Monday, July 27, 2009

Health Care Redux

Health care should never be for "profit" for an insurance industry -- or the medical industry, either. Extra money should always be re-invested into making things better.
Therefore, I have useful suggestions, which I believe will help in cost containment.
1. The government should pay for ALL medical education in American medical, nursing, and allied care fields. By doing this, the egregious cost of re-paying huge loans is assuaged. In addition, all recipients of this should give at least two years to the National Health Service (preferably five -- like a military academy graduate). This will go a long way into bringing up medical care in all areas of the country.
2. Malpractice: I have always wondered why American lawyers want just "to win" no matter what the truth may actually be. (I just saw the movie "Michael Clayton" last night.) In many ways I do prefer the British system of "truth finding" to be superior in this regard. If anyone is found to be so derelict to the true well-being of patients, not only should their licenses be removed but they should also "do time" in prison for mayhem. A decent living should also be assured to all victims of true malpractice -- as well as the disabled.
3. Single-payer and non-profit/not-for-profit insurances: There is no truth to the GOP rumours about health care in Canada and Britain. The most important thing we all can do for ourselves is to be proactive about our own health: see our doctor and dentist regularly; take all prescribed medications; take needed blood tests and other tests when prescribed (ie. colonoscopy; mammography; electrocardiogram, etc.). We cannot lie to ourselves that everything is OK until it is too late. Does your family have a high incidence of heart disease (mine does) or something else? Take charge! It is cheaper to be proactive.
4. Medications should all be subsidized. No one should have to worry about living versus eating, heat, shelter, etc.
Well, I may think of a few other things; however, this is a good start.

1 comment:

teabird said...

ditto ditto ditto ditto and so on.