Healthcare
Posted: 03/12/09
Healthcare for All: How Do We Pay for it? Really...
Sounds like a great idea, healthcare for all. It really is a nobel endeavor to want to provide care to the millions of uninsured Americans who live in fear of a medical event they can neither afford or for which they do not feel they will be given adequate care. The question isn't whether or not quality healthcare should be available to all. The question is how do we construct a system where doctors call the shots, patients choose providers, and costs are reasonable? Then we need to ask, "How do we pay for it? Really..."
There are multiple scenarios that complicate the issue. Doctors who are leaving the profession because of high malpractice premiums and the inability to treat their patients without the interference of insurance companies whose bottom line is profit. Companies are walking a fine legal line in trying to maintain an "age balanced" workforce so their group insurance rates don't skyrocket. A broken transition system (COBRA) provides temporary insurance to those who have lost their jobs... if they can afford the premium. Emergency rooms are overloaded with the uninsured... citizens and illegals. There's the incredibly high cost of a hospital stay not to mention surgery. And then, there's fraud. Yes, we get it.
But do we want to sacrifice the quality of care for the quantity of care that would be provided under a government controlled healthcare system? Do we want to have a system where doctors are forced to perform procedures that are contrary to their personal beliefs? On top of this, how do we pay for it? Capitalism doesn't expect the few to pay for the costs of the many... Capitalism gives an opportunity for all to pay for themselves and entrepreneurs to create innovative solutions. Isn't there a way for private enterprise to look at the healthcare problem and provide a win-win solution? We think so. Where there's a market, there's a private sector way.
Private Enterprise: Health care is a tough issue today. Tell us your story. We'll contact you about writing a story highlighting your concerns over the Health Care Reform Act of 2010.