Richard, That you have. Nor was my question to you loaded. I do not believe we have to copy the system of any one nation, not France or germany or the Swiss, etc. I feel we should, and should have been doing this for years, carefully examine the systems or several of the nations that seem to have the most effective systems and "borrow" the best ideas from each of them and adopt them to our own country. There is, I believe, no one "magic bullet". One thing, and one thing only, that would help a great deal is to not link health insurance to one's employer. A working man/woman should be able to retain the same insurance he/she has AT THE SAME PRICE from employer to employer without interuption of coverage or benefits. Let a county, state, whatever take competitive bids from competing insurance companies to insure perhaps either all it's citizens or perhaps just those not already covered by Medicare. Let the premium be paid out some sort of interest bearing fund owned by that entity and have safeguards in place that prevent that fund for being used for ANYTHING else. Fund it by taxes levied on all the citizens of that entity. Sure there will be administrative expenses. Thik we're NOT paying for the administrative expensives of the insurance companies? Well managed (hopefully) the interest accumulated by such a large fund should off-set a goodly portion of those administrative costs. that is ONE idea only, and pretty much just off the top of my head.
And FORCE Medicare and Medicaid to go out on competive bids for all the drugs and other supplies. You want to be on the list of approved suppliers of "XYZ" medications? You better have the best price. if Walgreens or CVS does not want to buy from that company? Well to bad, guess some other drug store will get all the medicare business. Hell, how many people would start a drug store just to have all the medicare/ medicaid reciepents in a city, county or state? And I like many of the ideas that you propose. Your thinking, and that's more than i can say for most people here and in our government. On Aug 5, 9:49 pm, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > Hollywood - > > I would hope that I have earned enough of your trust to merit an > honest reply to my question. I do not believe it was loaded and it > reflected what I think is a significant issue. I would like your > reply. > > As to the question you asked, (I hope this is an adequate answer), > from my perspective it is pretty simple. We need to do the following: > > First, you let the government create a clearing house for small group > and individual purchases. That would give those the capacity to > obtain insurance at group rates and would require little time to > implement or a significant bureaucracy for oversight. In fact, much > of the cost could be directly passed to the insurers. > > Second, you allow the federal government to exempt insurers from state > laws and thus make > them free to sell across state lines. That would increase competition > and reduce prices. > > Third, you utilize tax incentive to encourage employers to provide a > minimal level of coverage while disincentivizing them from providing > the "Cadillac policies". > > Last of all, you focus on assuring that all Americans have > catastrophic coverage and flexible spending accounts so that they can > self-insure against minor health needs and still be protected against > the biggest risks and thus make them healthcare consumers. > > It would take about FOUR pages to draft my bill and most would > understand it and it would > actually reduce the cost of healthcare. Obviously, I am opposed to > ALL government bureaucracy without a very good reason. But, I > recognize they can help in some ways. I just think it is best to > limit their involvement to those rare areas where they can add > value. > > Please let me know what you think of the ideas. > > On Aug 5, 9:31 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Richard, > > > I'll counter that with a question of my own. Do you really think that > > American's are the ONLY modern, industrialized nation in the world too > > corrupt and/or stupid to be able to figure out a system to supply > > universal health care for their citizens? > > > On Aug 5, 9:18 pm, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hollywood - > > > > I did not read through the entire thread and I have no idea what you > > > may have said in prior posts. With that said, I have a question for > > > you. Do you think that the federal government will more efficiently > > > administer the healthcare in our country? > > > > On Aug 5, 9:05 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > frankg, > > > > > If the car dealers lay off people, if the car manufacturers lay off > > > > people, if the banks that make car loans lay off people,if the > > > > suppliers of those car dealers and manufacturers and banks lay off > > > > people whose money do you think will be used to pay for unemployment > > > > checks, food stamps if they need it, etc? > > > > > On Aug 5, 8:42 pm, frankg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Mark, > > > > > > No kidding. I'm willing to bet I can drive the sales up on just about > > > > > anything by offering to help pay for it with someone else's money. > > > > > What's the point? > > > > > > On Aug 5, 8:49 pm, Mark <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > auto sales are up over 25% in europe under an identical > > > > > > program....it is > > > > > > working > > > > > > > On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 5:37 PM, VT VirtualTruth > > > > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > I got news for you, the fact that the program was depletedr an > > > > > > > identical > > > > > > > program....it is working. > > > > > > > so quickly shows there was a need and as a stimulus > > > > > > > the earnings numbers for the auto industry says > > > > > > > it worked. > > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:17 pm, Sage2 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Doc, > > > > > > > > > You and VT should take the advice of Senato sales or > > > > > > > > Schumer ( > > > > > > > D-NY ) > > > > > > > > who said of the cash for clunkers program " don't fix what > > > > > > > > ain't broke > > > > > > > > " . Health Care ain't broken , it just needs a little > > > > > > > > adjustment, but > > > > > > > > guys like Obama and his ilk want to crush it ! > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** > > > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:00 pm, DOC828NDF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hmm.... I would love to agree with you, but the Republicans > > > > > > > > > may be > > > > > > > > > onto something when they say "what's the rush"... I mean, for > > > > > > > > > example... What if we were to rush into a war without > > > > > > > > > thinking it > > > > > > > > > through? No diplomacy, and no planning... What if something > > > > > > > > > goes wrong > > > > > > > > > and its not as easy as we initially thought? Do we really > > > > > > > > > have aan > > > > > > > > > exit strategy? We need to take some time to think this thing > > > > > > > > > through. > > > > > > > > > After all, its not like anyone's dying for healthcare > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 3:58 pm, VT Sean Lewis <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Health Care Reform is NEEDED NOW! > > > > > > > > > > The Republican party is becoming the party of hatred and the > > > > > > > > > > destruction of the American dream. > > > > > > > > > > > Sean Lewis > > > > > > > > > > August 3, 2009 > > > > > > > > > > > 1) Minimal basic coverage for the unemployed and uninsured. > > > > > > > > > > > 2) Preventative care to lower future costs > > > > > > > > > > > 3) Restructure Medicare and Medicaid so they don't go > > > > > > > > > > bankrupt. > > > > > > > > > > > Who could possibly be against this reform? > > > > > > > > > > > Republicans! > > > > > > > > > > > Republicans had control of the last 8 years of the > > > > > > > > > > US political system, with Bush having veto > > > > > > > > > > power for all eight and the GOP control of the > > > > > > > > > > Congress for 6 years. The result was the almost > > > > > > > > > > complete destruction of the US economy. > > > > > > > > > > > The country was on the brink of complete collapse > > > > > > > > > > the last quarter of the Bush Administration. An > > > > > > > > > > Administration and party that was in complete > > > > > > > > > > denial there was a problem with the economy. > > > > > > > > > > > It was with the last minute infusion of over $1 Trillion > > > > > > > > > > in a single quarter that saved the country from another > > > > > > > > > > Depression type collapse. > > > > > > > > > > > When economic pollicies almost end in complete > > > > > > > > > > collapse, in my book that means FAILURE! Why > > > > > > > > > > take advice from people who almost detroyed the > > > > > > > > > > very thing America needed to stay strong? > > > > > > > > > > > The effects are still being felt 3 quarters later, however > > > > > > > > > > we have steered away from the edge by NEW Democratic > > > > > > > > > > Leadership. > > > > > > > > > > > There is no longer talk of the US facing economic collapse, > > > > > > > > > > in fact there is talk of a stock market BULL rally. > > > > > > > > > > > Yet Republicans are using everything in their political > > > > > > > > > > arsenal to stop the Democrats and the Country itself > > > > > > > > > > from succeeding. > > > > > > > > > > > The lunatic fringe of the GOP are using lies, scare tactics, > > > > > > > > > > hatred and race baiting to focus the attention of the > > > > > > > > > > country > > > > > > > > > > away from healing and recovery to more of the same of the > > > > > > > > > > last > > > > > > > > > > 8 years. Division, strife, class warfare and most recently > > > > > > > > > > racism. > > > > > > > > > > > The latest obstruction to US recovery is healthcare reform. > > > > > > > > > > > Under the Bush Administration more people have entered the > > > > > > > > > > uninsured rolls, the costs associated with the Social > > > > > > > > > > Programs > > > > > > > > > > of Medicare, Medicaid have risen unchecked and even > > > > > > > > > > increased > > > > > > > > > > due to the one 'FIX' Republicans attempted, the Medicare > > > > > > > > > > Prescription > > > > > > > > > > Drug program that did not help anyone who was not insured > > > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > > > > cost $850 Billion a year at it's inception, this figure > > > > > > > > > > will climb as the Baby boomers retire all to give Viagra to > > > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > > > pension > > > > > > > > > > crowd. > > > > > > > > > > > The Republicans rather than fixing the healthcare system > > > > > > > > > > actually > > > > > > > > > > have hurried up it's demise. Because of what the > > > > > > > > > > Republicans have > > > > > > > > > > done, > > > > > > > > > > Medicare and Medicaid will go bankrupt FASTER and the Baby > > > > > > > > > > Boomers > > > > > > > > > > will be left with FEWER options if any! > > > > > > > > > > > The Democrats are trying to fix this with reform in the form > > > > > > > > > > of preventative care, which will lower FUTURE costs of > > > > > > > > > > medical care. > > > > > > > > > > > Costs control by forcing the insurance and drug companies > > > > > > > > > > to offer > > > > > > > > > > lower priced care through competition. > > > > > > > > > > > Finally actually offering Minimal low cost coverage for the > > > > > > > > > > uninsured > > > > > > > > > > and unemployed! > > > > > > > > > > > Without these changes the fate of Healthcare will be > > > > > > > > > > similar to the > > > > > > > > > > collapse of the economy in the fall of 2008! > > > > > > > > > > > So the GOP is using scare tactics similar to the tactics to > > > > > > > > > > get > > > > > > > > > > this country into war with Iraq. Scare Tactics based on > > > > > > > > > > lies, half > > > > > > > > > > truths > > > > > > > > > > and misinformation. > > > > > > > > > > > The GOP is using their shock troops who still believe that > > > > > > > > > > President > > > > > > > > > > Obama > > > > > > > > > > was not born in the US despite overwhelming evidence to the > > > > > > > > > > contrary! > > > > > > > > > > > These individuals are now using the same Birther reasoning > > > > > > > > > > to shout > > > > > > > > > > abuse at town halls in an attempt to show Congress that > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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