Effective health care system

Most proposals on health care delivery do not talk about how to cut down costs, and how to make it fair and practical. We need to know how to pay for it first, how much, and the consequences to businesses and employment. My proposal and comments:

1.       Basic treatments for all.

Better coverage is paid by an individual. We encourage folks to work hard and there is no more free lunch. It is abnormal for the poor to have free health care while the middle class cannot afford to have same.

2.       Fair regulation for nursing home.

Low incomers and/or those without a house most likely can receive free nursing home care, free drugs and free doctor visits in most states like Mass. Those in borderline cheat by giving their houses to their children and many hide their incomes or just quit working.

The government should spend an agreed % of GDP on public health care. We cannot ignore other spending like education or let the budget unbalanced irresponsibly.

When we over spent in any entitlement, we need to hike taxes.  With high taxes, we're no longer competitive globally and hence our unemployment will be increased.

3.       Prevention: Voluntary and non-voluntary (via taxes) on smoking, fast food, soda, etc.

It is fair for the citizens to take care of their own health. You can select to live recklessly in unhealthy life style, but the rest of us should not pay for your bad decision.

When we ban smoking totally, we will not need so many hospitals and will free up many resources. In addition, the second-hand smoke kills too. Why should we die for your bad behavior?

4.       Limit lawsuit award on malpractice.

Our health care cost is being jacked up partly due to the legal expenses.

Most do not realize these lawsuit awards will pass back to us. It is also why the doctor would hesitate to care for you when you fall and lie on the street or why your clinical charges are so high?

5.       State-of-the-art treatments are less effective than prevention such as a low-dosage aspirin for all over 50 years of age and the routine shots for babies / children.

6.       Outsourcing the expensive treatments to foreign countries and drug development / clinical tests.

Our costs are outrageously high. Try Thailand and Shanghai. The money we save pays for a free vacation, not mentioning the free massage every day for the entire trip. Many Caribbean countries offer same dentistry services at half the cost here.

This is a temporary solution until we solve our cost problem at home.

7.       Cut down the expensive drug marketing (like giving money / goodies to doctors).

Personally I know doctors receiving free golf trips to the most expensive golf courses for the entire family. They also got unlimited lobsters in medical conventions in Boston. Should doctors receive the 'lecture fees' giving phony lectures or sales pitches?

Guess who ends up paying for all these goodies eventually?

8.       Stop the illegal aliens and foreigners from using our medical systems free.

Their employers or the patients should pay for their expenses. It is nice to help the rest of the world, but we do not have money to do so now.

Emergency room is the most expensive delivery method and its usage has been abused.

9.       Importing foreign doctors and nurses is the worst we can do to a poor country.

These foreigners are seeking a better economic life for themselves, but forget their original purpose of seeking these noble professions.

10.   Before we send soldiers abroad or explore space (both have some merits but the average citizen does not benefit from these ventures), should we solve our home problems such as health care first? Get our priority straight.

11.   The average last two years of one's life would be the most expensive health care cost. Many do not want to live through pains and sufferings. Should we let them pass away in peace if they want to?

12.   Stem cell research has proven to be promising.

We should not let our politicians dictate the policy for religious reasons. The desperate will go to foreign countries to receive the riskiest treatments anyway. Why let them know their risk and do the treatments here in a better environment?

13.   Stop all the insurance and Medicare frauds.

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Afterthoughts.

·         This post has received many positive responses. One blogger even copied my entire post and discussion to another forum.

·         As Obama won the reelection, ObamaCare would be implemented. I hope it will be delayed. It would take us to a recession with higher taxes to pay for and less hiring by small businesses due to the fear of any extra cost. If it requires the company to implement when the number of employees reaches 50, small businesses will cut down the employees to that number and hire part-timers that will not be counted.

·         "Healthcare reform has been "an outstanding success in Massachusetts," a famous author says, calling it a "template" for the nation.”

My arguments against it:

1. Mass. is a rich state with relatively educated citizens. I just argue with my friend that any political system and national health care system would work in Norway as they're so rich and they can afford to be nice.

2. The welfare, entitlements...are too generous and eventually will kill the state. We in Mass. no longer afford manufacturing of low-cost products and many companies already have moved to southern states. When we have too many free loaders and too few givers, we'll bankrupt or drive the rich away as demonstrated in Greece.

·         Singapore is spending 2% of GDP in its world-class health care, Israel is spending 8% of GDP on health care and we are spending 18%.

·         The hurting patient pleaded painfully to the outsourced doctor to get him someone who could speak English. The doctor said, “If I not English, what language I talking?” J

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