Universal Healthcare, Free Market or Doctors - who will make decisions?
At some point in the last 30 years, we have lost the ability as a country to intelligently discuss any disagreements we have with one another on any topic of importance. Now, with the Internet, there are those on any board that have the need to verbally abuse and even threaten those that have the audacity to disagree with their views. Of one thing I am sure; television pundits shouting, political talking points, abusive postings and threatening on the Internet and the need to tell someone that "you are a jerk," is unlikely to solve problems. The anger is building and will not improve until we move to the center of the room to talk and listen. I do not want an English or Canadian model of health care insurance nor do I want what we have now. America has the best health care capabilities in the world and we should have the intelligence to fix any problems without destroying the system or driving away good doctors.
If you listen to those who are doing most of the talking, you will believe that the only choices are "Socialized Medicine" and "Free Market." If you are willing to have an open mind, there are other possibilities that combine the best of what we do now, eliminate the "red tape" for doctors and add what will work even better. We are already paying for uninsured, under insured and inefficient policies with higher prices and premiums...there possibilities are out there if we learn to think for ourselves.
We all want the best care possible and really think that we need an MRI machine on every corner. Pharmaceutical companies advertise on television about drugs that you really need and want you to ask your doctor about the latest drug (the people are always very happy and we want that). Many times we don't even know what the drug is for but we feel the need to call and ask the doctor about it. At the same time the Primary Physician is the one that is getting the short end of payments and demands from insurance. If we expect to keep Primary Physicians as a viable part of our health care system, pay them more per patient so that they have the time to diagnose without the need to initially order tests that cost more than it would to allow him/her to spend an additional few minutes with the patient. My Family Doctor has 2 people that are constantly justifying their time to Insurance Companies along with the additional demands on his time. Eliminate those costs and we may be able to attract new doctors that really wish to treat patients.
Uninsured and under-insured are going to Emergency Rooms, doctors and other care givers and then are not able to pay. The Hospitals, doctors and specialists are not paid billions of dollars and that increases the costs for everyone else in higher procedural costs and insurance.
The Insurance companies already are standing between you and your doctor. The Government will be less efficient, but more apt to err on the side of the patient. There are ways that both can move toward the middle so that everyone will know what procedures will be covered and which ones may require less expensive procedures first. If we just knew the rules, Reasonable and Customary and Pre-Approval could become a very rare term. Also, since we know that everyone is talking more about "prevention" as part of the solution, the Primary Care Physician is the likely choice to spend his time on that. Unless, of course, the politicians are talking about only "educating" us through television ads about eating healthy and bad habits.
Later posts will discuss how we went from the 70's as the time the doctors made medical decisions, the 80's and 90's when HMO's and then Insurance Companies had to approve all medical decisions and now think that the Government should make the decisions. The real answer is out there.
TVP
Email The Virtual Patient
If you listen to those who are doing most of the talking, you will believe that the only choices are "Socialized Medicine" and "Free Market." If you are willing to have an open mind, there are other possibilities that combine the best of what we do now, eliminate the "red tape" for doctors and add what will work even better. We are already paying for uninsured, under insured and inefficient policies with higher prices and premiums...there possibilities are out there if we learn to think for ourselves.
We all want the best care possible and really think that we need an MRI machine on every corner. Pharmaceutical companies advertise on television about drugs that you really need and want you to ask your doctor about the latest drug (the people are always very happy and we want that). Many times we don't even know what the drug is for but we feel the need to call and ask the doctor about it. At the same time the Primary Physician is the one that is getting the short end of payments and demands from insurance. If we expect to keep Primary Physicians as a viable part of our health care system, pay them more per patient so that they have the time to diagnose without the need to initially order tests that cost more than it would to allow him/her to spend an additional few minutes with the patient. My Family Doctor has 2 people that are constantly justifying their time to Insurance Companies along with the additional demands on his time. Eliminate those costs and we may be able to attract new doctors that really wish to treat patients.
Uninsured and under-insured are going to Emergency Rooms, doctors and other care givers and then are not able to pay. The Hospitals, doctors and specialists are not paid billions of dollars and that increases the costs for everyone else in higher procedural costs and insurance.
The Insurance companies already are standing between you and your doctor. The Government will be less efficient, but more apt to err on the side of the patient. There are ways that both can move toward the middle so that everyone will know what procedures will be covered and which ones may require less expensive procedures first. If we just knew the rules, Reasonable and Customary and Pre-Approval could become a very rare term. Also, since we know that everyone is talking more about "prevention" as part of the solution, the Primary Care Physician is the likely choice to spend his time on that. Unless, of course, the politicians are talking about only "educating" us through television ads about eating healthy and bad habits.
Later posts will discuss how we went from the 70's as the time the doctors made medical decisions, the 80's and 90's when HMO's and then Insurance Companies had to approve all medical decisions and now think that the Government should make the decisions. The real answer is out there.
TVP
Email The Virtual Patient
Posted by The Virtual Patient at 3/3/2009 9:48 PM 
Categories: Socialized Medicine,doctors,Insurance,Private Policies,Universal Healthcare,Uninsured,Costs
Tags: Politics uninsured universal health coverage cost Private Policies Socialized Medicine doctors Insurance
Categories: Socialized Medicine,doctors,Insurance,Private Policies,Universal Healthcare,Uninsured,Costs
Tags: Politics uninsured universal health coverage cost Private Policies Socialized Medicine doctors Insurance
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