All Signs Lead to the Destruction of ObamaCare
Vital Signs Diminishing for Obamacare Is Life Support Imminent?
The Fears About IPABs in the Affordable Care Act
Death Spiral ? Is this the Black Hole for the Affordable Care Act?
Will the Affordable Care Act Overwhelm the Health System?
ACO Expectations May be Unrealistic
Senator Orin Hatch has initiated a Legislative proposal has connected changes leading to a uniform health insurance system:
Title 1: Repeal the President’s Health Care Law
Section 101: Repeal Obamacare
Title 2: Replace Obamacare With Sustainable, Patient-Centered Reforms
Section 202: Create a New Protection To Help Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions
Section 203: Empowering Small Business and Individuals with Purchasing Power
Section 204: Empowering States With More Tools to Help Provide Coverage While Reducing Costs
Section 204: Expand and Strengthen Consumer Directed Health Care
Title 3: Modernize Medicaid to Provide Better Coverage and Care to Patients
Section 301: Transition to Capped Allotment to Provide States with Predictable Funding and Flexibility
Section 302: Reauthorize Health Opportunity Accounts To Empower Medicaid Patients
Title 4: Reducing Defensive Medicine Practices And Getting Rid of Junk Lawsuits
Section 401: Medical Malpractice
Title 5: Increasing Price Transparency to Empower Consumers and Patients
Section 501: Requiring Basic Health Care Transparency to Inform And Empower Patients
Title 6: Reducing A Distortion in the Tax Code That Increases Health Costs
Section 601: Capping the Exclusion of An Employee’s Employer-Provided Health Coverage
There is no reason why employer group coverage cannot be continued with the caveat that it must conform to not banning pre-existing issues, and eliminating any cap on benefits.
Tax code issues regarding health benefits should not have a limit, nor require a threshold of income under which deductions can be claimed.
The IRS should be prevented from administering penalties, nor punish using a penalty and/or fine mechanism.
Taken together the aforementioned ideas will lead to an end result. Each section must be evaluated against a background of common sense without regard to self-interest in any part of the health system.
If we want a re-birth of our system we cannot drag along the dysfunctions present in our present system.
I would add the aspect of improving the health of our citizens. This may not be properly measured by outcome studies based on reducing costs. The metrics need to be re-evaluated for that component of reform.
The underlying and most important goal is to improve access and quality of care. While Obamacare addresses costs, it does little if nothing to improve access. This challenge requires more funding for primary care physicians education and reassess certain specialties now included in primary care listings. Many internist are not primary care oriented, although considered PCP, nor are obstetricians/gynecologists.
