Health Care Restoration

Health Care Restoration – in short – get the Feds out of the industry and let us back in!  

First the facts ... (then the solutions):

1. The US free enterprise market has produced the greatest health care system in the world – look at all the people in the world who flock here to get surgery, etc. Our family experienced this system when I was retired from the military and worked for Boeing – it was awesome!

2. The US has lots of experience with government-run health care. It is these medical programs that have problems – so why are the Feds taking over health care and why are we letting them?:

a. Military, Veterans and Native health care – as I described last week in “Standards for Neglect.”

c. Medicare, which is going broke – so, pay more taxes! Doctors in Anchorage have been refusing new Medicare patients for a couple of years, because Medicare doesn’t pay our bills! When I retire from the military, we get Medicare, but because of the Anchorage situation, all military retirees are seen at the “Standards for Neglect” military hospital. And get this – to fund the new health care program the new law CUTS MONEY OUT OF MEDICARE – what does that say to the fastest growing segment of our population – the aged! “Hurry up and die!”

d. Medicaid, which is also having problems – so, pay more taxes! Actually, I hear this program is much better than Medicare. My Mother-in-law, who has Medicare as part of her coverage, gets worse care than her illegal-on-welfare neighbors and relatives who are on Medicaid.

3. The Supreme Court has ruled that the new Federal "Affordable" Health Care Act is constitutional as a (massive) Federal tax program. 

So, is the solution more government-run health care?

Absolutely not! Government-run systems have a monopoly on our health care “business.” With no competitors, there is no incentive for them to be efficient and to keep us satisfied. With no profit being generated there is no ability to expand services when demand is up other than to increase taxes. What happens is rationed care, i.e. managed neglect.

The very best health care is found in the competitive, free-enterprise marketplace, where profit drives services based on demand, and a satisfied customer is job #1. That is the health care we all want – right?

OK – so how can we access the best system in the world?

Being financially independent is the best way, i.e., make enough money and buy your own health care plan.

Yes! Yes! I know! It is too expensive for some, and pre-existing conditions keep others out because of higher premiums.

So how do we solve the access problem?

PHASE ONE  - Make Medical Access More Affordable

1. Remove the Insurance Monopolies:

Break up the State insurance monopolies by allowing insurance companies to compete for business in all 50 states. Significantly increased insurance competition will drive down costs and stimulate efficiencies. Regulating inter-state commerce is one of the constitutional roles of the Federal Government – in this case they need to regulate it by first ALLOWING inter-state commerce to occur! Get out of the way Feds!

2. Make Insurance Personal and Transportable:

Medical insurance should be owned by us and travel with us where-ever we go – just like our car insurance. Pat’s Mom is tied to Hawaii by her insurance – away from Hawaii for more than three months and she is out of coverage! How many of you have insurance tied to your company, and what happens when you lose your job?

3. Give us Personal Digital Medical Records:

A digital copy of our medical records should be with us. Some of my key medical information is on a chip on my Military ID. Doctors should not have to rediscover our health details – when we are unconscious.

4. Tort Reform:

Limit malpractice awards to reasonable amounts set by independent and elected State health commissions (Federal standards could also level the playing field for all the States). Doctors pay outrageous amounts for malpractice insurance – that bill gets passed on to us one way or the other. I cannot sue the Military health care system, so I have no protection from mal-practice. The right to sue for redress of wrongs drives quality in the commercial system – awards are simply out of control.

These Phase One reforms mean that fewer need help obtaining health care – YEA! Lower taxes!

PHASE TWO: Get the Federal Government out of Health Care (except in their limited Constitutional role of regulating inter-State commerce in support of Phase One)

1. Transfer Care for the Poor and Unemployed to the States:

This step keeps the Federal Government in its limited Constitutional role and puts care for the poor closer to home – in the States. Best practices will naturally migrate from State to State, improving the whole – an advantage a Federal program lacks.

2. Set up State Voucher Systems:

Provide the poor with State vouchers that can only be used to buy insurance that meets State and Federal standards. Adjust the vouchers based on need: those below the Federal poverty line (or State poverty line if it is higher) get a 100% voucher. Those above the poverty line would receive lesser amounts (e.g. 80 – 60 – 40 – 20 – 0 percent). The significance of this step is that this is NOT government-run health care. It is the poor buying commercial health care with a government voucher. We choose the insurance that meets our needs.

3. Pre-existing Conditions Vouchers:

Coverage for pre-existing conditions (including those from birth) can also be provided through the State voucher system based on need.

That’s it! What are we left with – America’s exceptional free-enterprise health care system for all of us – unfettered by Federal over-regulation, interference, and monopoly!

A closing question you may have thought of: what would I do with the military health care system? Keep only that portion required to support military combat operations. We need health care professionals in the war zones – not at home.