It is December. Hard to believe that we will be voting in less than a year. So here are some thoughts. I am not in favor of Medicare for All, at least not in the way several political candidates have proposed it. Medicare, as I know it, has copays, deductibles, maximums, and premiums based on income. In many cases, it also requires a Supplement to cover the deductibles, copays, and amounts above the maximums. I have it and I love it.
Medicare for All has no copays, no deductibles, no premiums, no maximums and covers medical inpatient and outpatient, drugs with no copay, dental, and vision. See the problem? Have any trouble getting in to see a doctor recently; or even getting a doctor to accept you as a patient? Imagine what it will be like when everyone knows they can go to see a physician or dentist and it won’t cost them anything. There is already a problem with people using the emergency room because it is more convenient than waiting two weeks for an appointment or going during the day when the evening is more to their liking. If the cost of such a program doesn’t scare you (and I have heard the rich will pay for it) then the lack of resources should and the millions of people involved in the health insurance industry that will be looking for jobs should.
But just knocking a problem and not offering any solutions is counterproductive. So here is what I am in favor of:
Outlawing advertising of drugs except for medical professionals. The drug companies say they spend more on R&D than advertising but it is not true. Those billions of advertising dollars could be used to look for cures. Congress outlawed alcohol advertisements they can do it with drugs.
Universal Coverage: Medicare, expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) or some other vehicle. These plans should have no annual maximums; deductibles and premiums should be based on income. Insurance companies could sell supplements to those that wanted them as they do now for Medicare.
Dental: Free cleanings and fillings done at clinics staffed by senior dental students or by your favorite dentist for a fee. We actually had this system in Hawaii for a while. If you want veneers or some of the other things that make you look beautiful, like whitening, then I’m with you. I want them too but we should pay for them from our own pocket.
Next issue: what I think of Koa furniture in the waiting room.