Video: Feingold admits public plan an entree to single-payer

Give a 100% reimbursement including deductibles (not tax credit) for all medical expenses on the annual tax return. Those who choose not to purchase health insurance would do so because they have nothing to loose and more people in the private market will create better competition.

Agreed, but solely because it’s the only realistic option. A better idea would be to phase out the Medicare/Medicaid system entirely, freeing up capital and ultimately reducing prices and encouraging competition.

We are already seeing $4 generic drugs due to the competition that was created when the prescription drug plan was added to Medicare.

Just because one follows the other does not indicate a causative effect. Generics are cheaper because generic manufacturers get to bypass all that expensive research and development the original patent holders had to lay out in order to develop the drugs (as well as the ones that didn’t get past efficacy, safety, and regulatory hurdles).

If anything Medicare Part D is going to hurt the pharmaceutical industry because reduced reimbursement ends up forcing out the newer, more expensive drugs in favor of cheap generics. It may work for now but expect the flow of new drugs to slow to a trickle.

Create a tax incentive for private owned non-emergency health clinics and emergency care facilities. We are already seeing grocery store and drug store chains offering non-emergency care within their facilities. This will help alleviate the strain on hospital emergency rooms.

Agreed, but begrudgingly so because it’s the only realistic option against federal and state governments that refuse to reduce the burden on the tax base.

Create a catastrophic care insurance program and fund it as a supplement to private insurance. This will create a better price in the private market. Medicaid is used for catastrophic care for the non-insured based on standard of living.

Government does not tolerate private sector competition. It’s a slippery slope that will only result in private health insurance being forced out. Government programs will only end up forcing out private health insurance. The more public care that is offered, the more price pressure is placed on the private sector.

Change the rules concerning private nursing homes and assisted living. No one should have to surrender their private property and accumulated personal wealth in their declining years in order to live out their life with dignity.

Why not? Isn’t that one of the reasons for saving during your working years, so that you don’t become a burden on society? You want to prevent people from “surrendering” their wealth and private property in retirement? Phase out Social Security. This program has done nothing more than prevent savings in the interest of “helping” old people, when in reality it fosters the cycle of government dependence.

By the way, if I ever have to sell my house in order to go live in an assisted living community, I won’t feel like I’ve “surrendered” anything. I’ll feel like I willingly sold an asset in order to pay for my own care, instead of burdening my children or working taxpayers.

Pass TORT Reform

Amen. But good luck with that when a large segment of the judiciary comes from tort lawyer stock.

There is no need for a national health care insurance program for basic care. I do believe we need one for catastrophic care though and I’d rather see us spend the money in that area. It would help bring down the cost of private insurance for everybody.

All I have to say on that is: Social Security was never intended to be a pension program. It was intended to stave off abject poverty by supplementing those too old to work. Now look at the monster it’s become. A publicly funded catastrophic health care program will quickly expand beyond its intended function and further empower an already too-powerful federal beast.

TheMightyMonarch on June 19, 2009 at 4:35 PM