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New Plan for the Public Option |
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Thursday, 10 December 2009 13:33 |
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I have been asked for my opinion at least a dozen times since the new democrat plan for a public option was announced on Tuesday morning. The basic framework of the new plan calls for allowing Americans 55 and older to buy into Medicare. Medicare currently starts at 65 years of age. It would also provide for a national insurance plan to be negotiated and administered by the Federal Office of Personnel Management. This is the office that administers insurance for all current and retired federal employees.
So what do I think? I think it’s just another mechanism to pass healthcare reform, which I firmly support. I have made no secret in my beliefs that we could accomplish meaningful healthcare reform, including the opening up of private insurance markets, through stronger regulation (without a public option), but that does not seem to pass muster with the liberal groups in Congress. There are an unlimited number of ways to provide a national insurance plan to the public – whether it be through the plan described above, a co-op system, or a Medicare like plan for everyone younger than age 65. In the end, it is all extending the governments role into healthcare – albeit with different degrees of involvement. From my perspective, we could start without any national/government managed plan and see what happens through stronger oversight and regulation of the private sector. It will certainly be less bureaucratic and less expensive. Yet with the liberal (and majority) base strongly in favor of a national plan, I see no scenario whereby the private insurance market will be allowed to exist without competition from a government plan of some kind.
Like most of us, I have many concerns and questions. Can we afford this plan? Will the private sector be able to compete/survive (I believe they have a role – this is America after all)? What will we pay the doctors and hospitals? Remember, the private sector already supports the lower payments from Medicare. Unfortunately, there is no answer to any of this right now. Anyone who tells you they know is just not correct. We have ideas but in truth, right now we just do not know – mainly because half of the reform is based on cost controls that still need to be worked out. Time will tell how this is all going to play out – I do believe there will be reform and it may very well be by the end of the year (the Senate Bill anyway). What I do know for certain, and what I have said all along, is we must pass reform. No matter what happens, we are going to be fixing what we screw up over the next few months. Remember, nothing is perfect. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 11 December 2009 13:23 |
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Nothing in Life is Perfect |
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Thursday, 03 December 2009 16:11 |
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I think it is fair to say most people have good days and bad. Some are just average. I also find it very hard to believe there is anyone who can honestly say that life is perfect. As most of us know, nothing is perfect. While many of us strive hard to do the best we can in whatever we do, maybe even trying to be perfect, it just does not happen often, if ever.
My question to anyone who reads my blog or cares about reforming our healthcare system, why should we expect or demand a perfect bill. Nothing, including a bill, is perfect In fact, our own US Constitution, the principles on which our nation was founded is not perfect. It is for that reason we have amendments to clarify what may have not been fully understood or intended when the Constitution was first written. However, I would argue the US Constitution was a pretty amazing starting point for America. Even in these exceptionally difficult times, with the economy in crisis and the world fighting terrorists, this is still the greatest nation in the world – at least I believe it to be true.
One of America’s less than perfect sectors is healthcare. Clearly, we all know it is severely broken. We have a President who is willing to challenge the status quo and try to tackle the healthcare system problems that have plagued this country for generations. But guess what: the bill is not perfect. It includes new taxes, vague cost controls, lacks many important details, and takes a long time to solve many current problems Americans face today. The fighting in Washington is only beginning. Since healthcare represents 16% of our economy and is far more complicated than even the most sophisticated people can truly comprehend, why should we expect the bill to be perfect in order for it to pass? The Republican party is using this “flawed bill” argument as one of their heavy weapons to derail reform. Listen to me clearly, my political party affiliation is irrelevant. My choice for president is irrelevant. I believe we need to reform the current healthcare system and we need to focus on striving to get the best bill we can in Washington passed. It will be less than perfect but far better than what we have today.
Too many people are falling into the healthcare hole --trapped in financial ruin and lacking access to the highest quality healthcare in the world. We can and must do better. Do not let perfect be the enemy of the good. We will have many years to keep fixing the healthcare system. As I have written many times before, we have a long road ahead of us. Healthcare reform is too important to fail now more than ever. I work in this industry and see the struggles every single day. I talk to people on the radio who are trapped. Remain vocal in your support and do not be fooled by the fighting in Washington. Nothing is ever perfect. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 08:51 |
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Monday, 30 November 2009 14:28 |
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If you have been following the recent news cycle, you would notice it has been very quiet when it comes to the healthcare debate. That is about to change on Monday when the Senate starts debating the bill released a few weeks back, the one that looks very similar to the Finance Committee version with an added tax on Medicare wages for high income Americans...
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 08:51 |
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Don’t Worry About Your Mammogram |
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Sunday, 22 November 2009 00:58 |
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The big news this week was the recent report by the non-partisan, government sponsored, expert panel of physicians and scientists “the US preventative Services Task Force” recommending a major change in guidelines for screening mammography. The report suggested women between 40-49 should not be screened and women 50-59 should be screened once every other year instead of annually. Ok, so basically everyone agrees this is nuts. Women are outraged, physicians seem to universally disagree with the findings, and so does HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. In fact, the main conclusion in the report was you get 81% of the benefit over the current screening guidelines if we make the change (and save lots of money) but what about the 19% of people who would not benefit?
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 08:52 |
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Monday, 16 November 2009 14:54 |
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If you are following the healthcare reform debate as closely as I am, you will notice it was very quiet this week. After the release of the House bill last Saturday night, I expected a crazy amount of news coverage all week. I was on Fox News Monday morning talking about the bill, but that was it for me. After thinking about it for a while, I realized why the news was so quiet. There was really nothing new to talk about. Sure the details of the bill came out in terms of the funding mechanisms (see my blog from last week) - the controversial aspects of cost control and true health system reform are quite vague in the House Bill. The Senate will get another crack at this in the coming days and weeks and I do expect to see more details on the cost control/reform side. It will be less expensive than the House version, which we already know. Where this ultimately ends is anyone’s guess. I had planned on talking in great detail about the House bill on my radio show last Thursday (Sirius 114/XM 119 - Thursday 12-2 pm) but we did not even have a chance to bring it up...
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Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 08:53 |
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