I am trying to bypass all current problems in healthcare delivery. It’s a challenge.

Jerry

Control is returned to physicians and the individual seeking care. System operates
at the community level.

All funds will continue to come from federal and state sources. By excluding insurance and gov agencies I anticipate enough savings to serve all. Plus overall cost reduction to reduce state and federal financial pains.

I am still developing the plan and putting parts with more detail on my Blog
“http://jerrysillman.wordpress.com”

I am in process of changing the Blog name to “Essential Single-Payer” if I can figure out how. Sometimes the simplest things seem imposible.

Jerry

This is a very important issue that deserves much discussion. Confusing socialized medicine with universal care and shouting “socialism! socialism!” is a critical mistake.

Min the Gap is arguing against socialized medicine (citing England for example) - with some valid concerns about socialized medicine - but they aren’t concerns about Universal Healthcare which is a capitalist system that allows everyone affordable insurance through private insurance companies.

I’ve been thinking about your statement Revka, “I’ve been uninsured for years but, I don’t expect anyone to pay my bills.”

In fact, this is not true. Uninsured people ARE expecting the taxpayer and insured people to pay their bills.
The uninsured are a massive liability for tax payers. One catastrophe, accident or critical illness and you are a tax payer burden. In one short week a hospital bill will exceed your ability to pay. It won’t be because you’re irresponsible or immoral, it will be because you’re not a millionaire. One life flight is over $100,000. One ER visit for observaton can be over $20,000. If you could afford to pay that then you would have insurance.

Hospitals are not taking long drawn-out payment plans anymore, because they benefit more from the tax write off and the payment from the state.

When people can’t pay their bills they can retroactively apply for medicaid - and the state pays your debt. Which is why Republican Mitt Romney wanted everyone in his state insured. Because they were spending billions every year on this kind of debt.

If you don’t qualify for medicaid then the hospital “writes it off” , which is a nice way of saying, “raises the price of health care for the insured patients.” That’s the main cause of healthcare inflation.

The uninsured are not morally, in the “right”. They are not morally superior. They are, in fact, irresponsible and costing tax payers in the Trillions. And it effects everyone.

If you don’t like universal healthcare - what is YOUR plan? What do you think would actually work?

I completely agree that insurance companies (and the medical profession in general) are out of control and that something needs to be done about it. I just don’t believe Universal Health Care is the answer. I believe MIn The Gap has stated my position much more clearly than I ever could.

You are welcome to your opinion. I know that I am not going to change it, and I am not going to waste my time on debating you any further on it.

Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per person.1 Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic product. In around 5 years they project it will be 20%.

It’s projected to dramatically increase as baby boomers retire and become medially needier.

If we save 1.48 Trillion by getting rid of inefficiencies and fraud, the health care industry is still pulling in .82 TRILLION dollars if there was NO increase in spending. $1 Trillion is still an enormous amount of profit.

They aren’t in danger of going out of business.

In fact companies are not protected at all under the constitution.

But, I get it. Some people hate change and aren’t open to solutions because they are getting too much out of having the problem.

Either way, I don’t expect someone else to pay my bills for me. Nor do I wish to even start down a slippery slope that will eventually lead to government-controlled health care. I think Universal Health Care is a bad idea, and I want no part of it.