Healthcare
The Democrats closed down the Federal Government over healthcare subsidies needed to shore up Obama Care (ACA). Democrats never acknowledged that $$$ flowed into insurance company coffers for nothing. Democrats never admitted they wanted free healthcare for illegal aliens. Bottom line: Obama Care is only used by less than 10% of the population and we, the tax payers, are paying approximately $15,000 per year for each person using Obama Care (ACA). And who got the money -insurance companies. What a gig.
So in the midst of all this bruhaha I thought I would give some of my own thoughts. These recommendations come from my own experience – and I have been to many rodeos.
Doctor Shortage:
Try to get a doctor appointment lately? In my neck of the woods it takes 1 – 3 MONTHS to see my GP (family medicine). Need a specialist? Try 3 – 6 MONTHS. If it is more critical you have to go to some clinic for urgent care. Why? Doctor shortage. And I think this shortage is caused by doctors to protect doctor pay. The average GP is making close to $300, 000 per year. The average specialist is close to $500,000 per year. How do the doc’s do it: limit the number of school slots.
There are less than 200 medical schools in the US. Over 6,000 colleges and universities in the US. These less than 200 schools feed only 1700 teaching hospitals (internship and residency). How? Accreditation.
Medical schools are accredited by only two groups: the Accreditation Liaison Committee and the American Osteopathic Association Commission. For foreign schools there is the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. And these groups are run and controlled by doctors.
So lets open up more medical schools. Lets impose on these accrediting groups a mandate to get more med schools. Lets make doctors compete. More supply. If a doc passes his state boards I don’t care where he got his education. If he sucks I’ll move on. How many bright kids don’t get into med school?
Price Transparency
Big one. If I go into a store or restaurant I see the prices before I order or or buy. If I need work done on my house or car I see the cost before I allow the work to start. This knowledge allows me choice. Go see a doc – I see nothing until after I see him (OK, him or her). Then it is too late – check the insurance statement so you know what you owe. Doc orders a procedure or test and he (OK or she) can’t tell you what the cost is before the test or procedure. You’re stuck. We should be able to shop around for that test or procedure. An MRI is an MRI. If I have the power to choose a blood test location I will go the cheapest route. Doctors, hospitals, clinics, and labs need to publicly list their prices. It is called competition. And provides us choice.
Health Insurance
A story: Many, many years ago I went to work for a company that had health care benefits BUT they offered me a choice. My cost share for those benefits was about $.50 per hour out of my pay. If I did not take the benefits then the company would pay me an extra $2.30 per hour. I took the $2.30 per hour and went shopping. I got health care insurance for me for the equivalent of $1.40 per each hour I worked. And it was less than what my wife was paying for her benefits.
And the insurance company didn’t care who I worked for. And I wasn’t tied to the once yearly chance to change or drop my insurance. I was in control. I could shop. Find a better plan – take it. Whenever I wanted.
We need to stop this once yearly opportunity to change plans. Insurance plans need to be portable – go where we go regardless of who we work for. We need to open the insurance market. Why does each state get to choose which insurance companies work in their state? Open the state borders and let us choose. Allow companies, if they choose, to pick the insurer, regardless of state, they want. Why does Obama Care limit the choice of insurance companies? Lets make insurance companies compete for OUR dollars.
Now, these feeble ideas won’t completely reform healthcare. But they could be a start. But then again, I’m an Old Guy and I don’t get it………