3. Abolish Medicare, and Medicaid.
Not only it'll cut about 20% of federal spending, it'll stop the inflow of extra money and that will cut the cost of the healthcare dramatically. Seniors will get their insurance the same way as everybody else, through private contracts or charity.
4. Remove the doctors/government monopoly on medical services and medical education.
There's a myth deeply penetrated into the American psyche that doctors and the government should be responsible for the healthcare design of the nation. We all know that most politicians are corrupt and they look for their own interest not for the interest of the people. Yet, the doctor's profession is so respectful, that it's not widely understood that they also look for their interest first.
By the way, as opposed to the politicians, I think that's the way it should be - the doctors should look for their interest first. I want my doctor to be motivated by a good outcome when he is treating me. I want him to know that he might lose his practice if his patients are not happy with his treatments. I would try to avoid a doctor who does not really care about his interest and therefore doesn't care about success of his practice, which is the case of all government-run and many of not-for-profit companies.
I am also not afraid of a doctor who prescribes me a treatment or surgery that I don't feel I should have. I can deal with that. People deal with pushy marketers all the time in all other spheres of life. We can consult with others, but it's up to us to decide what product or service to buy. I'd rather have this problem of making a choice than a system when I am not offered a certain treatment because somebody else made a decision that people of my age or my condition don't need it. Just tell me all the options that are out there, make the recommendation and let me make the decision.
What I am against is the notion that the doctors should be in charge of our healthcare - we should be in charge.
The American Medical Association was established in 1847. Almost immediately it merged with the government through establishing medical boards at each state. And then the doctors use the government force to fight the market forces: to make sure to kill all the competition and to keep their salaries high. It was done by achieving two goals.
One, through these boards, doctors made sure that only individual licensed by these boards could deliver medical care. If Jesus shows up now and starts curing people, he would be taken to jail because he doesn't have the license.
Two, American Medical Association has been able to restrict the number of medical schools. Did you know that because of the AMA we have fewer medical schools in the U.S. now than 100 years ago even though the U.S. population tripled in size?
Anybody should be able to give medical advice. If I want you to pay you for your medical advice, why should anybody prevent you from giving me the advice? And any university should be able to hire experts and offer medical degrees. If there's enough demand for qualified students who want to became doctors, why anybody on Earth should prevent a university to help them achieve their dream?
5. Stop government regulation of health insurance industry.
Some modest proposals of restraining certain aspects of government regulations are discussed in Congress once in a while. For example, letting people ability to buy out-of-state insurance, or offering multiple year insurances, and so on. Why don't we let the market come up with whatever product people want? Why do we want to create artificial barriers and then have lengthy discussion which of the thousands of constrains may be released?
And there should be many different options, for a different price of course, from accidental and basic insurances to the most advanced covering everything plans. It's absurd to think that a single plan should cover everybody. What about organ transplants? What about treatments that cost millions?
Also, a single, universal health insurance plan will stiffen medical advance. Who will be interested in developing new and expensive treatments if there's no chance for them to become a part of the universal plan?
And any new treatment is expensive at the beginning.
Uh, but what about preexisting conditions and uninsured" That brings us to the last step of this program.
Not only it'll cut about 20% of federal spending, it'll stop the inflow of extra money and that will cut the cost of the healthcare dramatically. Seniors will get their insurance the same way as everybody else, through private contracts or charity.
4. Remove the doctors/government monopoly on medical services and medical education.
There's a myth deeply penetrated into the American psyche that doctors and the government should be responsible for the healthcare design of the nation. We all know that most politicians are corrupt and they look for their own interest not for the interest of the people. Yet, the doctor's profession is so respectful, that it's not widely understood that they also look for their interest first.
I am also not afraid of a doctor who prescribes me a treatment or surgery that I don't feel I should have. I can deal with that. People deal with pushy marketers all the time in all other spheres of life. We can consult with others, but it's up to us to decide what product or service to buy. I'd rather have this problem of making a choice than a system when I am not offered a certain treatment because somebody else made a decision that people of my age or my condition don't need it. Just tell me all the options that are out there, make the recommendation and let me make the decision.
What I am against is the notion that the doctors should be in charge of our healthcare - we should be in charge.
The American Medical Association was established in 1847. Almost immediately it merged with the government through establishing medical boards at each state. And then the doctors use the government force to fight the market forces: to make sure to kill all the competition and to keep their salaries high. It was done by achieving two goals.
One, through these boards, doctors made sure that only individual licensed by these boards could deliver medical care. If Jesus shows up now and starts curing people, he would be taken to jail because he doesn't have the license.
Two, American Medical Association has been able to restrict the number of medical schools. Did you know that because of the AMA we have fewer medical schools in the U.S. now than 100 years ago even though the U.S. population tripled in size?
Anybody should be able to give medical advice. If I want you to pay you for your medical advice, why should anybody prevent you from giving me the advice? And any university should be able to hire experts and offer medical degrees. If there's enough demand for qualified students who want to became doctors, why anybody on Earth should prevent a university to help them achieve their dream?
5. Stop government regulation of health insurance industry.
Some modest proposals of restraining certain aspects of government regulations are discussed in Congress once in a while. For example, letting people ability to buy out-of-state insurance, or offering multiple year insurances, and so on. Why don't we let the market come up with whatever product people want? Why do we want to create artificial barriers and then have lengthy discussion which of the thousands of constrains may be released?
And there should be many different options, for a different price of course, from accidental and basic insurances to the most advanced covering everything plans. It's absurd to think that a single plan should cover everybody. What about organ transplants? What about treatments that cost millions?
Also, a single, universal health insurance plan will stiffen medical advance. Who will be interested in developing new and expensive treatments if there's no chance for them to become a part of the universal plan?
And any new treatment is expensive at the beginning.
Uh, but what about preexisting conditions and uninsured" That brings us to the last step of this program.
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