Back from Vacation...

More frequent posts are in order, I know. Short, computerless, vacation for the 4th - yes, Rush, even liberals are proud of our heritage as a nation. It's the current government we have a problem with. And fatass blowhards like you.

I was actually thinking alot recently about health care in America. Who has seen Michael Moore's "Sicko"? I watched it over the past week. How, exactly, does the richest nation in the world have inferior health care to Costa Rica? Why is it such a a bad idea to mandate health care for all Americans? The state and federal governments in this country have ample experience regulating the insurance industry. There is no reason the private insurers would have to disappear - they would just have to follow some rules.

1) Doctors choose the medical procedures. Period. If a doctor decides it is necessary, the patient gets it.

2) Doctors have no direct contact with the insurer. This would ensure the adhearence to rule #1. Hospitals would have insurer liasons that handle all billing and payment, and those people would be strictly monitored to prevent fraud or insurance company bribes.

3) All services would have mandated pricing. It would have to be based on the location of the patient/hospital, but there is a price that everyone may complian about while still staying in business. No more HMO's driving the price as low as they can, and if the law includes provisions limiting malpractice awards and insurance costs, then doctors could afford to lower thier prices somewhat.

4) Once all the aspects of coverage are set, the insurers should be allowed to compete openly, in all states, for business. Each insurer would be required to offer one plan, at one price. But they - with some limitations - could set that price and market to every American. Payment for the plan would be some combination of employer sponsored, individual premiums, and government subsidy for people already eligible for Medicaid, which would be eliminated. We may have to maintain Medicare, at least in some form. The medical costs of those over 65 would drive up the price of everyone else's coverage too much.

Is this idea perfect? No. But it does give everyone coverage, spread the burden across as many stakeholders as possible, and at least partially maintain the capitalist ideals of the USA.