Liberals are always whining and whining about conservatives not offering solutions to problems like health care, will here's one solution courtesy of Newt Gingrich. I like parts of it, but too much of it is too similar to Obamacare. But it's still better than what the Dems are offering.
Quote:
- Stop Paying the Crooks. First, we must dramatically reduce healthcare fraud within our current healthcare system. Outright fraud -- criminal activity -- accounts for as much as 10 percent of all healthcare spending. That is more than $200 billion every year. Medicare alone could account for as much as $40 billion a year. (Read about our latest CHT Press book, Stop Paying the Crooks, edited by Jim Frogue.)
- Move from a Paper-based to an Electronic Health System. As it stands now, it is simply impossible to keep up with fraud in a paper-based system. An electronic system would free tens of billions of dollars to be spent on investing on the kind of modern system that will transform healthcare. In addition, it would dramatically increase our ability to eliminate costly medical errors and to accelerate the adoption of new solutions and breakthroughs.
- Tax Reform. The savings realized through very deliberately and very systematically eliminating fraud could be used to provide tax incentives and vouchers that would help cover those Americans who currently can’t afford coverage. In addition, we need to expand tax incentives for insurance provided by small employers and the self-employed. Finally, elimination of capital gains taxes for investments in health-solution companies can greatly impact the creation advancement of new solutions that create better health at lower cost.
- Create a Health-Based Health System. In essence, we must create a system that focuses on improving individual health. The best way to accomplish this is to find out what solutions are actually working today that save lives and save money and then design public policy to encourage their widespread adoption. For example, according to the Dartmouth Health Atlas, if the 6,000 hospitals in the country provided the same standard of care of the Intermountain or Mayo health clinics, Medicare alone would save 30 percent of total spending every year. We need to make best practices the minimum practice. We need the federal government and other healthcare stakeholders to consistently migrate to best practices that ensure quality, safety and better outcomes.
- Reform Our Health Justice System. Currently, the U.S. civil justice system is the most expensive in the world -- about double the average cost in virtually every other industrialized nation. But for all of the money spent, our civil justice system neither effectively compensates persons injured from medical negligence nor encourages the elimination of medical errors. Because physicians fear malpractice suits, defensive medicine (redundant, wasteful treatment designed to avoid lawsuits, not treat the patient) has become pervasive. CHT is developing a number of bold health-justice reforms including a “safe harbor” for physicians who followed clinical best practices in the treatment of a patient. Visit CHT's Health Justice project page to learn more.
- Invest in Scientific Research and Breakthroughs. We must accelerate and focus national efforts, re-engineer care delivery, and ultimately prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and diabetes which are financially crippling our healthcare system.
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Stop Fraud First | Center for Health Transformation
Personally, I like a few of his points, but I have issues.
Number 1 is good. We need to cut down on fraud in every government program.
Number 2 I have a serious issue with. I would hope that (a) only the right people have access to those records and (b) since it’s electronic, it had better be backed up and secured.
Number 3 I also have an issue with. It could easily be fixed in a much better and simpler way by giving all the tax incentives to the individual rather than the companies.
Number 4 I have minor issues with. We should be the best healthcare system in the world, but what if some people prefer alternative methods of medicine which are often looked down upon by the mainstream medical community? My mother being a prime example of how alternative medicine can greatly improve one’s life.
Number 5 is tort reform. Absolutely critical.
Number 6 is something I’m divided on. Research into finding new treatments and/or cures to Alzhiemer’s, diabetes, and other chronic diseases is a good thing. Money would help on that front, but I’m not sure if I’d want government more involved in research than it already is.