Healthcare Reform Misses Mark

What I keep hearing from Washington is that we need to overhaul the system to insure the uninsured and improve the quality of healthcare for everyone. What happened to cost-containment? Wasn't that the primary objective?

If legislation is passed whose sole goal is to insure the unemployed and manage the quality of care,  we are not only going to see increased costs for businesses and individuals, but we may even see the quality and timliness of care decrease. Here is what the healthcare reform should do: 

#1 - Take measures to reduce the overall cost of healthcare in the U.S. Reform how litigation is handled to reduce the cost of malpractice insurance for those in the healthcare profession.

#2 - Build on the healthcare system we have today, instead of dismantling the foundation of private healthcare.

#3 - Focus on prevention communications on a national level.

#4 - Leave Medicare benefits alone, and not cut services to the elderly to fund a government plan.

#5 - Do not increase costs for businesses and individuals by taxing benefits on those who wish to elect private insurance. Wasn't the point to reduce the cost of healthcare?

#6 - Offer government health plans to qualified low-income U.S. citizens, especially children, at a subsidized cost through private insurers, similar to what is being offered in Massachusetts.

#7 - Do not discourage employers from continuing to provide healthcare benefits so that individual citizens can continue to provide their own healthcare.

The path that is being proposed is going to eliminate competition for private insurers, which will drive them out of business. The only option will be go to a public, government funded plan. The choices and quality that we currently have today in the best healthcare system in the world will be gone. 

Originally, I thought healthcare reform meant that everyone could enjoy the same care with contained expenses. I am disappointed in the direction this is taking.

Comments

[Kimberly]

How can the government determine who gets healthcare and the type of healthcare? I understand regulation works for some things, but healthcare needs to be an exception.

If a family member contracts a rare disease that needs research and perhaps some creative approaches to determine a correct diagnosis, I don't want the government making the call on who we can or can't see for treatment.

One of the reasons healthcare has been so hard to fix is that it's complicated. If the current administration pushes healthcare reform through like they did the stimulus package (with no time for key decision-makers to understand it), we are in trouble as a country.

[Christine Miller]

Kimberly,
I agree this cannot get pushed through without thorough review. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the process in Washington these days. I hope there is enough common sense among our polticians that stops legislation that will increase government involvement in the cost and quality of our care. My biggest concern, in addition to higher taxes, right now, is the proposed cuts to Medicare and the involvement of goverment in end-of-life care. I do not want to see benefits cut for seniors, or lack of services for older members of my family, my older friends and someday...me.

[Dan]

The guy in the White House is over his head.

There's more to the job than endless campaigning and photo ops with teleprompters and large crowds.

[Jesse]

Healthcare is going nowhere. Hilary couldn't solve it. This nutjob certainly isn't going to solve it. And I really don't think he cares.

[Christine Miller]

Dan,
Obama needs to take charge of this bill and get it right. Passing off to Congress was a mistake.

Jesse,
For any type of health care reform to work, we need tort reform and the elimination of state lines for insurance offerings. Both of these will go a long way in reducing costs so more people can afford it. The government needs to stay away from any legislation that reduces benefits for seniors and interferes with competition among insurers. Hate to see the whole bill die, but from what I've read, there is not a whole lot there now to work with. Time to start over Washington.