Healthcare and a model that can work

Healthcare has been a debate in the United States as long as I can remember. I recall in college taking a class where we focused on the issues of healthcare and the mental health community. When Bill Clinton became President we focused on healthcare for a short minute and then decided that the corporate model was fine. Then came the economic decline and a flashlight of reality was aimed at the CEO’s of our country and we were able to openly see that healthcare is a profiteering machine. What we need to do as a country is to consider that profit is not a model of success, especially when it comes to healthcare. We also need to accept that taking care of the people within our country, is a priority and that it can be done without costing more than are already being charged. This article focuses on how to create a new healthcare model that works and will work for the future of our people.

Throughout the Obama administration, the idea of a healthcare system that was created by the government became appalling to so many people. Many people feel that anytime the government gets involved in something it is ruined. This idea may have some merit, yet at the same time, the idea itself may need to be altered when it comes to some topics. In the case of healthcare, I feel strongly that we need to have government involvement. Many people reading this will argue with me and say, no, the way it is done within the medical world right now is fine and that it was government healthcare that ruined everything. Respectfully, healthcare in this country has been a problem for a significant amount of time, yet the leaders of our country have traded our healthcare for votes and dollars, rather than do the right thing. I also do not believe that the government ruined healthcare with the American HealthCare Act, rather the corporations once again got involved and facilitated the changes they needed and in that the system became what we know of today.

Why I believe there is an issue with healthcare in our nation is that the cost for real healthcare far exceeds the affordability of the average person. When we look simply at monthly costs, we see plans that are affordable, yet the that is just the start of the actual cost. Since it costs money to go to the doctor and or costs money to meet a deductible, the majority of people needing to see a doctor don’t go, and then get worse. This continues through the issues these people may have for a specialist as well and in that far too many people within our society remain unhealthy. Many of these people do have insurance, yet only desire to use it when the issue is extensive.  We need to change this.

My proposal to the leaders of our nation is that we do not create a legalized government based medical system. We can facilitate change without it. Rather I propose that the government gets involved by creating a healthcare model unique to the world. To start with; everyone born and or naturalized into the county as an American citizen receives healthcare. I realize that many people feel that this sounds like socialism, yet a society that is taken care of with their health is able to grow without fear of sickness, which is a fundamental structure of the modern social fabric.

We currently use 5% of tax money on healthcare and in that we cover the people who need Medicare and Medicaid.  The monies in this program are enough to cover the people of our country with a basic healthcare insurance. There is no need to increase taxes, rather we use this money and use it as a specific line item.  I am not advocating an increase in taxes, rather instead of the monies being limited to a small segment of the population, everyone gets it. This is where the current program changes from a profit model to a citizen-funded healthcare system.

The current healthcare companies will now work to offer customers the best packages they can. These companies get to continue being a health insurance company, yet now they are fighting to earn their customers through true competition. Each person will be covered with healthcare and the companies will get to continue doing what they do, covering people.

In this model, the people receive healthcare insurance while the hospitals and doctors form groups that in combination help larger groups of people. A person living in Orlando, Florida would be able to choose from one of three groups (current situation on Orlando) and from that selection they can choose their hospital and doctor. This would cover people for their medical needs; while the healthcare company, the hospital and the doctors work in conjunction to create the best possible health system for their clients.

Reviewing budgets, possibilities, and liabilities, the current program overcharges and under delivers, allowing for extreme profits for the healthcare companies. In this model, the monies used for healthcare are shared in a larger bucket of people, earned through taxes, and used for the people when needed. This is an opportunity that answers the question of how to balance the single-payer healthcare system without the government making the rules and decisions for the people. This is a capitalist model wrapped into a federal program, which is a win-win for the people.

We desperately need to have a new healthcare program in our country and I have reviewed many budgets and opportunities that can balance between the desires of the people and the desires of the currently managed healthcare system. This is an opportunity for us all, and before anyone says it cannot be done and or the costs won’t work out, we need to curtail the excessive and spending and bring back to earth the cost of healthcare. This is a program that can and will work when implemented, so rather than being the country of no, lets become the nation of “lets do what is best for our people” and make something like this happen. It is affordable, let’s meet in the middle and create a true American Healthcare Act.