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How about taking all those pharmaceutical ads off TV. If people were not rushing to their Drs and asking for all these expensive drugs, it would be less expensive. Much of the time the Dr just goes along with what they are asked for.
That would cause a Canadian freeze on access to the courts.
Corporations and Government would pound the Individual back to the Stone Age - or at least back to the last Ice Age.
Too much of that shyt going on right now.
Wrong. It would eliminate those suits fabricated solely to extort money from insurance companies, doctors and hospitals which number in the thousands every year. You know the ones where some shiny suited slimeball advertises on the side of a bus and on TV 'The law offices of Sheister and Co. can get you the money you deserve!'. Consequently the practice of medicine would improve; The practice defensive medicine would be eliminated; Insurance premiums would drop and the efficiency of the court system would improve. It's a win for everyone and there is absolutly no downside. Suits with merit would still be brought and won. Don't you find it odd that Tort reform is not even a matter of discussion in the health care reform debate? No serious reform can take place when a major contributor of rising medical and insurance costs is arbitrarily taken off the table. Which only goes to show the Liberals are not really in favor of reforming the system.
New ideas to rein in healthcare costs?
I served in Government for over 30 years and was an administrative bookkeeper for a Company President for 25 years prior to serving both part-time and full time in government. My job in government dealt with excessive spending, bonding aand debt service.
Being a conservative, I did not want to vote for any taxes and decided to dissect the state budget. Line item by line item.
About 2003, over 75 million individual health care services were billed to Medicaid in our state...it was increasing exponientally, day by day. Who were the guilty parties. Simple. Those who sent out the bills. Only about five per cent of these kinds of charges are audited so the rest play russian roulette. Our state contracts out with providers to deliver health care and those contracts are not seen in the budget, they are not seen by legislators,, the people who work under these contracts are ex-officio state workers. They ask for the same benefits but they and their bosses are not subject to open-meeting or open record laws. They are not subject to conflict-of-interest laws b ecause they are private profit or non-profit organizations.
Now, what would I do if I had the power?
1. Make all of these contract employees subject to conflict of interest, open-meeting and open record laws.
2. Medicare and all private health insurance companies send out Explanation of Benefits reports so you can determine if you had those services. If Medicare can send out "explanation of benefits to its clientele, then state Medsicaid depts ought to be able to send out EOBs as well. We, the public will monitor. Another sugfestion would be a ten per cent cash award for every adjudicated claim of fraud. Perhaps, we the public can do the job. Remember...Medicaid does not send out an EOB. That leaves the providers free to pack it on.
3. We need a national i.d. card. perhaps a national health card might do it. Illegals are still pouring in and avail themselves of "free care." They bring their children, their relatives and send for more of their countrymen...they are choking the system. They will not participate in the new health care plan...they are undocumented and change their names on a daily basis.
4. Doctors and hospitals should sign under pain of perjury that the charges assigned to the patient are indeed legitimate. One cannot tell by their reports who got what. Explanation of Benefits reports should be sent to all patients.
5. In Massachusetts, there is a cap on lawsuits against non profits, hospitals or non-profit health care providers.
6. Ask for the top one hundred healthcare providers that is the top spenders in your state. Don't be surprised to see your doctor or dentist on that list. If they deal as a non-profit, hospital or otherwise, get their financial report...their salaries will astound you. In fact, you can use www.Guidestar.org and find out what salaries are being charged to the public coffers.
If we are concerned with high cost of healthcare, let's find out who is sending out the bills and for how many procedures.
One chiropractor sent a union a bill for 92 treatments and the patient only received two. When apprised of the indiscretion the provider wanted to "split" and was told that he would be reported and he quickly changed his tune.
I would not blame lawyers as the only cause of high settlements....most are ordered by liberal judges and juries. Lawyers don['t make the settlement...they ask but other than private settlements, judges and juries make them. Perhaps we need to regulate the size of such requests.
In my state, any private or public non-profit group, who does business with the state must file and expenditure report with the Secy. of State...but no one ever goes over there to take a look. I did and was apalled when the director said, "oh they say they file CPA reports but hardly anyone comes over here to review them."
So perhaps, another idea would be to have CPA associations volunteer to audit these contracts or give the State Auditor more money to audit every single one each and every year....not just a sample...in a sample year.
Whew I am exhausted.
By the way, Obama went around the world in 80 days and ruined the country in six months....faster than the speed of light....Superman! Why is he in such a hurry...to Socialism. Those Harvard liberals never change......
Last edited by Friendly blogger; 07-22-2009 at 05:37 PM..
[quote=Friendly blogger;New ideas to rein in healthcare costs?
I served in Government for over 30 years and was an administrative bookkeeper for a Company President for 25 years prior to serving both part-time and full time in government. My job in government dealt with excessive spending, bonding aand debt service.
Being a conservative, I did not want to support taxes and decided to dissect the state budget. Line item by line item.
About 2003, over 75 million individual health care services were billed to Medicaid in our state...it was increasing exponientally, day by day. Who were the guilty parties. Simple. Those who sent out the bills. Only about five per cent of these kinds of charges are audited so the rest play russian roulette. Our state contracts out with providers to deliver health care and those contracts are not seen in the budget, they are not seen by legislators,, the people who work under these contracts are ex-officio state workers. They ask for the same benefits but they and their bosses are not subject to open-meeting or open record laws. They are not subject to conflict-of-interest laws b ecause they are private profit or non-profit organizations.
Now, what would I do if I had the power?
1. Make all of these contract employees subject to conflict of interest, open-meeting and open record laws.
2. Medicaid and all private health insurance companies send out Explanation of Benefits reports, which contain cost of services, so you can determine if you had those services. If Medicare can send out "explanation of benefits to its clientele, then state Medsicaid depts ought to be able to send out EOBs as well. We, the public will monitor. Another sugfestion would be a ten per cent cash award for every adjudicated claim of fraud. Perhaps, we the public can do the job. Remember...Medicaid does not send out an EOB. That leaves the providers free to pack it on.
3. We need a national i.d. card. perhaps a national health card might do it. Illegals are still pouring in and avail themselves of "free care." They bring their children, their relatives and send for more of their countrymen...they are choking the system. They will not participate in the new health care plan...they are undocumented and change their names on a daily basis.
4. Doctors and hospitals should sign under pain of perjury that the charges assigned to the patient are indeed legitimate. One cannot tell by their reports who got what. Explanation of Benefits reports should be sent to all patients.
5. In Massachusetts, there is a cap on lawsuits against non profits, hospitals or non-profit health care providers.
6. Ask for the top one hundred healthcare providers that is the top spenders in your state. Don't be surprised to see your doctor or dentist on that list. If they deal as a non-profit, hospital or otherwise, get their financial report...their salaries will astound you. In fact, you can use [URL="http://www.Guidestar.org"]www.Guidestar.org[/url] and find out what salaries are being charged to the public coffers.
If we are concerned with high cost of healthcare, let's find out who is sending out the bills and for how many procedures.
One chiropractor sent a union a bill for 92 treatments and the patient only received two. When apprised of the indiscretion the provider wanted to "split" and was told that he would be reported and he quickly changed his tune.
I would not blame lawyers as the only cause of high settlements....most are ordered by liberal judges and juries. Lawyers don['t make the settlement...they ask but other than private settlements, judges and juries make them. Perhaps we need to regulate the size of such requests.
In my state, any private or public non-profit group, who does business with the state must file and expenditure report with the Secy. of State...but no one ever goes over there to take a look. I did and was apalled when the director said, "oh they say they file CPA reports but hardly anyone comes over here to review them."
So perhaps, another idea would be to have CPA associations volunteer to audit these contracts or give the State Auditor more money to audit every single one each and every year....not just a sample...in a sample year.
Whew I am exhausted.
Two people who disagreed with Explanation of Benefits reported those infractions to Medicare, one provider was notified of non-payment but fined for one million dollars and the other was reported to Medicare for approx. two-three million in fraudelent billing. See...the people can do the job. Medicaid in particular, the free health care for all, needs to send out Explanation of Benefits and reward those who discover adjudicated claims fraudelent or otherwise.
Eighty per cent of Americans have a plan, put the remaining on either of the two government plans, Medicare (if senior or disabled) and remaining on Medicaid. Then create a fraud squad in every state and watch the costs go down. Private insurers need to have their health care billing to the government be auditied as well.
By the way, Obama went around the world in 80 days and ruined the country in six months....faster than the speed of light....Superman! Why is he in such a hurry...to Socialism. Those Harvard liberals never change......
Last edited by Friendly blogger; 07-25-2009 at 06:41 AM..
Support Healthcare reform. Pay for it by taxing the real culprits causing the problem. There are thousands of products being sold in our grocery stores that have little to no nutritional benefit. There are thousands of fast food palaces that sell useless garbage. Make it more expensive to buy the crap and cheaper to buy nutrional products. Of course there are many companies that would hate to see that. There are Pharma companies that would also hate to see that. Taxing what is killing us would easily pay for a comprehensive Healthcare reform package.
Last edited by florida.bob; 07-25-2009 at 07:19 AM..
Reason: spelling
Hello again: My family, neighbors and friends have all joined together in sending e-mails or calling our Congress people. Our message is simple. "Put you and your family on the same health care plan you are designing for us and you got a sporting chance in gaining our support."
Moreover, if you see any of these people on their "vacation break" don't be afraid to approach them and tell them the same thing.
When is the spending going to stop?Just go to your nearest welfare office, collect all the brochures, don't forget to read the sign that says, "Point to your language, if you need an interpreter, ask for one, at no cost to you." Unsaid, there is cost... we will assess the stupid taxpayers!
I keep thinking of the President's audacity in trying to make us believe that the Massachusetts so called racist incident was exacerbated by the press, when it was the President himself who accused our Cambridge police of acting "stupidly." That is when people all over the country drew a collective shocked breath. It is the President and all of his Pirate Budgeteers who are spending money we do not have...and trying to take our attention away from what they are doing. A great saying...." I can't hear what you are saying because I am too busy watching what you are doing." What good did our free Harvard education do him? Bet you a nickel, Obama, Michele and Gately went free to college, undergrad and upwards....and we...the so called "racists" paid for their education and struggle to pay for our own children. There is nothing racist about objecting to being called names or being stuck with the bill at America's biggest buffet....welfare, free education for the "privileged" clunkers program, WIC, benefits for illegals...
The best suggestion to improve health care is to stop the free care to 30 million illegal residents. And we need a reveiw of the 14th amendment which gives the children of illegals citizenship. The amendment properly interpreted says, "all persons naturalized or born in the United States AND under the jurisdiction thereof." The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to interpret beyong the words United States...juridiction means "authority" obedience to laws et cetera....things the illegals ignore..their children are unemancipated minors and belong to the illegal mother and her country of origin...send them home...the money we save will address the country's shortfalls= and healthcare system. They pay absolutely zero at clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and at the markets, buy the best foods with our tax dollars.
sorry gotta go and heave again....
Last edited by Friendly blogger; 08-04-2009 at 11:10 AM..
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,752,651 times
Reputation: 3587
Ban or limit these stupid commercials for prescription drugs on radio and TV. These drive the cost way up (who do you think pays for all those ads?) and your doctor already knows what drugs are available for you. You don't need to tell him what he needs to prescribe.
-Tort reform
-Restructure the way insurance works in the healthcare industry
-Allow the training of staff who are specialized in several skills (sorta like nurses or paramedics) like child birth, suturing, setting bones, giving injections, etc. China has a lot of success with "barefoot doctors" and the US military has had a fair bit of success with its staff medics. You shouldn't need ten plus years of training to do stitchs and setting bones in a clinic
I agree with KevK. I pay my doctor to know what drugs are out there and what they can do. I do not need to know. The Drug companies use this advertizing to create patient demand for drugs they probably do not need. The Viagra ads are funny. They should provide illustrations of their product being used. Look up impotence in Wiki and you will wonder why it works at all.
Also eliminate the "ambulance chaser" advertizing. I am tired of hearing about Mesotheleioma (sp). If you worked with powdered asbestos with out a good face mask and smoked at the same time you should expect to get lung cancer.
The more I think about this, the more I think that we could limit our health care costs by changing aspects of our culture so we cause ourselves fewer problems, then we'd need less expensive procedures,etc.
I'd love to hear some original ideas here are some of mine:
35 hour work week. Shorter work week at a sedentary job where you stand or sit around doing nothing so you can get home with some energy and exercise. I work so many hours (like 60 or more) that I'm too tired to exercise regularly.
Major tax breaks for maintaining healthy weight and not smoking. Twice a year people can get weighed and take tests regarding smoking/ lung efficiency, if they fulfill both of these requirements then a major tax break (I'm thinking on the order of 3K-5K)
Instead of subsidizing big agriculture, and grains, lets start subsidizing vegetable growers to make veggies and fruits cheaper. As well as citrus farmers who have property getting overvalued and forcing them to sell.
Tax breaks for those who participate in local running, walking, biking or swimming events. If you complete one you get a certificate that can go with your W-2 and you get $50 dollars back.
Rent control for living close to work. Shorter commutes, less time sitting in a car, more time to do something more useful.
Please submit more ideas, especially those who think Obama's plan won't work or they don't want universal care, what do you think could be implemented in order to make us healthier and save us money?
Instead of the same old bickering between right and left that is abundant on this forum, make some original ideas.
Try out the liberal way Abort anyone whose parents make below 125000 and euthanize any elderly who can not pay for health care on a break even basis.
No heart surgery period too expensive.
Unless you are an illegal
Eliminate surgery as a method of a cure. Instead just give out morphine
Make autos illegal eleiminates alot of accidents.
Make all guns and amunition illegal
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