We Need Health Care Reform

There is no health care crisis in the United States.  85% of all Americans have health care insurance.  No one is turned away from a hospital.  Most areas offer no cost medical care to low income families.  Even Kern County California, a small town and farming area, provides similar services.

President Obama is in the wrong fight.  His focus should be solely on lowering the cost of health care.  That is an issue facing everyone in America.  Health care for every American is a wonderful idea but the time has not come to make this a reality.  Lower costs will probably help to add more families to the insured rolls. 

President George W. Bush tried to revise Social Security and he failed.  The reason that these changes fail is that the public basically likes and is comfortable with the existing systems.  There is no obvious reason to change either of these programs.  It’s the American idea, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (spoken) also if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

I skim read H.R. 3200 ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.’’  This is not a law.  It is a proposed law or bill.  Why didn’t I read every single word?  There was too much legal jargon that only a lawyer could understand and he would have to be familiar with U.S. Code (USC).  That is the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States.  This proposed law is 1,017 pages long.  References to advance care planning and advance directives in the bill only aid those opposing a new health plan.  Most people already know about medical power of attorney and advanced health directives.  Including help in preparing those documents in the proposed law only supports the fear that the government will try to reduce health care costs by encouraging the elderly to sign documents that will deny them medical care.

Medicare recipients are rightfully concerned about the loss of Medicare benefits.  There is too much language in this bill about changes to existing Medicare plans.  This is an alert to seniors and the AARP that savings in a new national health plan will come at a cost to seniors.  After all it is senior citizens that do receive the most health care services.  The AARP has not endorsed this plan or any plan.

 The Administration is correct in identifying serious flaws in our health care system.  Those flaws should be addressed.  Throwing out the entire system because there are a few problems is the wrong approach.  After all, most parts of health care do operate fairly well.  Cost of medical care is the number one issue according to the president.  That is the challenge that should be addressed.  I am sure there are other issues but here is my list.   Mr. President just address these issues:

1. All medical facilities must implement on line medical records.  The benefit is the sharing of information between doctors and easy access by the doctor of a patient’s history.  Kaiser Permanente Southern California has that program in place.  The two doctor office caring for my mother still uses had written records as does my dentist.
2. Insurance companies must be prohibited from denying health care coverage based on a patient’s medical history.  There should be no criteria for premiums.  Everyone should be pay the same rate based upon geographic area.
3. Eliminate lifetime caps on the amount of coverage set by insurance companies.
4. Regulations must deny insurance companies the right to cancel insurance.
5. Insurance companies must be allowed to sell their plans in any state thus increasing competition.
6. Generics drug manufacturers should have the right to produce copies of brand name drugs after five years rather than the current rule of no limits on Biotech drugs and standard limits on other drugs of 17 years.
7. Develop improved Medicaid programs for those not covered by existing plans due to their cost.  The plans must be limited to those currently eligible for Medicaid.
8. Impose excess profits tax on all health care providers (i.e. insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospital associations, health care provider associations, etc.).
9. Tax breaks for individuals similar to businesses who have no employer provided insurance.
10. Portability and of coverage and reduced costs of coverage for those who have lost their employment.
11. Tort reform that will reduce the cost of a doctor’s business insurance.

Just these improvements will lower the cost of medical care for everyone.  These are enhancements that both Democrats and Republicans will be willing to support.