Posted on 12/19/2023 5:33:49 PM PST by anthropocene_x
There is a tiny amount of private doctors.
What isn’t allowed is health insurance.
So companies pay for their executives, some wealthy people pay out of their own pocket and a lot more go to the USA for treatment.
We were still paying off the bat lab.
2 things:
The population of the U.S. is slightly higher than the population of all those countries combined and we get better & faster care than those countries give.
Partial payment would come by abolishing the Obama care subsidies. $1100 a month per couple is whooping lot of money. Simply redirecting those funds into Medicare would be a good start. Secondly, in large part Medicare bypasses the insurance companies taking some cost out.
A monthly premium (tax) could be levied on those below 65 to help offset the cost. Limits on coverage. How about in order to quality You have to have a job and are working at least 32 hours a week, with SS contributions? Reduce the personal allowance on income taxes. There are lots way the cost could be recovered. Let the idiots that want socialism have it.
Also I said it is a step in the right direction, not a total solution. It just seems to be a better option than Obamananation of Desolation care.
Ain’t welfare grand?
Why?
Going to the ER is a pastime for some folks on Medicaid. I know one who went to the ER at least 60 times in one year, trying to score Dilaudid. I figure that guy must have cost the US taxpayer several million dollars in health costs by now—and none of that includes any costs for the psych eval he really needs.
I get your idea.
It's a pipe dream. We can't even continue to support Medicare the way it exists today. Most projections estimate that the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (HI Trust Fund) supporting Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) will be depleted between 2028 and 2031. Medicare Part B and Part D are a little different because the recipient pays a monthly premium, which has increased every year I've been on the plan. In other words, Part B and D premiums would have to rise by orders of magnitude to do what you describe.
As a country, we can't even pay the bills we have today -- much less pile on even more bills that we can't pay in the immediate future.
As the libs love to say, "It's not sustainable."
Here is another idea that might have to be done at the state level.
The non controversial part.
Do a nationwide tort reform. Get lawyers mostly out of health care. Protect doctors from frivolous malpractice claims. This would include Trump’s “Right to try” initiatives
Find a way to lower the cost of medical school so that doctors do not graduate with $300,000 debt.
Then take several steps.
Currently we have to see doctors for thing’s that sort of waste a doctor’s time and could be replaced either a visit to a nurse or even automated (Robot).
Some examples. Basic physicals for school sports, continuing medication for conditions like prostate, arthritis, IBS, and other non-life threatening chronic conditions. Even things like diabetes or high blood pressure. Often those patients know how the condition is treated and when it is getting worse. Many preventative and recurring medical expenses could be done this way and it would significantly cut cost. I don’t need to see a doctor to get my prostate pills refilled. At least not every time.
Do the same thing with basic triage, and treating colds/flu and the like. Basic triage centers could refer or send severe cases to an emergency room or set up an appointment with a doctor.
Allow basic lab work to be performed without going to a doctor. Like a yearly physical. Just have a nurse or tech draw the blood and give you the results with a recommend if some number is too high or low. I shouldn’t need a doctor’s permission to have my blood sugar level checked.
Emphasis prevention and catching issues early.
Withing a year I bet Walmart word have a clinic doing these things if they could.
These steps would cover probably 75-80% of all office visits.
Now for the controversial part.
Set aside the first, third and fifth Thursday of each month as “Charity Days” On these days all treatment is free. These are days the doctor must be in the office. Referrals for surgeries on these days get on a waiting list. Surgeons and specialist need to have 2.5 days a month of charity work just like GP’s. Any treatment on those days is exempt from all malpractice issues. They cannot be sued for treatment on those days.
Place no requirements on the charity days. Anybody can go on those days, regardless of insurance or income.
Limit the cost of an office visit to $75.00 on non charity days for GP’s and Specialist. This allows most people to see a doctor if they really need one.
This would broaden availability and lower cost. It would also provide basic care to everyone.
We spend too much on treatment and too little on prevention, including too little on preventing known issues from getting worse.
Doctors have become salesmen for Big Pharma.
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