President Obama’s decision to appoint Donald Berwick to head Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) is a confirmation of the intended goal of health care reform. In short, his appointment signals the intention to lead us to health care rationing and a single payer system.
It has been almost three months since the oil spill in the gulf. However, there has been little attention given to the health effects of exposure to the various components present in the spill or the chemical used to disperse the oil. The contents of the oils spill contain several components. Each has the potential to cause health risks to those who are exposed to them. These are some facts of some of the most toxic substances
My solution to the healthcare mess is the creation of Best Price MD (www.bestpricemd.com). It is simply a consortium of healthcare providers – from physicians, specialists, surgeons, and dentists to integrative providers such as chiropractors and acupuncturists. All of our providers have one thing in common, that is their willingness to provide a discount on their services to those without insurance and those who do have insurance, but have high deductibles. The patients have pricing transparency with no hidden fees and the ability to compare and shop for the best price from the provider of their choice. Providers get to remove the bureaucracy and paperwork which provides a barrier that keeps costs high for the patient and operating costs high because of administrative costs such as billing and collection departments. It is simply old fashioned market driven interaction. The patient pays for what he or she wants or needs in consultation with the provider. No more paying outrageous premiums for the privilege of paying more when you actually need to access medical care. It provides patients the means to save their money and access truly affordable medical care when they need it. It is also a way to go back to initial purpose of medical insurance. i.e., the use of insurance for the treatment of catastrophic conditions.
Health care reform is the latest piece of the puzzle to be put in place. If you add this to what has happened in the financial industry and the banking industry a bigger picture begins to emerge. With the proposed financial regulations, there seems to be a movement towards the consolidation of power in a few institutions, systematically removing free competition, setting up the too big to fail phenomenon, thereby giving people less choice that will ultimately cost everybody more in the long run.
Have you wondered how healthcare reform will play out? You only need to look at how healthcare has been laid out by the World Health Organization (WHO). The International Classification of Disease also known as the ICD is the coding system that is used to classify diseases. It is published by the (WHO), and it is also the basis for reimbursement for hospitals and physicians. There have been several iterations of the ICD. The most recent is ICD-10. The United States is scheduled to adopt it in 2013. Just in time for the major pieces for the healthcare reform pieces to take effect. The mad rush to pass healthcare reform makes a lot of sense when this time table is taken into consideration. It finally brings the US healthcare system into the global healthcare system overseen by the WHO. If healthcare reform leads to the implementation of the ICD-10 fee schedule with the adoption of these lower rates, it will likely lead physicians in private practice to drop out of the system in order to stay in business. Quite simply, adding this to the ever rising overhead and malpractice premiums will simply be overwhelming.
The vote is done and we have awakened to a new era. Under the guise of coverage for pre-existing conditions and the security of knowing that you can’t be kicked off your insurance when you really need it, the democrats have pushed through a bill which will lead to the end of health care as we know it.
If the goal of the President’s proposal was to drive doctors into hospital based practices or community health centers, or if it was to break the spirit of providers and bend them to the will of the government that holds the threat of criminal prosecution over their heads if they are found to be Medicare cheats, or if the goal was to dumb down the practice of medicine by ramping up the power of the HHS secretary and the evidence-based medicine posse, then the President’s proposal for health care reform was successful.
put the power of individual health choices back where it belongs with the patient and the physician. People have good sense, and if given more control of their own healthcare costs along with clearly presented options that include cost transparency (from both health care providers and hospitals who will have to compete for a savvy patient consumer), they will choose what is best for them. When the inflated costs injected by the government and the insurance industry are stripped out, it would lead to a more affordable medical system that will work well for the foreseeable future.
It can also be argued that evidence-based medicine has exponentially increased the cost of health care. In theory, the essence of evidence-based medicine is science. However, in practice it has become more about money. The system has led to a game where players like the pharmaceutical industry are given an edge. Over the past 10-15 years there has been a change in the parameters of our most common diseases such as hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol that has led to an exponential rise in the prevalence and the number of prescriptions written. These changes have led to a dramatic increase in both the number of people who meet criteria for treatment with prescription drugs and by extension the rising cost of healthcare. The question that has yet to be answered is why are we less healthy despite taking ever increasing amounts of prescription medication?
If we really want to get serious about decreasing the cost of healthcare, we need to have a conversation about the root cause. There is something intrinsically wrong about government policies that make it cheaper for us to buy junk food than it is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. We will only be able to limit our costs by promoting prevention and wellness. Neither can exist until something is done about an industry that is given free reign to pursue profit over our health.