National Healthcare System?

[??????????]

What is everyones idea for a Healthcare system? Here is my idea :

a) If you have insurance your insurance company would be required to pay 80/20 automatically. On top of that the govt would pay 50% of your 20%. For example if your medical bill was 100$ the insurance company would pay 80 dollars, the govt 10 and you pay 10. Medicines would be 90% covered by the govt with 10% owed by the patient.

b) No Insurance to government would pay 80%. Medicine would be covered fully.

c) Dental and Vision would be 90% covered.

With this hypothetical system I think fraud could be kept to a minimum, because I think 100% coverage for all Americans would create cases of fraud and would probably bankrupt the system over time. I would also set a standard insurance payment to keep insurance companies from rising their costs to astronomical numbers. I see this as a good compromise to all or none. Please feel free to add or tear this idea apart as necessary. I am curious as to what everyone thinks.

[opebo]

No thanks to socialism in medicine or anything else.

[??????????]

100% Coverage would be socialism in my opinion, and it would also be a corruption wrought system.

[??????????]

What about us folks making 30 - 35k a year. Healthcare costs are killing us. My family pays 50 dollars a week for healthcare on a 80/20 plan with a 350 dollar deductible. I know some people who are paying 180 dollars a week for a family of two and they make 30k a year. That is absolutely ridiculous. Half the problem is the drug companies paying off the doctors and vice versa. I have no problem with any company or person making money, but when it starts killing people, literally, its time for the govt to step in and do something about it. And before whoever starts on "your name is states rights" thing. The constitution says "Provide for the general welfare". I base a healthcare system on that premise.

[Ben.]

The framework you suggest seems like a good one... I would like a system that can be augmented by the states if they wish and left as it is if they prefer to do that... as i generally belive medicare to be a state by state issue... however a broad federal frame work would be a very very good idea
 

[??????????]

Don't you think leaving it as it is now is just way to expensive for poorer people?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I prefer the NHS

[??????????]

NHS? What is that and how does it work?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

National Health Service. Set up by Nye Bevan in 1948.
Basically it's healthcare provided by the State and free at the point of use.
Private Hospitals (eg. BUPA) are allowed but they aren't as good (the mortality rate is a lot higher than the NHS and private hospitals are not allowed to do serious emergencies etc).

[??????????]

I dont think that would work out here. To many people would try to scam the system if everything was completely paid for.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I dont think that would work out here. To many people would try to scam the system if everything was completely paid for.

It would work in poor states though. Perhaps the powers of the Appalachian Regional Commission could be increased to cover it?

Or even better: Make CT pay!

[afleitch]

The NHS in the UK is free...up to a point. For the majority, prescriptions are not free, though they are heavily subsidized, dental care and eye care often cost money too. But if a kid needs their appendix removed or a man needs a heart valve it is free. The NHS in the UK is the third biggest employer in the world, after things such as the Indian State Railways. The NHS is also institutionalised in society so that even Conservatives would not dare to tamper with its basic principles. It isn't perfect, but it does its job and gives high quality healthcare to the richest and poorest in society.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The point is that the actual healthcare bit is free.

Giving the ARC powers to run one would:

a) Help the people of one of the poorest regions in the developed world
b) Lower unemployment in Appalachia

[??????????]

When I mean scam the system, I mean their would be alot of people feigning back pain or injure to get drugs. Believe me, I have seen it, workers comp claims cost my company over 70 million dollars last year alone. I know for a fact all of those claims were not valid injuries.

[12th Doctor]

What is everyones idea for a Healthcare system? Here is my idea :

a) If you have insurance your insurance company would be required to pay 80/20 automatically. On top of that the govt would pay 50% of your 20%. For example if your medical bill was 100$ the insurance company would pay 80 dollars, the govt 10 and you pay 10. Medicines would be 90% covered by the govt with 10% owed by the patient.

b) No Insurance to government would pay 80%. Medicine would be covered fully.

c) Dental and Vision would be 90% covered.

With this hypothetical system I think fraud could be kept to a minimum, because I think 100% coverage for all Americans would create cases of fraud and would probably bankrupt the system over time. I would also set a standard insurance payment to keep insurance companies from rising their costs to astronomical numbers. I see this as a good compromise to all or none. Please feel free to add or tear this idea apart as necessary. I am curious as to what everyone thinks.

Your proposal seems like a good one.  I must admit, I don't know as much about this subject as I ought to.  I just feel that on the whole, we should have some kind of limited federal health care, at least to protect the poorest people in society.  I don't believe in a "Universal System" though.

[??????????]

I don't know a lot about it either. I just have a LOT of experience trying to fight insurance companies and doctors and if their is a easier way to do things where you dont have to end up doing the legwork of the doctor or Insurance Company all the more better.

[??????????]

I wonder how big the claims are for the state of California. If the claims in 03 were 70 million for my one company alone, I'd hate to see what Florida spends.

[??????????]

I wouldn't send my dog to the doctors my company provides if you get hurt. I won't provide the name of the company that does it but they are well known here in Florida. I know someone that complained about their back and knees and the doctor said he just was hurt and gave him some pain pills. Well the pain didnt go away and a few months later he had to violate the company rules and go to a real doctor and he was diagnosed with cancer in every major part of his body. They later found out this doctor was only qualified to do drug tests and simple physicals. Sad to say that good man is no longer with us.

[afleitch]

To quote Homer Simpson: 'Oh Marge, the American health system is the best in the world, except for Japan, Sweden, Great Britain...well all of Europe, but you can thank your lucky stars we don't live in Paraguay!!' or something to that effect

I guess the US could never adopt a British style system really. Ours was founded in 1948, when things were simpler and people were more trustworthy, and it has adapted and changed since then, and still only costs a few percent of our GDP. In the US, it would be almost impossible to start from scratch in the modern climate.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

First, to address Al on English health care.  What he fails to mention is the reason private hospitals can exist within their system.  Public hospitals are of higher quality and lower cost, why would anyone go to a private hospital?  Because you can't get a doctor in the English system unless you go to a crappy private hospital or wait for six weeks to see a doctor in the government hospital.

The waiting lists are only a problem for minor operations/vanity operations etc.
Even then it's not serious.

[??????????]

Does your system cover facelifts and tummy tucks and that sort of stuff?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Does your system cover facelifts and tummy tucks and that sort of stuff?

No (unless needed for medical/mental reasons)

[??????????]

I think the main problem with the U.S. system is the drugs cost way way way to much. If you are poor you are condemned to death if you have cancer. Chemotheraphy pills cost almost 3k dollars a month and our insurance does NOT cover them anymore.

[afleitch]

It has its problems, but it if far better than the system offered to millions of working and middle class Americans at present

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There are also lists to even see a doctor from what my English friends tell me.  My neighbor says she left the country because the health care system is so bad.  Canada has the same problems.

By "Doctor" you mean GP right?
If so you do need to get an appointment to see your GP. Otherwise the system would collapse.
But you can also see the "Duty Doctor" (a GP on standby).