Clark on health care reform on clarkhoward.com

Health care reform -- that word "reform" tests well among focus groups, much like "new and improved" -- is moving along with a little GOP support, but it's still generally a Democratic initiative.

Our health care system is broken. We spend more on health care per capita than any other country and have shorter lifespans to show for it. We have a "crisis" -- another overused word. But how we deal with the problem is as important as recognizing that we have one.

A big government solution to the problem is not the right direction in Clark's mind.

As a nation, we either get health care from a large employer; by working for government; or through Medicare/Medicaid based on age or income. It's an ad hoc system that doesn't recognize that we don't stay loyal to one employer for a lifetime anymore. So the very presumptions made by our health care system are based on a prior era.

What we need is more affordability and availability to purchase health coverage. Of course, Clark is painting a simplified picture. But there's too much emphasis on how complicated everything is, with hundreds of pages in bills floating around Congress that nobody understands because we're adding onto a broken system instead of doing a fresh start.

This is not a red vs. blue issue. Both parties have failed to lead and serve the American people on the health care issue. What we need is an individual market, with vouchers for those of lower income. And yet the free market is obviously not the answer to everything; just witness the bank-led financial meltdown. So you need a cop on the beat. Clark believes that cop for health care should be a public/private commission that would draw up standard health policies.

Most importantly, we have to remove health care from the grip of big business, big government and big insurance.

What others are saying

Proper Health Care Reform
Was just listening to the show and a lady stated that the individual approach to health insurance should replace employer-based health insurance. You agreed, and I agree.
The focus is now on how to pay for a health care bill (no matter how disastrous it might be). Instead the focus should be on how to come up with a bill that addresses the real problems and not just another way for the federal government to seize more power over everyone’s lives.

1. Every family (U.S. citizens only) gets up to a $5,000 (or some such number) tax credit to buy health insurance. The choice is theirs as to whether they want health insurance. If they don’t buy the health insurance, they don’t get the credit. Paid for in part by elimination of the tax deduction employers get for employee health insurance.
2. No government payer option. All insurance provided through private sector carriers. This implies true and fair competition.
3. No exclusions for pre-existing conditions. An insurance pool established to spread the pre-existing conditions cost fairly among private carriers.
4. All insurance provided on an individual basis. Employers would be out of the health insurance business (even for unions). This controls costs. An employer-based system has fostered an entitlement mentality. People have no idea of the real cost of their health insurance. This has led to over and improper utilization of services and the resultant escalating costs. The only way to bring costs under control is to know how much you are paying. Employer’s deep pockets would not not be there to pay for everything.
5. These proposals apply to Medicare as well.
6. Caps on mal-practice law suit recoveries.

My proposals meet the following objectives:

1. Make it possible for every American citizen to have health insurance
2. Eliminate the pre-existing condition impediment to health insurance
3. Start controlling costs
4. Address the Medicare problem without destroying the program’s positive aspects.
By Fred Munzenmaier @ 11/16/09 02:13:40 PMreport abuse
Congressional health care
Just some questions I have:
1)Do members of Congress pay for any portion of their health care/insurance or is it all "company" paid, i.e. the taxpayer?
2)Does their health care and that of federal employees (presumably paid for by the taxpayers) cover abortions?
3) Is it true that a member of Congress need serve only one term and be guaranteed life time health coverage for him or her and the family? If so, who pays the premium?

Maybe if the members of Congress were at the end of the line regarding health care instead of the front, we'd have solved this problem long ago.

Don
By Don @ 11/15/09 01:16:58 PMreport abuse
Healthcare Ripoff
I have health insurance with BCBS of Florida. I am a 51 year 9 month old male. My premium has gone from $218/mo to $480/mo in less than 3 years. Recently, I developed a chronic cough. Mayo Clinic recommended an endoscope of my esophagus and also suggested a colonoscopy since I wwas over 50 yo and would be under anesthesia anyway. The procedures showed paalups (which were removed) and a hyatal hernia. BCBS denied the claim stating it was not medically necessary. I have a bill from Mayo for over $7,000.
By Scott @ 11/07/09 10:35:46 AMreport abuse
malpractice suits are a red herring
"medical student" is wrong about a couple of things- nurses don't pay malpractice ins because they're employees of the hospital... and patients don't win "only 1%" of malpractice suits. The vast majority of med mal cases are settled out of court or in arbitration (a la Kaiser-type arbitration). I was a med mal defense attorney for 5 years, so I should know! Most of the lawsuits I saw had merit. Unfortunately. We dealt with alot of "bad baby" cases, with high damages, and those sometimes went to court, but in an attempt to affix damages, not liability.
If you take away a patient's right to sue for just damages, it is not only un-American (medical student is right about that!), but dangerous. What incentive then does a marginal doctor or sloppy hospital have, and I've seen plenty, to better themselves and toe the line? The real problem is that the medical industry is a business, with profits and everyone's hands outstretched.... not the woman who has to file a suit against a doctor for failing to recognize fetal distress, causing her baby to have cerebral palsy.
By Teri @ 10/20/09 02:25:03 PMreport abuse
Americans Live the longest
The united states leads the world in auto accidents and homicides. These are not causes of death that are reflective of the health care system. If you take these statistics out of the life span equation Americans actually live longer than any other population due to the excellence of our health care system.
http://www.savingfreak.com
By SavingFreak @ 10/20/09 10:43:04 AMreport abuse
think about it..
Why do you think the present administration wants to CHANGE the way medical treatment is delivered in America where it has been essentially WORKING the past 25 years? Think, and I mean really think about it? It's a delivery system where only a relatively few get sick enough to use most of the medical care dollars. Does that sound familiar? Simply make everyone get catastrophic insurance coverage for the medical disasters that might happen. Leave everything else alone!
By Witty1 @ 10/19/09 05:13:44 PMreport abuse
doctor's overhead
35 years ago I sent one check a month to an office deep in the hospital. They would apportion it to each entity on my bill. Gov't said that was collusion. Now each has to have an office w/ manager;receptionist;etc
By ltp @ 10/16/09 01:47:06 PMreport abuse
Dentists
You mentioned that Dentists were doing all the right things business wise. I totally disagree. When you go to the dentist nowadays its one sales pitch after another. If a tiny bit needs scraping...its a deep cleaning, which is not covered by most insurances. Scam after scam..something else to make things more difficult
By Liz Abair @ 10/15/09 02:00:17 PMreport abuse
health reform
has anybody thought about what doctors are charging for their services? Doctors have alot of schooling and deserve to make more money than your average citizen. But why do procedures that take 15-30 minutes (eye surgeries, tubal ligation/tubes tied-just a couple of examples) cost $30,000-$40,000? This is what doctors are charging insurance companies. If a procedure cost a doctor $1000-charge the patient $2000, 100% mark-up I can understand. There should be a cap put on procedures and insurance premiums would drop, making it more affordable for individuals and employers.
By Leslie @ 10/15/09 09:55:39 AMreport abuse
Health Care
These points are all well-taken. Of course this is not a simple matter. But the administration's solution goes way beyond health care: we're talking about the federal government taking over 16% of the economy. That should elicit everyone's concern. Right now roughly 85% of the population has health insurance and most people are reasonably satisfied with it. Is it perfect? No. But the situation isn't so bad that it warrants an entire reworking of the system--the results of which could be catastrophic. Why not deal with health care reform in small increments rather than massive universal solutions? And, most important of all, why is it so essential that this ill-conceived bill has to be pushed through immediately? Everyone agrees this is a complex issue, so it makes sense to proceed slowly and with prudent judgment.
By jfs @ 10/15/09 09:49:26 AMreport abuse
health reform
(cont.)

1) American behavior (smoking, fast food, no exercise, nonadherance to recommendations based on providers) Each time someone eats a cheeseburger or smokes or rides a motorcycle without a helmet ( just to name some examples but there are many more) they put themselves at higher risk for disease or trauma. When that happens healthcare services must be provided. Each time that happens insurance companies must pay out and they lose money(profits). So how do they compensate? Of course they raise premiums for all of us! So matter whether you are paying it more in taxes for healthcare or through private insurance; we all pay in the end for bad behaviors!

2)Technology and overutizilation of unnecessary tests (this is b/c of multiple reasons)

3)Malpractice costs and defensive medicine

4)Doctors' inability to have some sort of standardization resulting in discrepancies in what is ordered. Read the New Yorker article to learn more about this and the Texas towns they refer to.
I know every patient is different but the article explains this very well.

5)Lack of EMR and ease to obtain records. Hence, more tests are duplicated and more visits are needed until old records are obtained.

6)As doctors we get paid for how many patients we see and how many services we can provide. It doesn't matter if they are good services or not. We don't get paid on whether or not we can do a good job for our patients. This doesn't encourage doctors to do cost effective care for society and become expensive.

7) Overutilization of ER's (which are expensive)

These are just some of the main reasons. There are more. Point I am making is that there are several issues and no simple solution to improving our healthcare system. Yes it can be improved!!!! As doctors we can do a better job for our patients and fixing the system can allow that to happen! Everyone is spending so much time about gov't vs. private but my opinion is that it could be done either way. We need cooperation and for all of us to take responsibility.
By health reform citizen 2 @ 10/14/09 10:20:49 PMreport abuse
health reform
It's always interesting to hear everyone's input on healthcare and the U.S. Healthcare System. Believe it or not, it is a very complex system that we currently have. It would be nice to simplify it but I don't see that happening. I would like to recommend that before anyone decides what is the best solution that they take time to educate themselves about the industry. How can anyone possibly give input on something they don't have expertise training on? Would you want to recommend to a surgeon how to operate on you if you had an appendicitis? Sure you may have read about it online or talked to someone but does that replace hours of training. No! Same goes for healthcare. There are drawbacks to both political plans. There are advantages to both political plans. I agree with TommyT that this should not be an us vs. them. We are all americans. I am a practicing physician who also has training in business as well as public health. When I first went into healthcare I had a certain way of looking at things but the more I have studied and experienced, the more I understand why it is so difficult to get things done. We are all to blame for our current situation. What I mean about that is patients, providers and third party payers. We all must make some sacrifices in order for the greater good. It's too bad that many people are in this for themselves. Yes, it is true that we spend twice as much on healthcare per person than any other nation in the world. Some argue that we have the best system in the world. There is data out there to suggest otherwise but regardless, anyone's answer will always be an opinion and not fact. Check out the New England Journal of Medicine for good articles or WHO rankings in 2000 for starters. There are plenty more resources. As far as why costs are higher. I'll list some examples: (to be cont.)
By health reform citizen @ 10/14/09 10:20:05 PMreport abuse
Health Care
The US health care system is the best in the world. Do you know how many drug innovations come from the US? 95 percent. How many high-tech hospital devices? Nearly all of them. That health care here is expensive is another issue, but the quality and efficiency of delivery is second to none. There was absolutely no need to thrust this thing on the American public with such rapidity. Most people have health insurance and are relatively satisfied with it. It would have been much easier to target those people who absolutely cannot afford health insurance (which does not mean they couldn't receive health care), and find some way of providing a workable solution for them. But to drastically overhaul the entire system for the sake of a small segment of the population is ludicrous.
By jfs @ 10/14/09 09:58:04 PMreport abuse
The current insurance companies are in the business of pleasing shareholders - that's it - and at the expense of everyone who gets turned down for treatment or access to healthcare. Insurance companies SHOULD NOT be publicly traded. A also saw a list of some of the executives compensation at some of these companies for 2008. Needless to say it makes my blood boil.
By mjd @ 10/14/09 11:18:38 AMreport abuse
How about small government?
I think big business is actually a worse idea than big government. Insurance companies can't be trusted. Ask anyone with health insurance that's actually had to use it for something expensive (what insurance is supposed to pay for in the first place, by the way). Ask anyone caught up in a natural disaster like hurricanes, earthquakes, or flooding. Act of God, anyone? Health care isn't a product, it's a service and not one that can be provided willy-nilly. It takes a long time to train doctors, nurses, techs, etc. You can't simply train more. That takes years.

Would it be possible to run government healthcare like we run police/fire/EMS? Local governments? No on seems to have a problem with those government services.

Tort reform is just a red herring. Roughly 1% of medical malpractice suits are decided in favor of the patient. The doctor/hospital overwhelmingly wins (nurses almost never go to court, that's why THEIR malpractice premiums are low. That's why nurses-in-a-box might not drive down the cost of care, but that's another debate...). I think preventing your right to sue for answers and justice is completely un-American.
By Medical Student @ 10/14/09 10:57:01 AMreport abuse
Health is wealth
The reason prices are so high is because of health insurance. If everyone paid out of pocket, prices would fall, as the providers could not charge whatever tickles their fancy for their services simply because a third party pays for it. Right now, the difference is simply profits for the insurance industry. So you would pay an out of pocket cost close to what you now pay for copay. It would also encourage price competition among providers.
By Not Dead Yet @ 10/14/09 03:55:14 AMreport abuse
Saidly misinformed, or brain-washed
By almost any measure the quality of healthcare in the U.S. is inferior to other developed countries. For an objective look at the issues and health reform, see http://www.kff.org. For a comparison of the U.S. and life expectancy and other measures, see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/etc/graphs.html. What we have is an expensive system that we overpay for and receive inferior outcomes.
By JOS @ 10/13/09 08:23:21 PMreport abuse
It's cracked, not broken.
The USA has the best quality of health care in the entire world. And it costs money --lots of it. We need to amend the law to make it more affordable for everyone.

Start with tort reform. Malpractice suits are rampant, and insurance to ward off such a disaster is incredibly expensive. Second, stop providing free health care to illegal aliens; demand proof of citizenship. (Same goes for voting and education, but that's another topic.)

Fix these two problems and costs will come down dramatically. Everyone has access to excellent quality health care. However, expecting someone else to pay for it is untenable. We need more self-reliance here! I pay cash money each month for my family's healh care insurance, simply because I do not wish to self-insure, as others seem to prefer. I don't expect other taxpayers to subsidize ANYTHING for me, thank you very much!
By Another Old Guy @ 10/13/09 08:07:31 PMreport abuse
Heath Care
We in the U.S. do not have a health care problem. We have some of the best health care to be found anywhere in the world. Our problem is that it is inordinately expensive. And it is so because of govenment action. (1) We currently provide free health care to twelve million illegal aliens. (2) We have law firms contributing big bucks to the democrats so they can continue to abuse the system with lawsuits. The current health care bill addresses neither of the two biggest problem driving up health care. It needs to be flushed and we need to start over.
By Buzz G @ 10/13/09 06:49:00 PMreport abuse
Healthcare Reform
I totally agree with you and have been saying the same thing when I write to our Congressman. I will continue my letter writing and every American that disagrees with the current attempt at reform must do the same.

I agree that we need to reform health care and the costs need to be lower. Health care, like other things in our lives, should not just address us when we are sick but promote a healthy life style that is so lacking in our country.

Another issue is that families like mine will pay much more and may even be forced to give up our current so called "Cadillac" plan if this bill becomes law. I am tired of paying higher taxes for the irresponsibility of others and I'm very frustrated about this.

We now need for our elected officials to listen to the desires of the American public no matter our political affliation.
By P Davis @ 10/13/09 04:31:03 PMreport abuse
well put Clark
I don't think I have heard anyone give a better (and thankfully less partisan) description of the problem and solution. I am tired of the us-vs-them stuff. Let's get to the solution
By tommyt @ 10/13/09 04:05:58 PMreport abuse
Lifespans
I agree largely with your points, but I do have one nit to pick. Lifespan of Americans.

The statistics you are likely reading don't take into account the homogenous populations of the nations that are usually compared against the much more diverse United States. Also, accidents and violence need to be considered. And not all nations collect data using the same methods as the United States does, or even among themselves.

When the American population is broken down along ethnicity a very different picture will appear. As well as when the varying methods of collecting the data is taken into account. This is most obvious with the claims made regarding infant mortality.
By gskibum @ 10/13/09 04:02:41 PMreport abuse

Proper Health Care Reform

Was just listening to the show and a lady stated that the individual approach to health insurance should replace employer-based health insurance. You agreed, and I agree.
The focus is now on how to pay for a health care bill (no matter how disastrous it might be). Instead the focus should be on how to come up with a bill that addresses the real problems and not just another way for the federal government to seize more power over everyone’s lives.

1. Every family (U.S. citizens only) gets up to a $5,000 (or some such number) tax credit to buy health insurance. The choice is theirs as to whether they want health insurance. If they don’t buy the health insurance, they don’t get the credit. Paid for in part by elimination of the tax deduction employers get for employee health insurance.
2. No government payer option. All insurance provided through private sector carriers. This implies true and fair competition.
3. No exclusions for pre-existing conditions. An insurance pool established to spread the pre-existing conditions cost fairly among private carriers.
4. All insurance provided on an individual basis. Employers would be out of the health insurance business (even for unions). This controls costs. An employer-based system has fostered an entitlement mentality. People have no idea of the real cost of their health insurance. This has led to over and improper utilization of services and the resultant escalating costs. The only way to bring costs under control is to know how much you are paying. Employer’s deep pockets would not not be there to pay for everything.
5. These proposals apply to Medicare as well.
6. Caps on mal-practice law suit recoveries.

My proposals meet the following objectives:

1. Make it possible for every American citizen to have health insurance
2. Eliminate the pre-existing condition impediment to health insurance
3. Start controlling costs
4. Address the Medicare problem without destroying the program’s positive aspects.

By Fred Munzenmaier @ 11/16/09 02:13:40 PMreport abuse

Congressional health care

Just some questions I have:
1)Do members of Congress pay for any portion of their health care/insurance or is it all "company" paid, i.e. the taxpayer?
2)Does their health care and that of federal employees (presumably paid for by the taxpayers) cover abortions?
3) Is it true that a member of Congress need serve only one term and be guaranteed life time health coverage for him or her and the family? If so, who pays the premium?

Maybe if the members of Congress were at the end of the line regarding health care instead of the front, we'd have solved this problem long ago.

Don

By Don @ 11/15/09 01:16:58 PMreport abuse

Healthcare Ripoff

I have health insurance with BCBS of Florida. I am a 51 year 9 month old male. My premium has gone from $218/mo to $480/mo in less than 3 years. Recently, I developed a chronic cough. Mayo Clinic recommended an endoscope of my esophagus and also suggested a colonoscopy since I wwas over 50 yo and would be under anesthesia anyway. The procedures showed paalups (which were removed) and a hyatal hernia. BCBS denied the claim stating it was not medically necessary. I have a bill from Mayo for over $7,000.

By Scott @ 11/07/09 10:35:46 AMreport abuse

malpractice suits are a red herring

"medical student" is wrong about a couple of things- nurses don't pay malpractice ins because they're employees of the hospital... and patients don't win "only 1%" of malpractice suits. The vast majority of med mal cases are settled out of court or in arbitration (a la Kaiser-type arbitration). I was a med mal defense attorney for 5 years, so I should know! Most of the lawsuits I saw had merit. Unfortunately. We dealt with alot of "bad baby" cases, with high damages, and those sometimes went to court, but in an attempt to affix damages, not liability.
If you take away a patient's right to sue for just damages, it is not only un-American (medical student is right about that!), but dangerous. What incentive then does a marginal doctor or sloppy hospital have, and I've seen plenty, to better themselves and toe the line? The real problem is that the medical industry is a business, with profits and everyone's hands outstretched.... not the woman who has to file a suit against a doctor for failing to recognize fetal distress, causing her baby to have cerebral palsy.

By Teri @ 10/20/09 02:25:03 PMreport abuse

Americans Live the longest

The united states leads the world in auto accidents and homicides. These are not causes of death that are reflective of the health care system. If you take these statistics out of the life span equation Americans actually live longer than any other population due to the excellence of our health care system.
http://www.savingfreak.com

By SavingFreak @ 10/20/09 10:43:04 AMreport abuse

think about it..

Why do you think the present administration wants to CHANGE the way medical treatment is delivered in America where it has been essentially WORKING the past 25 years? Think, and I mean really think about it? It's a delivery system where only a relatively few get sick enough to use most of the medical care dollars. Does that sound familiar? Simply make everyone get catastrophic insurance coverage for the medical disasters that might happen. Leave everything else alone!

By Witty1 @ 10/19/09 05:13:44 PMreport abuse

doctor's overhead

35 years ago I sent one check a month to an office deep in the hospital. They would apportion it to each entity on my bill. Gov't said that was collusion. Now each has to have an office w/ manager;receptionist;etc

By ltp @ 10/16/09 01:47:06 PMreport abuse

Dentists

You mentioned that Dentists were doing all the right things business wise. I totally disagree. When you go to the dentist nowadays its one sales pitch after another. If a tiny bit needs scraping...its a deep cleaning, which is not covered by most insurances. Scam after scam..something else to make things more difficult

By Liz Abair @ 10/15/09 02:00:17 PMreport abuse

health reform

has anybody thought about what doctors are charging for their services? Doctors have alot of schooling and deserve to make more money than your average citizen. But why do procedures that take 15-30 minutes (eye surgeries, tubal ligation/tubes tied-just a couple of examples) cost $30,000-$40,000? This is what doctors are charging insurance companies. If a procedure cost a doctor $1000-charge the patient $2000, 100% mark-up I can understand. There should be a cap put on procedures and insurance premiums would drop, making it more affordable for individuals and employers.

By Leslie @ 10/15/09 09:55:39 AMreport abuse

Health Care

These points are all well-taken. Of course this is not a simple matter. But the administration's solution goes way beyond health care: we're talking about the federal government taking over 16% of the economy. That should elicit everyone's concern. Right now roughly 85% of the population has health insurance and most people are reasonably satisfied with it. Is it perfect? No. But the situation isn't so bad that it warrants an entire reworking of the system--the results of which could be catastrophic. Why not deal with health care reform in small increments rather than massive universal solutions? And, most important of all, why is it so essential that this ill-conceived bill has to be pushed through immediately? Everyone agrees this is a complex issue, so it makes sense to proceed slowly and with prudent judgment.

By jfs @ 10/15/09 09:49:26 AMreport abuse

(cont.)

1) American behavior (smoking, fast food, no exercise, nonadherance to recommendations based on providers) Each time someone eats a cheeseburger or smokes or rides a motorcycle without a helmet ( just to name some examples but there are many more) they put themselves at higher risk for disease or trauma. When that happens healthcare services must be provided. Each time that happens insurance companies must pay out and they lose money(profits). So how do they compensate? Of course they raise premiums for all of us! So matter whether you are paying it more in taxes for healthcare or through private insurance; we all pay in the end for bad behaviors!

2)Technology and overutizilation of unnecessary tests (this is b/c of multiple reasons)

3)Malpractice costs and defensive medicine

4)Doctors' inability to have some sort of standardization resulting in discrepancies in what is ordered. Read the New Yorker article to learn more about this and the Texas towns they refer to.
I know every patient is different but the article explains this very well.

5)Lack of EMR and ease to obtain records. Hence, more tests are duplicated and more visits are needed until old records are obtained.

6)As doctors we get paid for how many patients we see and how many services we can provide. It doesn't matter if they are good services or not. We don't get paid on whether or not we can do a good job for our patients. This doesn't encourage doctors to do cost effective care for society and become expensive.

7) Overutilization of ER's (which are expensive)

These are just some of the main reasons. There are more. Point I am making is that there are several issues and no simple solution to improving our healthcare system. Yes it can be improved!!!! As doctors we can do a better job for our patients and fixing the system can allow that to happen! Everyone is spending so much time about gov't vs. private but my opinion is that it could be done either way. We need cooperation and for all of us to take responsibility.

By health reform citizen 2 @ 10/14/09 10:20:49 PMreport abuse

It's always interesting to hear everyone's input on healthcare and the U.S. Healthcare System. Believe it or not, it is a very complex system that we currently have. It would be nice to simplify it but I don't see that happening. I would like to recommend that before anyone decides what is the best solution that they take time to educate themselves about the industry. How can anyone possibly give input on something they don't have expertise training on? Would you want to recommend to a surgeon how to operate on you if you had an appendicitis? Sure you may have read about it online or talked to someone but does that replace hours of training. No! Same goes for healthcare. There are drawbacks to both political plans. There are advantages to both political plans. I agree with TommyT that this should not be an us vs. them. We are all americans. I am a practicing physician who also has training in business as well as public health. When I first went into healthcare I had a certain way of looking at things but the more I have studied and experienced, the more I understand why it is so difficult to get things done. We are all to blame for our current situation. What I mean about that is patients, providers and third party payers. We all must make some sacrifices in order for the greater good. It's too bad that many people are in this for themselves. Yes, it is true that we spend twice as much on healthcare per person than any other nation in the world. Some argue that we have the best system in the world. There is data out there to suggest otherwise but regardless, anyone's answer will always be an opinion and not fact. Check out the New England Journal of Medicine for good articles or WHO rankings in 2000 for starters. There are plenty more resources. As far as why costs are higher. I'll list some examples: (to be cont.)

By health reform citizen @ 10/14/09 10:20:05 PMreport abuse

The US health care system is the best in the world. Do you know how many drug innovations come from the US? 95 percent. How many high-tech hospital devices? Nearly all of them. That health care here is expensive is another issue, but the quality and efficiency of delivery is second to none. There was absolutely no need to thrust this thing on the American public with such rapidity. Most people have health insurance and are relatively satisfied with it. It would have been much easier to target those people who absolutely cannot afford health insurance (which does not mean they couldn't receive health care), and find some way of providing a workable solution for them. But to drastically overhaul the entire system for the sake of a small segment of the population is ludicrous.

By jfs @ 10/14/09 09:58:04 PMreport abuse

The current insurance companies are in the business of pleasing shareholders - that's it - and at the expense of everyone who gets turned down for treatment or access to healthcare. Insurance companies SHOULD NOT be publicly traded. A also saw a list of some of the executives compensation at some of these companies for 2008. Needless to say it makes my blood boil.

By mjd @ 10/14/09 11:18:38 AMreport abuse

How about small government?

I think big business is actually a worse idea than big government. Insurance companies can't be trusted. Ask anyone with health insurance that's actually had to use it for something expensive (what insurance is supposed to pay for in the first place, by the way). Ask anyone caught up in a natural disaster like hurricanes, earthquakes, or flooding. Act of God, anyone? Health care isn't a product, it's a service and not one that can be provided willy-nilly. It takes a long time to train doctors, nurses, techs, etc. You can't simply train more. That takes years.

Would it be possible to run government healthcare like we run police/fire/EMS? Local governments? No on seems to have a problem with those government services.

Tort reform is just a red herring. Roughly 1% of medical malpractice suits are decided in favor of the patient. The doctor/hospital overwhelmingly wins (nurses almost never go to court, that's why THEIR malpractice premiums are low. That's why nurses-in-a-box might not drive down the cost of care, but that's another debate...). I think preventing your right to sue for answers and justice is completely un-American.

By Medical Student @ 10/14/09 10:57:01 AMreport abuse

Health is wealth

The reason prices are so high is because of health insurance. If everyone paid out of pocket, prices would fall, as the providers could not charge whatever tickles their fancy for their services simply because a third party pays for it. Right now, the difference is simply profits for the insurance industry. So you would pay an out of pocket cost close to what you now pay for copay. It would also encourage price competition among providers.

By Not Dead Yet @ 10/14/09 03:55:14 AMreport abuse

Saidly misinformed, or brain-washed

By almost any measure the quality of healthcare in the U.S. is inferior to other developed countries. For an objective look at the issues and health reform, see http://www.kff.org. For a comparison of the U.S. and life expectancy and other measures, see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/etc/graphs.html. What we have is an expensive system that we overpay for and receive inferior outcomes.

By JOS @ 10/13/09 08:23:21 PMreport abuse

It's cracked, not broken.

The USA has the best quality of health care in the entire world. And it costs money --lots of it. We need to amend the law to make it more affordable for everyone.

Start with tort reform. Malpractice suits are rampant, and insurance to ward off such a disaster is incredibly expensive. Second, stop providing free health care to illegal aliens; demand proof of citizenship. (Same goes for voting and education, but that's another topic.)

Fix these two problems and costs will come down dramatically. Everyone has access to excellent quality health care. However, expecting someone else to pay for it is untenable. We need more self-reliance here! I pay cash money each month for my family's healh care insurance, simply because I do not wish to self-insure, as others seem to prefer. I don't expect other taxpayers to subsidize ANYTHING for me, thank you very much!

By Another Old Guy @ 10/13/09 08:07:31 PMreport abuse

Heath Care

We in the U.S. do not have a health care problem. We have some of the best health care to be found anywhere in the world. Our problem is that it is inordinately expensive. And it is so because of govenment action. (1) We currently provide free health care to twelve million illegal aliens. (2) We have law firms contributing big bucks to the democrats so they can continue to abuse the system with lawsuits. The current health care bill addresses neither of the two biggest problem driving up health care. It needs to be flushed and we need to start over.

By Buzz G @ 10/13/09 06:49:00 PMreport abuse

Healthcare Reform

I totally agree with you and have been saying the same thing when I write to our Congressman. I will continue my letter writing and every American that disagrees with the current attempt at reform must do the same.

I agree that we need to reform health care and the costs need to be lower. Health care, like other things in our lives, should not just address us when we are sick but promote a healthy life style that is so lacking in our country.

Another issue is that families like mine will pay much more and may even be forced to give up our current so called "Cadillac" plan if this bill becomes law. I am tired of paying higher taxes for the irresponsibility of others and I'm very frustrated about this.

We now need for our elected officials to listen to the desires of the American public no matter our political affliation.

By P Davis @ 10/13/09 04:31:03 PMreport abuse

well put Clark

I don't think I have heard anyone give a better (and thankfully less partisan) description of the problem and solution. I am tired of the us-vs-them stuff. Let's get to the solution

By tommyt @ 10/13/09 04:05:58 PMreport abuse

Lifespans

I agree largely with your points, but I do have one nit to pick. Lifespan of Americans.

The statistics you are likely reading don't take into account the homogenous populations of the nations that are usually compared against the much more diverse United States. Also, accidents and violence need to be considered. And not all nations collect data using the same methods as the United States does, or even among themselves.

When the American population is broken down along ethnicity a very different picture will appear. As well as when the varying methods of collecting the data is taken into account. This is most obvious with the claims made regarding infant mortality.

By gskibum @ 10/13/09 04:02:41 PMreport abuse

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Oct 13, 2009 -- Clark on health care reform

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