I hear about all of the elaborate bills that are being considered that would rewrite the health care industry in our country. Most of the politicians seem to think that we need to break the bank in order to fix the system. I believe there is a better solution.
First we absolutely must address Tort reform. Lawsuits cause doctors to practice medicine based on their fear of the legal system instead of the needs of their patients. This drives up cost because of the additional test prescribed. These tests are only done for a CYA situation and huge cost of Malpractice Insurance. According to a January 2006 report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the insurers' group America's Health Insurance Plans; about 10 percent of the cost of medical services is linked to malpractice lawsuits and more intensive diagnostic testing due to defensive medicine.
For those that want medical insurance but are denied coverage due to preexisting conditions or affordability, I propose creating an assigned risk program similar to that presently run by auto insurance companies. Under this program, which should be ran by the insurance industry, a person would be insured by the system but would have to pay a premium based on his or her ability to pay. The government would then underwrite the balance of the premium for that individual. We are already providing the medical treatment for most of the people that would take part in this program through a combination of state and federal programs. The key here is that the participation would be voluntary and a person would have to qualify and prove that they could not get affordable coverage elsewhere.
At the same time we need to revamp the way that medical procedures and medications are brought to the market. It takes way too long which adds a lot of costs. We might also consider co-opting some of the research for new drugs with the pharmaceutical companies as a cost saving approach. This would help lower the cost of medications because the companies would have to venture less money on long term research that may never become viable.
We do have issues with our health care in this country and they need to be addressed. But please do not destroy the building while attempting to remodel a room. Do not even consider a single payer system because it destroys privacy and usurps individual control and responsibility.