Presidential candidate John McCain said he believes we should find a “free market solution to the problem of unavailable and unaffordable health care.” I propose a solution that, unlike most of the recent campaign rhetoric, is not about rearranging the deck chairs, but instead offers a way to balance the needs of both the givers and receivers of health care.
The public health care debate usually begins by addressing the need for third-party funding solutions. Little is said, however, about the actual care givers: the hospitals and clinics. I advocate a different approach that will cost less while also strengthening the nation’s health care infrastructure: Let us buy insurance from the facilities that provide our medical care. In other words, let’s go directly to the source and avoid any intermediaries.
Under a system whereby hospitals and clinics offer health insurance to those in their communities:
1. Medical facilities could cover their overhead through monthly insurance premiums. As it is now, hospital administrators, some of whom I have interviewed, say they can only hope to admit enough adequately insured patients to cover payroll and operating expenses. A consistent and predictable revenue stream would allow such facilities to staff adequately, pay better salaries, optimize medical equipment and operating efficiencies — and provide better health care.
2. The cost of coverage would be lower than most health care plans (whose corporate entities are beholden to a long list of financial beneficiaries, from brokers to marketers to hungry investors). For example, if the overhead for a facility is $5 million/year, 5,000 insureds could pay $85/month to sustain the operation. Implementing a co-pay or including more members would further defray monthly premiums. Each medical facility would be free to develop its own agreement with the members of their community.
3. Affordable health care would generate savings — not only for individuals, but also for businesses and local government units. This would help control local taxes and create a better climate for the economy. And as Thomas Friedman said in The World is Flat, “Anything which can be done to reduce a U.S. company’s liability for medical coverage would be a plus in keeping jobs in the U.S.”
4. Under this plan, health care would finally be affordable to the previously uninsured or underinsured.
5. By gaining control over their own revenue stream, participating medical facilities could address needed improvements in health care standards and delivery, improving patient outcomes while sustaining their own business viability.
While the coming months will bring a steady stream of discussion (and plenty of rhetoric) on heath care, keep in mind the prescient words of another well-known Friedman. Milton Friedman said, “Two simple observations are key to the high level of spending on medical care and the dissatisfaction with that spending. The first is that most payments to physicians or hospitals or other caregivers for medical care are made not by the patient but by a third party. The second is that nobody spends somebody else’s money as wisely or as frugally as he spends his own.”
By: Tom Obst
Posts Tagged ‘Medical Facilities’
Authentic Health Insurance
April 17th, 2010Health Insurances Quotes
December 21st, 2009
The changed health aspects and health consciousness among the population have generated much enthusiasm in health insurance sector world over. New most modern medical facilities for diagnosis and treatments, which are integral part of any medical treatments nowadays, are highly expensive. Millions of people who suffer from one disease or other find it difficult to meet the soaring medical expenses. A recent survey brought out some alarming facts. The number of people affected by diseases, which requires immediate medical attention, has grown by 17% in the last decade. The medical expenses have gone up by more than two times in the last five years. It is very difficult for the common middle class people to bear the medical expenses in the emergency situations of diseases and accidents. Nobody will be assured of any diseases or accident, and it can happen any time for a person. It is always beneficial to have a health insurance policy, to meet the soaring medical expenses. You just need to pay very minimal amount as premium. You have to get health insurance quotes from health insurance agencies.
With the advent of Internet and computers, it is very simple now to get health insurance quotes. There are numerous health insurance companies offering their services to public in online. You have to just enter to the company’s website and fill the registration forms with all required information. Within few hours, you will get the confirmation of your policy. It is so simple; you have to spend very less time. No travel, No expenses for agents and easy payment through credit or debit cards or other online agencies like paypal.
What are simple tips to get a great deal in health insurance quotes? You have to get as many as quotes from various agencies and do a thorough study on the aspects and the rates they quote. Mostly the quotes depend on the age of the insured person, his previous medical history and the present health condition. Do not go with the first insurance agency you encounter in Internet. The insurance area is very competitive and you will get beneficial offer if you take quotes from more agencies.
Another tip for getting cheap medical coverage is to go for group insurances either as a family scheme or as a group insurance scheme. These are comparably very cheap health insurance schemes.
You have to be very careful about the selection options under which your schemes work. Most of the schemes work for inpatient treatments. If you want to get benefits for outpatient treatments as well, you have to put the option very clearly. Also do not forget to enter all factual information in the policy statement form, do not hide any previous disease history as this can trigger confusions in case of claims.
Finally at the time of selecting the proper agency, you necessarily make an assessment of the reliability and customer services of the company. Make sure that you select a company, which gives the best service, in case you fell ill or meet accident. To get best health insurance quotes, you have to be little patient and attentive with the insurance market.
The changed health aspects and health consciousness among the population have generated much enthusiasm in health insurance sector world over. New most modern medical facilities for diagnosis and treatments, which are integral part of any medical treatments nowadays, are highly expensive. Millions of people who suffer from one disease or other find it difficult to meet the soaring medical expenses. A recent survey brought out some alarming facts. The number of people affected by diseases, which requires immediate medical attention, has grown by 17% in the last decade. The medical expenses have gone up by more than two times in the last five years. It is very difficult for the common middle class people to bear the medical expenses in the emergency situations of diseases and accidents. Nobody will be assured of any diseases or accident, and it can happen any time for a person. It is always beneficial to have a health insurance policy, to meet the soaring medical expenses. You just need to pay very minimal amount as premium. You have to get health insurance quotes from health insurance agencies.
With the advent of Internet and computers, it is very simple now to get health insurance quotes. There are numerous health insurance companies offering their services to public in online. You have to just enter to the company’s website and fill the registration forms with all required information. Within few hours, you will get the confirmation of your policy. It is so simple; you have to spend very less time. No travel, No expenses for agents and easy payment through credit or debit cards or other online agencies like paypal.
What are simple tips to get a great deal in health insurance quotes? You have to get as many as quotes from various agencies and do a thorough study on the aspects and the rates they quote. Mostly the quotes depend on the age of the insured person, his previous medical history and the present health condition. Do not go with the first insurance agency you encounter in Internet. The insurance area is very competitive and you will get beneficial offer if you take quotes from more agencies.
Another tip for getting cheap medical coverage is to go for group insurances either as a family scheme or as a group insurance scheme. These are comparably very cheap health insurance schemes.
You have to be very careful about the selection options under which your schemes work. Most of the schemes work for inpatient treatments. If you want to get benefits for outpatient treatments as well, you have to put the option very clearly. Also do not forget to enter all factual information in the policy statement form, do not hide any previous disease history as this can trigger confusions in case of claims.
Finally at the time of selecting the proper agency, you necessarily make an assessment of the reliability and customer services of the company. Make sure that you select a company, which gives the best service, in case you fell ill or meet accident. To get best health insurance quotes, you have to be little patient and attentive with the insurance market.
By: Jon Elton
