KEmperor on Health

[KEmperor]

Health care is emerging as a critical political issue. Costs are rising, people are worrying about losing medical benefits, Democrats are pushing for drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries and universal care for everyone else, and Republicans are scrambling to offer their own "reform" packages.

Regions are attempting to impose price controls on pharmaceuticals. Ambitious attorneys general and left-wing interest groups have joined to target drug makers for a host of alleged offenses.

Fixing the health-care system seems more difficult than ever.
The focus of much criticism has been on health maintenance organizations, which are designed to limit care. While they are an important option in a competitive medical industry, government and businesses are increasingly pushing reluctant patients into HMOs.

Doing so is supposed to save money. Yet HMO premiums will rise 22 percent this year.

By allowing patients to self-medicate, OTC(Over the Counter) increases consumer choice and reduces costs. However, most insurers do not cover OTC medications. So in the near term, at least, only insurers save money – indeed, patients actually may have to spend more money for the same medicine.

Insurers, and especially HMOs, also make it hard for patients to receive competing prescription drugs. Some insurers simply drop coverage. The problem with HMOs is not HMOs per se, but the environment in which they operate. Government policy inadvertently discourages provision of quality health care, as exemplified by the artificial emphasis on HMOs.

Because the federal government doesn't tax employer-provided health insurance, businesses provide insurance, which means they choose providers and plans. Most companies, understandably, are more interested in constraining health care costs than expanding coverage. Thus their ever-stronger push, mirrored by government policy, to get patients into managed care.

The system makes no sense. Employers don't provide auto or homeowner's insurance.

Similarly, people need to be able to tailor health insurance to their own circumstances, and thus choose the right balance between cost savings and coverage limitations. One solution is placing medical savings accounts on a level playing field with traditional insurance, thereby returning health-care decisions to employees.

There are only two reform paths for today's broken system. The first is to fully nationalize the system, which would sacrifice coverage and quality to save money. The alternative is to reintroduce consumer choice and industry competition to medicine.

Congressional Democrats and Democratic presidential candidates want to take the first course. For the Atlasian people's sake, the KEmperor administration must travel the second.

[King]

Go KEmp!

[YRABNNRM]

Great!

[PBrunsel]

Very good plan KEmperor. I like how you will stay away from Socialized Medicine.

Yeah, i'm pretty sure you'll make a great President. 10-times better than me.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It's nice to see we're having a healthy debate.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If you get elected, I promise I will do all I can to kill this on the Senate floor.

[minionofmidas]

So what exactly is your plan, KEmp?
Will everybody have access to basic healthcare under your plan? Or will it be up to people to choose if they want to be insured?
Because in that case, your plan would mean that vast numbers of people would cease to be insured, and would effectively mean a return to 19th century standards. And those were VERY low.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

So what exactly is your plan, KEmp?
Will everybody have access to basic healthcare under your plan? Or will it be up to people to choose if they want to be insured?
Because in that case, your plan would mean that vast numbers of people would cease to be insured, and would effectively mean a return to 19th century standards. And those were VERY low.

I have some stuff on Lower Eastside Manhatten in the late C19th somewhere... Jesus we don't want to go back to that

[minionofmidas]

I have some stuff on life expectancy in a certain block in Berlin's Wedding district in the early 19th century.
It was 17 (due to infant mortality).

[Colin]

Very good KEmp. It will be good to have a man who believes so much in the free market in the White House.

[King]

Very good King.

?

[Colin]

Very good King.

?

Meant KEmp. Got the two K's mixed up.

[© tweed]

KEmperor on health?  I hope his is very poor so he drops dead before the election.

[Colin]

KEmperor on health?  I hope his is very poor so he drops dead before the election.

Get out troll.

[ilikeverin]

KEmperor on health?  I hope his is very poor so he drops dead before the election.

Get out troll.

Calling BOSS TWEED a troll?!?

Are you high on something?

[© tweed]

KEmperor on health?  I hope his is very poor so he drops dead before the election.

Get out troll.

Yeah OK.  You registered when?  OCTOBER 20?  I registered on May 23 03 and have 10x the amount of posts than you.  I have contributed more meaningful posts to the atlas than all your illegitimate children put together.  So shut up while you're ahead.

[Colin]

I didn't see it was Tweed. Sorry.

[© tweed]

I didn't see it was Tweed. Sorry.

You like the illegitmate children line?  I do.

[Colin]

I didn't see it was Tweed. Sorry.

You like the illegitmate children line?  I do.

What?

[KEmperor]

KEmperor on health?  I hope his is very poor so he drops dead before the election.

Get out troll.

LOL, Tweed's become a troll now?

You better watch out Colin, he created Fantasy Politics, he could have you killed!

[Colin]

I know. I better stay on Tweed's good side now.

[© tweed]

I didn't see it was Tweed. Sorry.

You like the illegitmate children line?  I do.

What?

This:

I have contributed more meaningful posts to the atlas than all your illegitimate children put together.

[Platypus]

actually, I reckon tweed might actually be a troll.

He doesn't post anything much that is constructive, goes around being mean to people, and craves attention. "Yeah, I was right about the percentage in Wyoming for 2000, and I've been here forever, what about you, motherer?"

Clean yourself up a bit tweed. You've turned into a bit of a bum.

[© tweed]

actually, I reckon tweed might actually be a troll.

He doesn't post anything much that is constructive, goes around being mean to people, and craves attention. "Yeah, I was right about the percentage in Wyoming for 2000, and I've been here forever, what about you, motherf**cker?"

Clean yourself up a bit tweed. You've turned into a bit of a bum.

Yeah ok I'm gonna listen to you.

[Colin]

I didn't see it was Tweed. Sorry.

You like the illegitmate children line?  I do.

What?

This:

I have contributed more meaningful posts to the atlas than all your illegitimate children put together.

Its creative I'll give you that.