What would your solution be for the health care crisis?

Question

Let me hear your solutions. One thought I had was why not make Medicare available to those who can't afford insurance and let them buy Medi-gap insurance (if they choose to).

I don't think imposing a fine on people and then making them put that on their tax form is the answer. I mean why should the IRS get the ability to not only collect more money from people but be able to impose interest and penalties as well?

Anyway, let me hear what you think should be done.

Answer 1

When we are forced to pay for health care, need it or not, we have reverted from a republic to a tyranny. There is no other word for it.

You will do as you are told by the king or else...your life will be destroyed so others may advance on your blood, sweat and tears.

Just like our tax system.

Bye Bye America.

Answer 2

I the government should simply expand Medicaid coverage to be available to a broader income group. Coverage should be available for minors at little or no cost to the parents (because they have no control over their situation and should not suffer because their parents are losers), and analysts should take into consideration where a family lives when calculating what income level qualifies. I'm all for providing health insurance for people who are unemployed or underemployed and need some help. I'm not at all in favor of making a government health plan that will severely limit the ability of average Americans to make their own choices regarding the matter. I like my health insurance plan. I want to keep it.



There will always be people without health insurance because there will always be people who are not able to financially prioritize. Health care is obviously more important than getting the new iphone, but it's not like some people will ever figure that out. But one person's irresponsibility should not be the burden of every tax paying American.

Answer 3

Keep the government out of it. I don't want a bureaucrat that doesn't know me determining if my life is worthy, financially, to say or to let me rot away. That is my choice, not his.



However, being that I have worked for a small business and a larger business, and had no health care while in college, there needs to be something done to cut the costs. When I had no insurance, I was scared to get sick.



Maybe if people weren't charged $10 for a Q-Tip, more people could afford health care. On the flip side, I'm being charged the $10 Q-Tip to pay for those that couldn't even pay their 10 cent Q-Tip.

Answer 4

Let's start with Tort Reform.



Then let's encourage more doctors to go into primary care. We've already got a shortage. This would probably need to be a financial incentive, since we're talking about what kind of living people want to make.



Lift some of the restrictions on how many students medical schools can accept, but be careful about not overloading the schools. We need to keep standards up. No point in having a bunch of half-educated doctors running around.



Have a tax incentive for doctors in private practice to be involved in low cost/free clinics.



Make sure mental health is covered just like any other illness in existing insurance.



Get corporations out of the business of offering healthcare. Just like with your car and home insurance, health insurance should be purchased individually. You can pick and choose what you want covered, what deductible and coverage you want. There's no reason why a single 25-year-old man needs to be paying for maternity coverage, for example.



Ease up the rules and regs on existing State-funded healthcare like Medicare and Medicaid. Doctors' offices spend a lot of overhead in staff who just are hired to navigate those systems. With fewer rules requiring referrals, seeing primary doctors before being able to see a specialist, fewer hoops, costs should go down for everyone.



Let's check out how Massachusetts and Maine are doing. Let the Feds learn from the mistakes of the States. MA is suffering pretty badly right now, their costs have risen 42% since 2006 when they implemented full coverage. Maine's uninsured rate is back up to 10%, where they were before they tried to mandate coverage for all in 2005.

Before rushing into this, let's look at the unintended consequences that the ME and MA plans.

Answer 5

Tort reform, plain and simple. Things weren't this expensive before people started suing and winning frivolous lawsuits. Also, find an alternative for the uninsured and under-insured. Some practicing doctors in the senate have come up with some plans that give doctors incentives to donate some of their time to clinics that are less costly for those without coverage. It's not a one size fits all solution--but more bureaucracy is NOT the way to go. If anyone would bother to educate themselves on what this bill contains--unless they were devoid completely of logic and common sense- they would see what it really is. This will KILL our economy and leave us all dependent upon the government.

Answer 6

1) Open insurance plans across state lines.

2) Offer different levels of care. People should be able to pay for routine healthcare so you would save a ton on premiums if it were just for serious and catastrophic care.

3) No healthcare to illegals unless they are going to pay at the time of care for the service.

4) Set up government clinics for welfare, retirees and the chronically unemployed.

5) Close the borders and enforce our laws. Leave medicine in the private sector. All you have to do is look at VA hospitals, Medicare, and Medicaid to know you don't want government telling you what you can and can't do with your own health.

Answer 7

I'm with Mr Cranky Pants (although, I confess, not with his screen name). When did Universal Heath Care become Universal Health Insurance?



If you're sick, you get treated. If you want to travel to a different city, you may use the road. If you want to read a book you may go to the library.



Effective immediately, Health Insurance is a null concept. Instead, we take care of our people.

Answer 8

I'm not sure I agree with your premise that there is a health care "crisis" That is a view pushed by those who support sweeping change to the current system.



That said, reforms I support are mostly market based.



1) expand health savings accounts, and allow rollover of unspent HSA dollars.



2) Make health insurance deductible for everyone, not just when it is provided by an employer.



3) Deregulate health insurance so buyers can purchase insurance to cover catastrophic costs only, rather than mandating what insurance has to cover. It would work more like car insurance which doesn't pay for things like gas, and maintenance, and minor scratches and dents.



4) Also deregulate and allow insurers to charge more, or less based on lifestyle and health choices like smoking and obesity.



5) Pass tort reforms that establish a loser pays aspect to medical lawsuits, to discourage junk lawsuits. Right now, American doctors pay as much as $300,000 a year for medical malpractice insurance. They also practice defensive medicine to reduce the risk of law suits. In most countries, the idea of suing your doctor isn't part of their culture, so MM insurance is literally 1% of what it costs here in the US.



6) Allow individuals to pool together to buy insurance at group rates.



7) Eliminate laws that restrict individuals to purchasing insurance plans that are offered in their state, so they can shop among all plans nation wide.



P.S. One final point I'd make regarding introducing market forces to health care. If you look at treatment not covered by insurance, like laser eye surgery, the cost has plummeted. Having full insurance coverage of every little health related expense provides incentive, not to decrease costs, but to increase them. Just look at what government subsidy has done to higher education costs. They certainly haven't come down, but rather have gone up even faster than health care costs. Now Obama is supporting Federal support of community colleges, which will jack up the cost of the last bastion of affordable higher education.



P.S.S. In England which has nationalized health care, the prostate cancer survival rate is 51%. In the US it is 91%.

Answer 9

first off there is no crisis. the democrats use the word crisis when ever they have a piece of agenda they want to promote.



I say the way health care works is better than any where else.

also why is it even a thought that you have a right to see a doctor for free or on your neighbors dime?



wait until the government " fixes " the health care system. only then will we have a crisis.

Answer 10

Price gouging by the insurance companies needs to have restrictions. This would solve most of the health care problems. No fines, imprisonment should be the cost for gouging the public.

Answer 11

i agree with the first poster we dont have to reinvent the wheel . there are lots of countries with it lets copy theirs. canadas or britains. would be better than what we have. ive worked in insurance before . too much greed that wont be eliminated without major change. companies will cheat as much as possible. congressman rockefellers report on insurance company cheating proves this i doubt we will get it though too much money being thrown at it by drug companies. we will have to stop the lobbiests from buying our government too.

Answer 12

What health care crisis ?

America has the best system in the world, the main thing wrong with it is paying for illegal aliens health care.

Answer 13

The President was huge on saying: "We need to fix it from the bottom up" while he was campaigning. I agree, let's fix Social Security, which will mend Medicare and go from there:) I say first things first!

Answer 14

What crisis? Because the Messiah says there is a crisis, doesn't mean it's true. As a matter of fact, the fact that HE said it, based on his track record, it is almost surely a lie.

Answer 15

ALL Employers would contribute to a National "pool" -whose monies would THEN be distributed equally to all an Employees Health Care Plan. ONLY those of Us who wanted & could pay for Private Health Coverage- could "Opt Out" of this National Plan... :)

Answer 16

Stop limiting the amount of doctors that can get into schools. This is done on purpose. More doctors would be beneficial costwise and healthwise.

Answer 17

Im a 28 year old male who never goes to the doctor, i have no crisis

Answer 18

Abolution of for-profit insurance or single payer like canada. Banning of all direct-to-consumer prescription advertising, and government price controls on prescription drugs.



Also goverment pays student loans of any doctors who agree to become non-profit. THe IRS already has the ability to collect taxes and officials are elected who spend that money. Don't like it, try not paying.

Answer 19

I'm not in crisis -- I pay for my health insurance and it's been great.

Answer 20

since there is no crisis then there need be no solution.....the so called crisis is a liberal myth

Answer 21

Regulation of the insurance industry!!!

Answer 22

Well, if America keep the same system they've been using, my advise is, "Don't get sick".



Or...



Adopt Universal Health Care.

Answer 23

Stop wasting money keeping useless old people alive.

Answer 24

You pay for yours, I will pay for mine. OK?