In a Blog on September 15, 2009 entitled Health Care Reform Proposal and Considerations concerns for the Administration’s approach to Health Care Reform and related issues were discussed.  It is not man’s right to have the Government provide health care, but since we are getting close as a Nation, what is right is to fully vet all elements of the current system – pros and cons – as well as the ideas for changes, modifications and improvements, to include the additional burdens of anything new, not the least of which would be the burden of added costs, direct or indirect taxes, even Revenue enhancements the Government finds necessary to implement any change. 

Essentials noted then remain:

• Capacity for the existing health care infrastructure to take on any significant added patient load
• Time needed to insure supply of services can meet new demand for services. (Just as auto manufacturers cannot comply with government requirements for mileage standards overnight, neither will any form of reform be implemented to the satisfaction of those needing care overnight)
• How the education system may have to altered to produce more health care professionals
• Incentives to attract more physicians, nursing, CNA’s and administrators into the provider network
• The provision of the Insurance – by group – the current model, by individual – as the automobile insurance market works
• Competition – open the system up to increase competition among insurer, allowing them to cross State lines.
• New idea:  Gather the State Insurance Commissioners together to map our similarities and differences between States’s and consider a common ground approach for insurers to compete nationally.  Make the effort to keep differences to a minimum such that insurers can readily adapt to a specific State’s isolated requirements.
• New idea:  Gather also Insurers from across the Country to discuss programs, in conjunction with State constraints and practices and in light of Government and We The People requests for Reform, and develop a plan to increase competition and satisfy reform, at the same time suggesting a time-table for implementation
• Tort Reform – it goes without saying that this is an essential – an area where there must be changes, such as 1.)caps on claim payouts, 2.) Requirements that those prosecuting pay their legal bills as they go, including those of the accused, even if settlement is attained out of court. and 3.) Malpractice insurance limitations – exclude negligence – but include all nuisance cases with max. Allowable introduced and panels established to determine the potential claim amount before cases are even begun – the merits of a case determined too – to proceed or not to proceed. 
• Institute ‘best practices’ procedures, with medical peer panels to determine methods to be universally employed. 
• All insured requirements – This is where the Government can play a role at the onset.  Subsidies provided by the Federal Government until all are covered and insurer’s risks are understood, valued and priced into on-going policies.
• Pre-existing conditions waived – again an area where the Government can provide subsidies until the insurers have all insured (then no need for pre-existing) with transfer policy programs limited to the ‘same’ coverage until time in grade established with new insurer (to prevent ‘gaming’ the system)
• Federal Government should already be working to clean-up fraud and inefficiencies in Medicare and Medicaid as noted by Obama (and which the Administration is obviously aware of as they have already priced such governmental waste at over $800 billion)
• Factor in cost of Unions.
• Meaningful to this Plan is a greater element of Trust by patients, by providers and with the Insurers.
• No Public Option – keep the Government away from oversight of any major business involving the public and large expenditures, to thus ensure the system put into action will be efficient, cost effective and without political wrangling.

There’s a Plan.  Be a good patient, have patience, and our Health Care System can heal, get well and in fact improve.  With the correct approach, one that is sensible, meaningful, and all inclusive our health system can retain its youth and keep all American’s healthy in a timely fashion within the framework of the best health care possible in the world.

God Bless – Trust in the Lord.

[all comment welcomed]