Jeff tort reform is really a huge issue. The fly in the ointment is that it takes legislative action to reduce the malpractice costs and the people that have to pass the revised legislation are...duh...lawyers...probably not a solution there in the short term.
Along with malpractice are a host of other issues that cripple our health delivery system. Just a short list:
Greedy players: Everyone whats to make big dollars.
Indigent Care: Laws require treatment, so providers have to charge payers more to cover non-paid costs.
Rapidly advancing technology: Every hospital needs to have the latest technology to be competitive...too much redundancy.
Competitive pressures: Payers are picking the low bidders...
Quality issues: Quality is expensive in the short term.
Bias: Patients with good coverage get better care. Minorities frequently suffer with a lower level of care, sometimes due to economics sometimes due to discrimination.
Late diagnosis and treatment: Most all illnesses are most efficiently treated after early diagnosis and treatment, we as a society tend to wait until symptoms are sever and that ends up costing more.
Terrible laws: Mostly related to Medicare and Medicaid, that perpetuate ineffiency.
Those are just a few...this will be a huge issue in the near future...
We really need a new approach to health care...I as opposed to many, believe that health care is a human right not a privilege that should only be available to the wealthy...and we are well down that road. Those with coverage want to preserve the current system, those without coverage want to change the system. We will soon reach the tipping point...when a majority of people will be without health care and then the system will have to change. We are the only tier one country in the western world that does not provide routine and diagnostic services to all of its citizens, that in itself will greatly reduce the cost of health care...early diagnosis, treatment life-style changes can cut our national health care expense by 30% or more.
Along with malpractice are a host of other issues that cripple our health delivery system. Just a short list:
Greedy players: Everyone whats to make big dollars.
Indigent Care: Laws require treatment, so providers have to charge payers more to cover non-paid costs.
Rapidly advancing technology: Every hospital needs to have the latest technology to be competitive...too much redundancy.
Competitive pressures: Payers are picking the low bidders...
Quality issues: Quality is expensive in the short term.
Bias: Patients with good coverage get better care. Minorities frequently suffer with a lower level of care, sometimes due to economics sometimes due to discrimination.
Late diagnosis and treatment: Most all illnesses are most efficiently treated after early diagnosis and treatment, we as a society tend to wait until symptoms are sever and that ends up costing more.
Terrible laws: Mostly related to Medicare and Medicaid, that perpetuate ineffiency.
Those are just a few...this will be a huge issue in the near future...
We really need a new approach to health care...I as opposed to many, believe that health care is a human right not a privilege that should only be available to the wealthy...and we are well down that road. Those with coverage want to preserve the current system, those without coverage want to change the system. We will soon reach the tipping point...when a majority of people will be without health care and then the system will have to change. We are the only tier one country in the western world that does not provide routine and diagnostic services to all of its citizens, that in itself will greatly reduce the cost of health care...early diagnosis, treatment life-style changes can cut our national health care expense by 30% or more.
