Nope. It's not a movie. Back in the 90s Hillary Clinton's shot at "reforming" health care went down in flames. Thank goodness! Americans didn't want socialized medicine. Well, socialized medicine was never out of vogue with Democrats, they just knew it wasn't popular at the time, so they dropped it.
Well, it's back on the table. Not that we really want it. At least those of us who know what it's really all about. American medicine is among the best in the world, if not THE best in the world. You probably didn't get that if you watched Michael Moore's "Sicko."
I'm not a doctor. Being a consumer, and sometimes in the patient's seat, I try to be informed and sort it all out. Here's my take.
The top reasons why we have the best healthcare in the world ALREADY:
1. We get the best drugs first, because we are putting the money into research and development.
2. We get the best doctors, especially WHEN (and because) we make it rewarding and worthwhile to be a doctor. The reward is both financial and personal. (More on this coming).
3. We have the best medical facilities because our nation has the wealth and capital to fund them. If it weren't for capitalism, these wouldn't exist. Companies exist because they can make profits.
Why does medicine cost so darn much?
1. Government regulation is one of the reasons. There are some good regulations certainly, but too much micromanagement can be a serious problem.
2. Another problem is the cost of defending lawsuits in malpractice suits. Some lawsuits do have their place, especially in the case of gross negligence, but there are many, many other cases, where those in the legal profession greatly abuse the legal system for financial gain. Let's face it: doctors have deep pockets. They have to pay out a huge part of what they make not only in confiscatory taxes from the government (as they make so much), but they also have to pay out confiscatory rates for malpractice insurance.
3. One opinion I have heard from people who have been patients: sometimes those with the better insurance stay much longer and get more tests because it is more lucrative to keep them.
In other words, the insurance is paying, so some hospitals may run up the bill that way. I have a feeling that government would err in thinking that this is the biggest reason why healthcare costs so much. My own opinion is that abuses are certainly possible, but I think the other reasons have more to do with it.
Why socialized medicine is a horrible idea!
Think socialized medicine is a great idea? Think again.
1. Forget choice. When you get sick, a government bureaucrat is going to be deciding when, where, and what treatments you will get. These people can hardly manage the problems in their own lives. It should horrify you to think that they want to have control over your life!
2. Price controls are a lousy idea too. When government meddles with price controls, taking out the profit motive, they will ensure that fewer people want to go into the medical profession, and that companies fueled by profit-making drugs will go out of business. Forget life-saving technological advances and important R and D.
3. Only seniors with a death-wish would want socialized medicine. If you're a senior who think voting for whoever will bring you socialized medicine is a panacea-a cure-all-you're out of your mind. When Democrats talk about cutting costs hugely in medicine (come on, it's government talking, and they're probably lying to you about cutting costs anyway), there's a major way it will be done. The greatest costs come in caring for seniors, because they are the ones with the most health problems. Also on that list are the disabled . . . . Who do you think will be denied care when costs "get too high?" If you're a senior, this is one social experiment you DO NOT WANT.
What are reasonable steps that can be taken to drive down costs in healthcare while maintaining American exceptionalism in medicine?
1. Government is crazy in thinking that they can drive down costs with socialized medicine. This is all about POWER and CONTROL over you. Government has a way of doing things bigger, dumber, slower, and costlier. To them, health care is the new "opiate of the masses." Government regulation also creates a lot more headaches for doctors.
2. SERIOUS tort reform. Unscrupulous lawyers should not be able to make a career out of ruining the careers of conscientious doctors. Accidents can and do happen, and doctors will not take the necessary risks in treatments if they know a legal summoning is going to be hanging over their heads. Legal fears also drive up costs as doctors call for more and more tests in diagnoses to cover themselves.
We also need to make it rewarding to go into the medical profession again. Doctors deserve serious financial rewards for their work. We want being a doctor to be lucrative and prestigious. If it wasn't, the brightest and the best would choose law or another profession instead. Law has its place, but we want to keep those who want to be doctors in the medical profession. We also want to drive out the headaches of dealing with excessive government regulation.
Driving down malpractice insurance costs and capping the rewards in accidental injury suits will greatly reduce costs in medical care.
3. Let R and D do its thing in drug companies. Cap lawsuits there too. Make it absolutely clear that experimental lifesaving drugs are experimental.
Have other thoughts on this controversial topic? Respond. If you want to get involved, check out this site:
http://www.conservativesforpatientsrights.com/
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