Posts Tagged ‘HR 3200’

Overwhelmingly, Americans don’t want the health care reforms coming out of Washington. During the worse economic crisis it’s going to be tough to make the American taxpayer swallow huge penalties for not carrying health insurance, taxes on health insurance plans if you have certain levels of benefits, and funding more bureaucratic mazes than you care to discuss. No one in Washington is listening to the people and the ballot box in 2010 is going to tell what the peoples frustrations really are.

There is little, if any, “bi-partisan” efforts to bring the reforms people want:

• Lower costs of health care
• Lower premium costs of coverages they desire
• Portability of coverage that is not dependent on ones job
• Tax benefits for premiums paid
• Reductions in fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid
• Non-denial of coverages due to pre-existing conditions
• Timely claims payments by health insurance companies of all claims submitted
• Better understanding of what benefits are available under health insurance plans

With those things in mind, let’s look at real and bold ideas that will work and do so without dismantling our current health care provider system;

1. Real tort reforms that cap levels of punitive damages juries can award in malpractice cases. The costs of “preventative” medicine to protect our medical personnel from lawsuits will drop dramatically. Costs of malpractice insurance will drop as well. This one initiative alone can reduce health care costs an estimated 20-30%.
2. Tort reform will lower premium costs as will allowing across state line competition of health insurance carriers. Establishing health insurance co-ops will allow people to use the purchasing power of larger groups to obtain their own coverages as their needs might be.
3. With the establishment of Health Savings Accounts NOT dependent on one’s job, you can set aside money, tax free, to purchase your own coverages. Additionally, an employer could also add to your HSA as a benefit of employment. You control the plan you desire, the premiums you pay, and the HSA could be used for any out of pocket deductibles, co-payments, drug purchases, dental care, vision care, or over the counter health treatment costs. Government could easily subsidize low income families through an HSA and allow private insurance and personal choice to be the guide for responsibility of the individuals health care needs.
4. By using the HSA’s, you are able to allow tax-free accumulations of money used to fund health care expenses. No one can tell you to purchase coverages, but better education of individuals is needed to explain that you may not need it today, but the day is certain when you will. Younger people would be encouraged to participate, even with higher deductible plans that further reduces coverage costs long term.
5. Medicare and Medicaid fraud and waste account for roughly $500 Billion in costs to the taxpayer/recipients. There is no controls set up to determine benefit payments to providers for double billing, fraudulent claims, or any other method to track payments. These areas must be addressed immediately rather than continuing to cut benefits to these programs for our Seniors and Medicaid recipients.
6. No one can expect an insurance company to insure your house as it sits in flames, burning to the ground. You simply waited too late to insure it. You may never use your homeowners policy, but the fact is, IF you do need it, you better have it in advance of a loss. Health care should be treated no differently, but there needs to be a method of insuring the uninsured through various state level pools that will accept risks not insurable through normal channels. Waiting periods for pre-existing conditions must be realistic and disclosed fully to the purchaser. There is one difference in homeowners and health insurance- you WILL use your health care benefits eventually and people must be educated that purchasing while healthy and insurable is less costly in the long term.
7. If you ask any Doctor or Hospital what is their most undesirable role is and it is filing claims. Our current system becomes clogged with claims due to the necessary coding of claims and nothing works efficiently. Claims get denied, refiled, denied again, phone calls made, and eventually either the patient is billed or the insurance company pays. Claims need to be funded directly to the patient, not the provider. You obtain two benefits in doing this. First, the HSA account is paid directly (and the patient pays the provider), within 5 days of a claim being filed (electronically), and insurance companies are “on the hook” for any claim submitted on coverages that are over 6 months old- PERIOD. Secondly, medical care providers will post fee schedules and will follow those schedules. Patients know the costs upfront and are then free to look for better value if they desire. This creates competition and drives down costs as well. Simply look at Lasik surgery, cosmetic surgery, and other non-insured medical care; competition has brought the costs down where people who desire these procedures are able to pay for them from their own source of funds.
8. Insurance policies must be written in plain, simple English where people can understand up front what is covered and what is excluded. Summaries of coverages must not be misleading and any exclusions be made upfront. Failure to write summaries properly will result in immediate claims payments by insurers.

Just to make it even more cost effective, I propose a couple of more ideas that will further bring down health care costs:

1. Establishing of Clinics locally, near Hospitals, where those with illnesses are able to use them rather than the Hospital Emergency rooms. These will be staffed by Medical staff, primarily Interns under a Physician, and Residence Physicians. When an Intern or Resident takes this route to become a Primary Care Physician, he/she would see the following benefits- First year a 20% tax credit for any medical school loans outstanding and an additional 20% tax credit for every year (up to 4) for staying in the program. Additionally, if they remain in the area to start a private practice, they are able to take patients who wish to follow them into their practices. It’s a win-win situation. First, Hospital triage could refer those needing medical treatment (non-emergency) to the clinic(s) and the costs are reduced dramatically as opposed to Emergency room care. The patient receives the medical care they need and then understand that things like colds, contining care and non-life threatening treatments are best handled at the clinics, not the emergency room. More physicians are encouraged to become Primary Care physicians and the shortages are alleviated there as well as more opportunity is available for those entering medicine.
2. Cost shifting drives up overall health care costs simply because cuts in Medicare and Medicaid payments force Physicians and Hospitals to overcharge private pay or insurance plans to cover the losses from government programs. Medicare needs to be placed on sound, actuarial rating of Part B and D plans. Currently, those plans reduction in benefits as well as cost increases are leaving many of our seniors with out of pocket expenses and Medigap coverage costs increasing annually. These reductions, by government, are creating even more cost shifting to our non-Medicare/Medicaid patients. Eliminating the $500 Billion in payments for fraud/waste will not force annual reductions in Medicare benefit payments, but could actually allow increases in those payments to providers that is more realistic to actual charges incurred. Today, in areas with a high concentration of seniors, there are more and more Physicians who are not taking any new Medicare patients and few are willing to accept Medicaid due to the reductions in benefit payout. Unless a complete overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid is done, either further benefit reductions and/or tax increases will have to occur. By 2017 Medicare is bankrupt and Medicaid is already fully funded by taxpayers and government has no other choices than above to bring these programs under control.
3. There are an estimated 3800 mandated coverages nationwide from state to state. These usually are for anything from exotic diseases to maternity benefits. It is more cost effective to have most every mandated coverage to be optional coverages the individual could add as they see fit. A single male that is no longer able to father a child has no need for any maternity benefits, breast reconstruction benefits, etc. He however, might desire other coverages to suit his particular needs and could have those as an option to add to his/her plan. Mandated coverages serve only to drive up health care premiums and seldom achieve any real benefit to the vast majority of insureds. If a woman has a family history of breast disease and desires a reconstructive surgery benefit, then that could be optional coverage rather than mandated for all policyholders. The same type of optional coverages is used in homeowners, auto, and life policies and can easily be adapted to health insurance coverages as well.

Yes, these are bold ideas and require bold leadership to bring to fruition. It takes someone who believes enough in doing what is right for the people, not for political gain, to bring these ideas forward and for all to examine and debate. To some, these may seem controversial and to others, make common sense in their application and implementation.

Without those willing to advance these objectives forward, little will be done and the lack of leadership in Washington today will assure their demise. Help elect Mike Yost to Congress and have someone who will stand up for real, genuine and honest health care reforms that will work, will not force a loss of existing coverages or destroy our health care delivery system, and will bring leadership to Washington with common sense solutions to our nations greatest concerns.

With the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy, there is little doubt that Democrats will proceed forward with an even greater desire to pass Healthcare Legislation immediately. As a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd District of Florida, I am concerned that there is now a new reason to press forward with H.R. 3200 or any of the proposals from the Senate. Sen. Kennedy’s death will be nothing but a mere distraction from the real, honest debate; reform that works for all American’s. There is little doubt that House and Senate Democrats will attempt to use his death as a means to use healthcare reform, with a public “option” as an honorarium to his legacy.

Republicans need to resolve to not be left out of this debate and return to their roots of Conservative principles-smaller government, less spending, and lower taxes. Otherwise, the people of our country will see a Government option that will cost countless millions of Americans loss of their present coverage, potentially loss of their jobs, and have nothing left as a choice but the government program- and most likely at taxpayer’s expense for their coverage. Our seniors will find that their Medicare will be cut even further and the real prospect of rationing is likely.

Cost estimates for this legislation by the OBM has been anywhere from $1 trillion upwards of $1.6 trillion over a 10 year period. Currently we are experiencing a $1.9 trillion annual deficit and the national debt at nearly $12 trillion and rising. Adding this additional expenditure to our budget will further drive the debt upward and leave the “government option” with no choice but to cut benefits and raise taxes to pay for this plan. Neither is acceptable to most of the American people and fails to meet the President’s goal of “reducing costs”.

There is no question that the average American agrees there needs to be some “health care reform” in order to make the costs of our system more affordable. These need to focus on 3 basic areas to accomplish that goal:

1. Tort Reform. This one aspect alone has the potential to reduce costs by 20%.
2. Health Savings Accounts- available to all and not dependent on an Employer sponsored program to participate along with the tax savings benefits.
3. Eliminate the “state line” aspect of Health Insurance purchases. Anyone can shop in any state for the best plan that is affordable. This brings competition into play much better.

There are other areas of real reform as well, but these 3 aspects alone will reduce healthcare costs by no less than 25-30%. I can totally agree with the President that we must determine to reduce the costs or the system becomes unsustainable. However, as a Conservative, expansion of more government into our lives and our pocketbooks is not the answer when the alternatives above will accomplish the same goal without another $1 trillion dollars of spending. Republicans need to press forward with these 3 objectives and use every legislative means necessary to frame the debate away from a public option that will fail to meet the Presidents goals. To allow Democrats to “leave a legacy” to Sen. Kennedy with a very bad bill is not going to resolve the healthcare costs, but only be self-serving in avoiding real debate.

I believe most Americans are scared- of the massive debt being piled on our children, the policies of Washington that will further make even more people dependent on government, and a tax structure that punishes our wallets and our business and industry. Unless “WE THE PEOPLE” stand for making government work for ALL people and return to our Constitutional Foundation, we may wake up in a couple of years to no country at all. I asked myself “who will stand up for US?”, and I didn’t see any prospects who understood what it was like to live, work, and survive in this economic situation.

I am running for Congress to bring Common Sense and real solutions that will work as they do in our everyday lives. We MUST bring government spending under control and not continue to expand the role of government, much less take on another $1- 1.6 TRILLION of new spending for healthcare “reform” that is not reform, but another government program on the backs of working people.

The strength of our nation lies NOT in our government, but in the resourcefulness of its people. Americans are just that- the most resourceful on earth. Let’s get government out of our way and WE THE PEOPLE can solve our own problems. It is time for us to take a stand and “Let’s Take it Back…” in 2010. Let’s bring Conservative principles BACK to the Republican Party and with a new leadership that will work for ALL Americans.