Health Care Reform #HCR, and "The Art of the Deal"

Real Health Care Reform #HCR and "The Art of the Deal".

Real health care reform will deal with costs not access. Donald Trump operating within his strengths as a dealmaker should be able to negotiate these cost reforms through "The Art of The Deal". Each of these reforms require negotiation. I believe the reforms of this BLOG post to be bipartisan, and they can be summarize as... pharmaceutical reciprocity, pharmacist empowerment, and required flexible savings accounts.

Senator Dick Durbin recently suggested that legislators must look at "Big Pharma" if they truly want to reform the cost of health care. The increasing percentage of pharmaceuticals is a key driver in health care costs. Pharmaceuticals were 9.3% of health care costs in 2013 and projected to be 10.4% in 2024. There needs for transparency between the cost of prescription medicines and their actual costs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the same drugs to third world countries at significant discounts. Past presidents have accomplished greatness by reaching across the aisle to take on traditional opposing party positions. Theodore Roosevelt was willing to take on the monopolies of the industrial revolution by talking softly and carrying a big stick. Could Donald Trump as a republican take on the pharmaceutical companies to enforce transparency of profits and reciprocity of costs that other countries enjoy? Pharmaceutical drugs should be globally priced.

In my first visit to Egypt I ate some bad food on an overnight train from Cairo to Luxor. When I arrived in Luxor that morning, I went straight to the local drug store, and with their broken English they were able to prescribe an antibiotic to cure my intestinal pain within an hour.  In other countries you can get pharmaceutical drugs by going to the local pharmacy and having the local pharmacist prescribe the drug for you. This elimination of the gatekeeper, middle man is a large cost savings. I agree that we need to continue to guard some drugs like opiates, and blind spots with drug interactions, but most people are not asking for that type or quantity of medicine. The Food and Drug Administration in the name of safety is suffocating us with unnecessary costs. Pharmacist should be empowered to dispense most pharmaceutical drugs.

When I had my fifth child my health insurance deductible was $2500 in 1994. I decided to negotiate upfront the cost of the hospitalization. I went to my local hospital and explained my situation. They said they had a program for me and the cost would only be $1500. I realize that the real cost of my child's birth was more that $1500. I was the beneficiary of cost shifting from other people's insurance policies.  However, this does not make the negotiation of a fee for service a mute point. If more people would ask the cost of procedures instead of pulling out their insurance cards, then most doctors would agree that prices would come down. Flexible savings accounts should be required.

The debate about health care reform needs to focused on costs instead of access. Donald Trump has stated that there will be winners and losers in health care reform. While I agree with him, I disagree that the middle class should should shoulder the costs. Instead, they should be empowered to negotiate costs. Taking away people's access to health care cannot be the solution. We must look for win-win cost saving strategies. These strategies can systemically lower costs so that the affluent and the middle class will embrace these strategies.

What can you do? I found a website where you can vote on at least some of these reforms. Currently the con position is winning. Will you vote yes to these reform?

http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/blame-big-pharma-out-control-health-care-costs 

Health Reform Goes to the Senate!

I am a conservative that agrees with Robert Reich. :-) I absolutely hate the idea that the lawyers, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies are benefiting from this reform. The groups who are profiting from health care should be shouldering the cost. Restoring the doctor patient relationship, and cutting the profits of those who are profiting from health care would be a good start to containing costs. Here are some questions that I have that I would like senators to consider.

1. How did the country maintain costs for many generations before costs went out of control?
2. Since the percentage of uninsured in our country is similar to countries with a single payer plan how will that contain costs?
3. Will the growth of Health care reform become self serving when bureaucrats are making health decisions?
4. Why should lawyers be the ones to regulate health care when they are the one that are driving up costs due to defensive medical practices?
5. Why should pharmaceuticals companies be allowed to advertise new drugs when that increases health care and they benefit from them?
6. Why should experimental technology be covered by insurance when it represents an assumed risk on the part of the patient?

Health care costs are out of control!

Health care reform should be based upon containing costs not covering the 16% of people who are uninsured. Other countries with single payer plans have many people that do not contribute into the health care system that is a similar percentage to what we have in our country.

* Over the past decade, premiums have doubled, out-of-pocket costs have increased by a third, and deductibles have continued to rise.
* If there was ever a time for Washington to put partisanship aside and get something done, this is it.
* We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fix what’s broken with our system and build on what works.

We should consider cutting cost by re-instating the doctor patient tradition in our country. The watch dogs of HMO's and attorneys are only increasing costs. Will a bureaucratic watch dog do any better? The pharmaceutical industry is promoting cost increases. The patient or family should consult with his doctor to decide on a treatment protocol that works for everyone.

Doctors should be tested for ethical judgment as well as medical training. Alternative practitioners who pass the ethical treatment test should also be allowed to practice medicine restricted by the confines of their knowledge. Medical practitioners should be removed who violate ethical principals.

Limiting technology and its expense is also a way to contain costs. Technology is driving costs up. There should be fewer restrictions on the use of experimental technology. These decisions should be subject to the doctor patient relationship. In addition any procedure or drug deemed as experimental should not be covered by insurance. The people who take these kinds of risks should also assume the costs associated with these risks.

Alternative medicine practices should be regulated and covered under medical insurance. China currently uses a two prong system of health care that uses traditional Chinese medicine as well as modern pharmaceuticals, surgery and rehabilitation to help their people. Could alternative medicine practiced by US Chiropractors and health food supplement stores bring hope and relief to many people in our country as well? Alternative medical treatments could help contain costs by offering competition in the medical marketplace.

Congress must pass real health insurance reform in 2009. If we fail to act:

* Within a decade, one out of every five dollars we earn will be spent on health care.
* The amount our government spends on Medicare and Medicaid will eventually grow larger than what our government spends today on everything else combined.

The answer lies in containing costs. The health care system will not be solved by insuring an uninsured population that already is covered by emergency rooms.

Pat Parris