Are the Democrats destroying health care reform?

30 Jul
2009

We need health care reform. As a physician I see the dysfunction of our current health care delivery. The status quo is deteriorating because the insurance industry has perverted health care.

We do not have free market health care. We already have socialistic payments. Insured patients are “happy” because they do not have worry about making financial decisions.

We need reform, but the Democrats have once again developed a bill so complex that opponents can confuse the public about reform. I do understand the political process, but I do not think that the Democrats understand the thought processing of the American public.

When will we see straightforward bills. When will we see bills that address an issue rather than trying to address every possible issue.

The Democrats are taking an important idea and turning steak into goulash. When will Congress stop taking every bill and turn them into Christmas trees.

If we do not get reasonable health care reform, the Democrats have only themselves to blame. I am frustrated that they are fulfilling Abba Eban’s famous quotation, ” … never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

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7 Responses to Are the Democrats destroying health care reform?

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Are the Democrats destroying health care reform?

July 30th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

[...] View original post here:  Are the Democrats destroying health care reform? [...]

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TerryS

July 30th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

I am a staunch republican and I hope the Democrats DO destroy healthcare reform! I, and about 85% of other Americans, am happy with the healthcare system. Now I am looking at this as a patient not as a doctor (which I also am). Many of the millions that are quoted as not having access to healthcare (which is a lie) choose not to have healthcare or are illegals in this country. The remainder do need access to primary care (they already have access to emergency care) but not at the expense of changing the best healthcare system in the world. I am all for opening clinics for the indigent but not changing the backbone of our system.

DB laments that we dont have a free market healthcare system. In fact we do. He is just looking at it from the wrong standpoint. Insurers negotiate with companies to offer insurance to their employees. Much like a manufacturer negotiates with a raw material supplier. They agree on a price. Thats free market. Physicians arent required to accept insurance. They choose to. Thats free market because they know its the best way to insure income. Is insurance a hassle to deal with? You bet…lots of overhead and time go to collecting from insurance agencies. But the free market led to its current state.

The problem is that DB (sorry DB) is biased by being on the ACP Board of Regents, who along with the AMA, are accomplices in this debacle. They so badly want to be at the table with Obama that they are willing to not represent who they claim to represent- the average practicing clinician, most of which dont want the change that is being proposed.

Look how well the government has run Medicare. Since 1970, Medicare and Medicaid’s combined per-patient costs have risen from $344 to $8,955, while the combined per-patient costs of all other US health care have risen from $364 to $7,119. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/07182009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/govt_care_costs_more_179841.htm) And I am supposed to want to change the system so that the government can do a better job? I dont think so.

DB will argue that the payment system needs to change. I agree. I would love to see primary care physicians be paid based on time spent caring and not per episode of care. But any increases in pay that might come to primary care under this bill (am I am not sure that will really happen) will be quickly offset by the higher taxes I will have to pay (and then some) to finance what will be an extremely inefficient and costly system. Again see Medicare and my own government run healthcare agency.

Open your eyes people- this is not about healthcare. Its about control and power. The government wants it. Corporations (which insurance companies are) are bad in their view (unless they are owned by the liberals then they are good). This is just another attempt (like cap and trade) to enact the utopian view and fundamentally change what has been the best country in the world.

So I applaud (and pray someone is successful) any attempts by Democrats to thwart the current attempt at healthcare reform.

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shadowfax

July 30th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

The problem is not the bill per se — it’s not that complicated that it couldn’t be explained in a few bullet points. It’s that the Dems have no clue how to maintain any sort of party unity, and the Senate centrists & House Blue Dogs have disproportionate power. So the story shifts from “health care reform moving forward” to “health care reform on the ropes.” This frightens the congressional democratic leaders, who get more nervous and make concessions that weaken the bill and further jeopardize its chances for passage.

This is all independent of the Right Wing Noise Machine spreading lies about the actual bill (see the previous comment for a great example).

Yeah, it’s frustrating to see these bunglers in action. They always say that the Dems are most efficient at forming the circular firing squad.

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brian

July 30th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

Amen DB. Amen.

frustrating, maddening, infuriating. I feel your pain.
to watch such a promising idea of “healthcare reform” spiral into meaningless dribble is really depressing. I really had HIGH hopes 6 months ago. now I just pray to god the government does not ruin any chance I have to have a truly high quality medical practice. Dems have focused so “hard” on the uninsured (which amazingly still get healthcare in this country, go figure…) that they are leaving the MAJORITY of Americans who HAVE some type of coverage to flounder in this hopelessly ridiculous system.
ive said it once… ill say it again. Until politicians decide to truly save Internist & Family Medicine docs…. there IS NO healthcare reform.

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solo dr

July 30th, 2009 at 8:23 pm

If the public plan is going to be so great, make the The President, Senators, Representatives, and all other governement officials use it for their health care. If the new public plan is any good, employers are going to cut back on premiums and coverage and have their employees switch to the public plan to save money. If the new public plan is no good, the physicians and patients will not choose it, and we will have even more uninsured.

A note on Medicare: 2009 is the year that the outpatient funds are being used to pay for the inpatient funds, as Medicare is losing money each year and is on a 5 year plan to be without money unless care is rationed, premiums are raised, and/or fees are cut.

Under the current system most established office visits in my area average $55, including the 2009 $25-$35 copayment. Under the new public plan quality reporting, e prescribing, and likely additional time will be spent away from the patients doing administrative tasks. Why not get rid of insurance for outpatient visits and make outpatient care an open market system. The good doctors could charge higher fees and the bad doctors would be forced to have lower fees. Then the patients could decided how much they are willing to pay for quality care.

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Aaron

July 30th, 2009 at 9:50 pm

What exactly is “too complex” about the bill, and what exactly do you propose to reduce the complexity? Should simplicity be the primary goal – for example, if the status quo is more complex than “single payer”, we should default to single payer unless and until an even simpler alternative is proposed? Seriously.

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LibraryGryffon

July 31st, 2009 at 2:00 pm

I’d like to see this whole debate acknowledge that there is a difference between health care, and health care insurance/payment.

Right now the vast majority of Americans, even all those volunatrily with no insurance seem to be happy with their health care. So if we’re going to “fix” the health insurance/payment side, we need to make sure that we don’t destroy the health care side in the process. I’ve been a Tricare patient, as well as living in Ireland on their version of the NHS, and that’s one of many reasons I’ve worked hard to get a good job so that I can afford better. Given that a complex regulatory bill leaves things wide open for the regulators to interpret it in the way most beneficial to the gov’t, not necessary to the patients, I want to see this thing killed, now. Currently if I decide my health insurance sucks I’ve got options. If the gov’t is the one dictating exactly what each plan can and cannot cover, so that all plans end up pretty much identical, where is my choice?

I’m actually reading this bill, and the further I go, the more chances for abuse I see. But I love the heading of section 100 (a)(4): HEALTH DELIVERY REFORM. I understand delivering health care, but how do you deliver health? (I imagine signing for a package from the FedEx/UPS truck.)

What would I like to see in a reform bill?

I’d like to see tort reform.

I’d like to see financial support for medical eduction so doctors don’t start their professional life a quarter of a million (or more) dollars in debt.

I’d also like to see providers accept the same amount from the uninsured as they accept from an insurance company, medicare or medicaid. I’ve seen a pharmacy accept $40 between Tricare and the co-pay for an inhaler, but charge those without any insurance $70 for the exact same item. I don’t imagine they’re losing that much money on the $40, so why are must the uninsured (or the insured when the computer is down) pay almost twice as much?

Sorry for the rambling! There’s so much in this bill and the debate about it, it’s hard to focus on just one thing.

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