Continuing the prior blog post from Political Chips:
“My view is that health care reform should be guided by a simple principle: Fix what’s broken and build on what works” President Barack Obama, June 2009
Question: What’s broken? Answer: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
* In 1950, there were 16 workers per entitlement beneficiary. In 2009, there are only 3.3 workers per entitlement beneficiary.
* The “Baby Boom” began in 1946. “Baby-Boomers” first became eligible for Social Security in 2008 (age 62) but a majority will begin flooding the entitlement programs in 2011 and beyond.
* These 3 entitlement programs are financially insolvent and unsustainable!
Question: What works? Answer: See bullets below:
* Restructuring health insurance to be an instrument to protect oneself from large unforeseen catastrophic events or protect oneself from financial ruin subsequent to acquiring an unforeseen dread disease.
* Combining the Health Savings Account with a Qualified High Deductible Health Plan and expanding the annual contribution limits so millions of Americans can save more money for healthcare expenses.
* Providing a mechanism whereby consumers can easily compare prices for services PRIOR to having them rendered. There is no other commodity in the USA that Americans purchase PRIOR to knowing the costs.
* Providing real INCENTIVES to Millions of Americans to attain a healthy weight and REWARDS for doing so. The current landscape of healthcare reform proposals does NOTHING to reward the millions of healthy Americans who are leading healthy lifestyles.
“If you like your doctor, you can keep them. If you like your health care plan, you can keep it” President Barack Obama, June 2009
For millions of Americans, this is not going to be the case!
* 150 million Americans currently have employer based insurance coverage. A Public Plan Option will be underpriced and oversold. During the transition to a single payer system, millions of Americans will experience “crowd out” as employers drop their health plans in droves and physicians cater to those with better coverage. Eventually, this will all lead to a single payer system whereby everyone will have universal access to rationed care.
“In the USA, we spend 50% more per person on health care than any other country in the world with poorer outcomes” President Barack Obama, June 2009
This is misleading to say the least!
* The reason the USA spends more than any other country is because other countries DO NOT provide common diagnostic services and lack the funding to provide quality treatment! There are more MRI machines in Wichita KS (population 365,000) than there are in Toronto Ontario Canada (population 4,000,000).
* The USA has the greatest healthcare system in the world as it pertains to access to care and quality of care. World leaders and hundreds of thousands of foreigners flock to the USA for treatment each and every year.
“The free enterprise system and private markets have failed to solve the health care crisis on their own” President Barack Obama, June 2009
Not so fast! We believe the following is true:
* Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are financially insolvent. 56% of every healthcare dollar is spent by the Government. The current system is NOT a FREE ENTERPRISE system NOR is it PRIVATE enough. The Government is the problem, Not the Solution!