Ideas for health reform from the Society of Actuaries.

[phk]

Ideas for health reform from the Society of Actuaries.

    * How to save money: Don’t make doctors get a bachelor’s degree.
    * Do we have too much medical care?  ”…35 to  45 percent of prescriptions may have no effect on the disease for which they are prescribed and that as little as 10 percent of diseases are significantly influenced by modern treatment.”
    * Dennis Berry supports a more free market approach with first dollar coverage only for the very poor.  There would be mandatory “stop-loss insurance at different deductible levels depending on income.”
    * Eliminating adverse selection:  ”In both the individual and group market arena, we must do away with underwriting based on claim history  and medical conditions.
      In both the individual and group market arena, we must do away with underwriting based on claim history
      and medical conditions.”
    * Is a two-tiered system the way to go?

And finally Niccolo Macchiavelli states why changes is difficult.

    * “There is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to manage than to introduce a new system of things; for the introducer has as his enemies all those who benefit from the old system, and lukewarm defenders in all those who would benefit from the new system.”