jay brebner

Healthcare 'Debate' Dominated by Shouting and Lobbies

Well said Crocodilian.

John - here is a blog post at HealthAffairs.org by Mark McClellan regarding incentives for cost reduction and quality improvement. Health Affairs is a great site to read up on all the top HC economists' views on reform. It may be a good forum to post your article.

healthaffairs.org/blog...

Healthcare 'Debate' Dominated by Shouting and Lobbies

John - excellent editorial in the WaPo today by Steven Pearlstein. he mentions coops as being a cost saving option based on fixed yearly premiums per enrollee.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Healthcare 'Debate' Dominated by Shouting and Lobbies

The one thing that congress could do to greatly reduce HC costs is to end the subsidies for corn production in this country. It is really absurd that Sen Grassely can talk about "death panels" when the biggest killer is in his own back yard.

Healthcare 'Debate' Dominated by Shouting and Lobbies

I agree with others here regarding the mindset of most Americans when it comes to their health - denial. If I know I will have to pay out of pocket for staying healthy but my insurance will kick in when I get really sick then I'll just take my chances. Not sure how many people really know how much being sick sucks. Case in point: right now I have the beginnings of a toothache that will eventually need work done. But I hate dentists and can rationalize the marginal daily increase in pain for quite some time. I know this because I have a historical perspective.

Your plan makes absolute economic sense. But health care reform will require behavioral sense as well. I think that is part of the backlash that is out there - nobody wants to be told what to do - we want to be free to kill ourselves as we see fit.

Healthcare 'Debate' Dominated by Shouting and Lobbies

john -

How does catastrophic care address the need for prevention?

I am assuming that you see individuals taking care of themselves because they will be disciplined by out of pocket expenses. I'm not sure that would be the case and that it might actually become a barrier to good care.

While the debate going on now is centered on the economics of HC, it should not be forgotten that HC reform is also a public health issue. Getting people into and keeping them in contact with a system of care is the best way to do prevention, from flu shots to cancer screenings, etc.

I have not been swayed from my single-payer/HMO plan, as I see it as the best way to align interests, but the meaningful dialogue is again appreciated.