Reply #44: Cost Containment... [View All]

[KharmaTrain]

Thank you for your enlightening post. Putting more meat on the bones.

A couple of observations:

I'm fully in favor of arbitration panels, but the sticky wicket here is who is on that panel. No doubt any attempt at tort reform will meet heavy resistance from lawyers lobbies, and that will have an impact as they have a lot of sway within the party. Senators will have to face down some big money contributors. The devil in the details would be able to create a balanced system where true malpractice cases can go forward but that the legal expenses (which are higher than many settlements) are capped or minimized. Knock down the legal costs and you'll see overall costs drop measurably.

The question of "quality of life" is at the core of individual choice. While you may feel that the costs of prolonging a life a few months was maybe a big too high, for others, every moment is precious. It's choice...and a government subsidized health care system with a large pool of participants and revenue could negotiate prices downward where no such leverage exists today. Some may believe in a utopian solution where all are treated the same...they won't. The rich will always find ways to get better care. The prime motivation is to make the choice one of quality of life rather than the price tag.

Lastly, I am a strong advocate of a preventative rather than catastrophic system. As a kid, I remember my father seeing 20-30 patients a day...$5 a visit. People would come back every 3 or 6 months...get checked and not only have peace of mind in knowing they're being looked after, but keeping overall costs down by catching problems before they mount into major expenses.

Cheers...