear-mongering that's being done by both sides. I mean, how can anyone with a brain really believe Obama wants to kill old people? Some actually think that! Also, I saw a news clip of a woman at a town hall meeting shouting at her Congressman to "Keep your government fingers off my Medicare!" Does that mean she wants to give up her Medicare or does she really not know it's a government program? I can say from experience with my mom that while it's not perfect Medicare is a darn good program. Like everything else it could be made more efficient but my mom had to have oxygen at home and a nurse come to take blood tests periodically and between her Medicare and her supplemental insurance that only cost her about $50/month she was covered for everything.
Annie
