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Say quasi done away. Individuals can apply for vouchers into let's say a State run program that helps them pay healthcare cost. Helps individuals who are homeless or living below the average living wage in their State can apply for Medicaid for 5 years. Those in the military active duty and over 65 receive universal healthcare. Mental Health and Substance care would be covered by excess tax on marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. Those who are veterans or in the Guard or Reserve can receive rebates on their health care cost. Say that there was less regulation in the healthcare market and patents were done away with. Individuals were taxed for catastrophic health cost.
With all that said individuals would go to a provider the provider would be transparent with their cost. Can shop around for places for care. There be no taxes on any health care services.
Medical expense insurance has been around for about 90 years. Back then a 35 year old man had a projected life expectancy of late 40- early 50's, depending on the type of work he did. People got sick and died. Medicine was primitive compared to today.
I am unaware of any country beyond serious third word countries that have no form of insurance, private or public or a mix. Those are the countries that Doctors without Borders send MDs and RNs volunteers to for vaccinations and epidemics.
What becomes of someone who cannot afford treatment for a disease that is treatable?
Medical expense insurance has been around for about 90 years. Back then a 35 year old man had a projected life expectancy of late 40- early 50's, depending on the type of work he did. People got sick and died. Medicine was primitive compared to today.
I am unaware of any country beyond serious third word countries that have no form of insurance, private or public or a mix. Those are the countries that Doctors without Borders send MDs and RNs volunteers to for vaccinations and epidemics.
What becomes of someone who cannot afford treatment for a disease that is treatable?
Therein lies the dilemma. Back then when you broke your arm, the local family doc set it right in his office. Dad wrote a check for $300 and we drove home.
Now we have treatments that cost $270,000, $720,000, $1,268,439 and more. How about $72,000 per year for a single drug. Make up a number.
My wife and I know of two of the figures I've presented here. How much money is your typical patient worth? One of two things must happen. Either a limit on lifetime spending or a drastic reduction of actual costs.
Therein lies the dilemma. Back then when you broke your arm, the local family doc set it right in his office. Dad wrote a check for $300 and we drove home.
Now we have treatments that cost $270,000, $720,000, $1,268,439 and more. How about $72,000 per year for a single drug. Make up a number.
My wife and I know of two of the figures I've presented here. How much money is your typical patient worth? One of two things must happen. Either a limit on lifetime spending or a drastic reduction of actual costs.
ALL THE ABOVE!
A patient is worth as much as they can squeeze from him/her before he/she dies. Costs will never be reduced because it's the windfall these entities have created intentionally. Why is a drug (developed here) costing $300 a dose (here) while in Mexico from the same US manufacturer $25?
Because they can't squeeze poorer nations like here, though that begs; why are most drugs cheaper in Canada when they have a single payer insurance hybrid system?
Anyway... Americans are all meant to be squeezed like an orange.
Only reason contemplating on this idea was recently read an article where a Doctor does not go through insurance. Instead patients come in and then the Doc bills them.
I mean I think insurance helps in the system we are in now. I don't think the system can be reversed. Basically the market is controlled by regulations, lobbyist, insurance companies, corporations, big pharmaceutical companies, taxes in various healthcare, and patents on medical equipment.
We can take away regulations in regards to medications. Even out the pharmaceutical market by doing away with lobbyist and increased funding to smaller research pharmaceutical organizations. Quasi government control on pharmaceutical drugs by controlling the cost of generic medications.
If we can do away with taxes and excess charges on medical services help with cost.
Then something needs to be done where control shifts from corporations and insurance companies. Instead shifts to the Goverment or individual.
Say quasi done away. Individuals can apply for vouchers into let's say a State run program that helps them pay healthcare cost. Helps individuals who are homeless or living below the average living wage in their State can apply for Medicaid for 5 years. Those in the military active duty and over 65 receive universal healthcare. Mental Health and Substance care would be covered by excess tax on marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. Those who are veterans or in the Guard or Reserve can receive rebates on their health care cost. Say that there was less regulation in the healthcare market and patents were done away with. Individuals were taxed for catastrophic health cost.
With all that said individuals would go to a provider the provider would be transparent with their cost. Can shop around for places for care. There be no taxes on any health care services.
Would that work in the US?
You asked a very serious and good question... then ruined it by adding all kinds of socialist/Marxist/communist qualifiers that do nothing but harm the very concept of getting rid of health insurance.
Getting rid of health insurance, medicare, medicaid the Health and Human Services (HHS) and the drug portion of the FDA would cause an almost immediate and serious drop in health care costs in the US. It would eliminate price fixing (mostly medicare based) and would cause doctors, hospitals and medical facilities to compete on a free market based system. It would stop hospitals, clinics and medical facilities from constantly rebuilding and remodeling just to spend their excess and for another reason to charge more and more.
It would benefit EVERYBODY because that is what basic economics says will happen, but that isn't what self proclaimed do gooders who are actually selfish believe. These people demand next to free cancer treatment. They demand next to free surgery. They demand next to free cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. They demand more and more, and demand to pay less and less, forcing others to pick up the tab.
Even in your qualifiers OP, you demand others pick up the tab by paying more for services to provide some with free stuff. Do it right. Eliminate all health insurance including medicare, medicaid and the departments/agencies costing the health industry more money. Prices will drop drastically. Any and everything else requires stealing from your neighbor to pay for your health care, and that is theft.
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