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Reforming healthcare with less government, not more |
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Written by Brian Houser
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Sunday, 08 November 2009 00:00 |
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Most of the people involved in the debate to reform our healthcare system need to go back to history class. They push us to repeat the same mistakes again and again, never learning. How can they rationally expect to solve our healthcare crisis by using more government programs and controls when those are the very things that got us to where we are today? The majority of the problems with our current healthcare system in the U.S. are because of government involvement and more government will make it even more expensive and less effective. Of course the vast majority of politicians propose only government-based solutions because of their self-interest in growing government power and because they think the short-term benefits to their constituents will keep them in power and the downsides won't surface until after they've left office. But the current proposals will not only completely bankrupt the country, the result is highly likely to be even less effective than the current system.
There is no doubt we need to make some changes to the healthcare system in the U.S. Costs are spiraling out of control with no reversal of that trend in sight. But the reform proposals should focus on reducing government involvement instead of increasing it. Specifically: - Reduce or eliminate licensing requirements. Trust the free market to determine whether healthcare professionals are qualified. Allow nurses and physician assistants to perform tasks they are often qualified to do but that are currently relegated only to doctors.
- Reduce or eliminate medical school entrance limits. The American Medical Association, one of the most powerful lobbying groups has effectively forced medical schools to limit the number of entrants each year. Allow more students to become doctors and the added supply will reduce prices.
- Abolish the FDA. Again, trust the free market to regulate itself. Pharmaceutical companies already have a huge incentive to do thorough testing and only release safe drugs; why not eliminate the massive red tape and necessary delays caused by over-regulation by the government?
- Eliminate income taxes on all personal healthcare expenses including insurance premiums. This helps level the playing field between private and employer-sponsored health insurance and would help encourage people to acquire insurance not linked to their employer. This will increase competition (and lower prices) between private insurance providers.
- Provide a tax credit for premiums on "negative outcome" insurance that would allow patients to receive compensation for failed procedures and malpractice according to a pre-arranged agreement rather than needing to rely on litigation. This will reduce the out-of-control malpractice claims that drive up costs and force many doctors out of business.
- Change Medicare to a high-deductible/HSA program. Insurance should be used only for catastrophic illnesses, not for routine procedures. Encouraging a fee-for-service system for all but the most expensive operations encourages patients and physicians to make more responsible healthcare choices.
Implementing these ideas would greatly increase the supply of medical professionals while also reducing costs for hospitals and drug companies. Patients would remain responsible for their own healthcare decisions while enjoying much lower costs.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 08 November 2009 13:17 |
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