From Say Anything:
What it boils down to is this: The vast majority of Americans who have health care coverage now would have to exchange the most responsive, most advanced, most comprehensive medical care in the world they receive now for a system that is prone to waiting lists and rationing of services, is really expensive to fund through the government and is run by the same people responsible for such monuments to bureaucratic efficiency as the post office and the department of motor vehicles. All so that a minority of this country’s population could enjoy “free” health care.I just don’t see that happening.
Are there problems with our current medical system? Absolutely. It costs too much, and so people are reliant upon their employers and the government to pay for it. But I think the solution to that problem lays through introducing market forces into the health care industry by making individuals more responsible for paying their own medical costs rather than a system that shifts that burden onto the collective.
Related posts:
- Improve primary care access before guaranteeing universal health coverage, my address at the National Press Club
- Acknowledging health care costs
- Free health care in Hawaii
- What is responsible for high health care costs?
- Health care financing crisis
- Health care is not a right
- Do people need comprehensive health insurance?
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 3 comments }
We already have national health care in the US. Its called Medicare and it is the best payor with the least “hassle factor.” In addition, 45% of health care expenditure goes to administration middle men(billers, claims processors, call centers,etc). A single payor system, whether it is medicare or a commercial payor, would lower the administration costs for most doctors (including me). As regards your mention of rationing, long waits, poor quality care etc; that already occurs daily in the US for the 30+million uninsured and the 100+million under-insured. For us fortunate few with the best of the best insurances, I agree that we have the best system in the world. But I have no doubt that national health insurance would benefit the majority of Americans, including physicians, and it certainly is not likely to happen.
I have no problem with “free” heath care so long as Americans understand:
1. Free medical care isn’t.
2. That how much they are directly paying into the system shows up on their tax stubs.
3. We get rid of the illegals.
4. That you can opt out if you want to and use a private doctor/hospital/etc.
5. That health care is strictly rationed (that is to say if you have an otherwise curable disease but you have used too much of your health care ration or the system would benefit too little from treating you — you do not receive treatment. 70 with diabetes too bad!).
Americans have this idea that everyone is equally worth saving, that some crack whore should get the same treatment as Bill Gates, it’s ludicrous. Not everyone can afford the gold standard of care nor can we afford to give everyone the gold standard of care.
“Its called Medicare and it is the best payor with the least “hassle factor.”"
It’s not the best payor. And although it is fairly good about not denying claims, the “hassle factor” in complying with Stark/anti-kickback rules etc is tremendous
Comments on this entry are closed.