Before I spell out this idea, I want President Obama to know, “I want full credit for this idea and my Nobel Prize.” With that said, I think “Rebates” are the answer. To guarantee access to care, we all could pay $1,000 per year for insurance. This access would grant us one free physical and the opportunity to join a collective network. If after a year, we don’t use the system we would get a rebate of 90%. That’s our reward for being healthy and limiting healthcare costs.
Rewarding health must be the goal of any cost reduction program. Access to care would be granted with an incentive of a 90% rebate on the table to motivate healthy lifestyles. This is the first phase of this system. If healthcare access is required, the full cost for access would be lost. The $1,000 would be paid and for each visit a reasonable co-pay ($50) is charged. Drug costs would also be controlled by charging the issuing Physician. This proceedure could promote more accountability and reduce over perscription. Operations and chronic care could be addressed by simply doubling the access fee.
In short, Healthcare Rebates would address the issue of “Paying Something for Nothing.” Patients would be in charge of their care and treatment. Patients would be rewarded for healthy lifestyles and or self-treatment. Costs could be limited to $2,000 per year plus reasonable co-pays for each use. Doctors would be responsible for lowering perscription costs and overuse by charging the Physician. That cost could be monitored and passed on to the patient pool. Healthy lifestyles would be rewarded with 90% of their access fee returned and used the next year. Every healthy American would have guaranteed access to care for 10 years for only $1,000. The Rebate would force the system to cut costs in responsible ways. Patients would be in charge and Congress could move on to other issues like jobs. Yes, We Can work together and a healthcare rebate is my answer.
March 8th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
The President has started another campaign tour pushing a form of Insurance Reform that won’t work because “It demands healthy people pay something for nothing.” Obama is asking “Healthy” individuals to reach deep into their pockets and pay for the sick. Are you kidding me? Why doesn’t Obama “Get It?” Healthy people are healthy because they are making the right choices in life. They must be granted access to care if needed and rewarded for making the right choices. It’s a matter of being responsible and promoting an agenda of responsibility instead of dependency. No exercise is a choice. Eating fatty foods is a bad choice. Smoking and eating tons of sugar is a choice. We must promote healthy choices by empowering people to save money if they don’t need access. We must offer rebates to the healty and lower costs. If President Obama wants to win, he must listen to the “Little People.” Who do you think got him elected?
March 9th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Excellent article and I quite agree with most of it. I do foresee some difficulties, of which, the main one is this, responsibility. America must learn to embrace this word again before any of our hills can be taken. Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything. Baco your plan could work if human nature were not in the way.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Human nature is always in play, without “Choice” there would be no “Freedom.” President Obama has forgotten that without choice there can be no Democracy. Giving the people everything without choice is what it is. The Teabaggers are not all racist, birthers, thumping Bibles and beating war drums. Some are good ole, red-blooded, American veterans like you and me. Rebates provide a public option, with the consumer in control, rewarded for not using the system, and reduced costs built in. Military care is better than no care at all. If it’s good enough for Congress why can’t we all have access and then pay a co-pay if we need to or want to use it? Yes, we can if the Democrats really want to win. I think he doth protest too much?
March 11th, 2010 at 4:15 am
Aren’t we all getting a bit fatigued when it comes to discussing healthcare reform. The new has given it an abbreviation (HCR) but that’s way too close to Hillary Rodham Clinton for my taste. It reminds us of a forced failure that nobody wants to repeat. I’m not certain that an “R” word “Reconciliation” is dead yet, but I hope that the “Rebate” has altered the conversation? Washington DC is like the Borg and all you need is “Hugh” to bring it to their knees. Naked showers in Congress? They can’t concentrate on what’s best for America because they are too busy pointing stuff and sword fighting. Massa was a mess. Standing in opposition has new meaning now doesn’t it? I did not have sex with that ticklish politician. Give me a rebate on some of their salaries and let’s find the Borg Queen?
March 14th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Love me or hate me, President Obama donated 1.4 million dollars to charity from the Nobel Prize. Oh well, that’s a victory; but how do we win on healthcare reform? A public option with rebates for healthy lifesyles grants 100% access to the public as it rewards and empowers the public for lowering costs. All that would be left is to filter through the “Fine Print” to avoid the nasty “Unintended Consequences.” For example, the electronic sharing of confidential records could prevent anyone from ever working again. Without a job, you can’t get healthcare. If the wrong information is shared your only hope for healthcare could be in Cuba or Gitmo? Imagine calling in sick if you boss has the doctor on speed dial? What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas any more. Don’t ask, don’t tell? They know what you have before you do. Talk about “Hollier than Thou?” The boss knows everything about you and can hold you to a higher standard as they live secretly in sin. I thought Obama wasn’t trying to create “Two Americas.” Beware the unintended consequences of a double standard.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Healthcare has now been packaged as “Winning or Losing” and that’s wrong. It’s about finding the courage and doing the right thing for America. What is the “Cost of Inaction?” President Obama eats “Crow” and is forced to seriously listen to the arguments and find ways to move forward where we agree. What’s the “Cost of Wrong Action?” The Democratic Party’s role in determining America’s future. Let Obama eat some “Crow.” Do the right thing for America.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
I got an e-mail from someone who could have been in the WH and I explained my opposition to the process. I was always in agreement with the policy, but Insurance and Healthcare are two different things. The man in charge always has the last word so that’s why it’s vital for him to listen. The position demands our respect, but it can be lost in the process.