The American Healthcare Dilema

Just my opinion, but I dont think conservative voters are so committed to the REPEAL AND REPLACE mantra as the conservative cauccus is selling. It's a catchy phrase, but essentially, voters expect the party to create a healthcare system that works, costs less, covers the poor and doesn't create another huge entitlement tax or budget burden, whatever they call it.

I think if they saw R&R as a metaphor for a system that works, not a hardcore principle that must be obeyed, we might see something wonderful happen tomorrow.

I believe the first healthcare issue is a liability safety net that keeps the middle class from disaster should they experience a catastrophic accident or illness. A tragedy ought not consume a lifetime of savings or make someone indigent.

The next step needs to address primary care for those who can not afford the open market, while providing a competitive climate, not a closed governmental solution.

I have some ideas that must be tweaked, or combined, but also might work. (Think big picture here, not details).

1) Give hospitals grants to expand energency rooms and staff, creating healthcare networks for uninsurable and low income people.

2) Restructure the current Medicare system to allow the poor to pay into it, not like Social Security where we consume more than we contribute, but like a government insurance agency - not a single payer system, but one more option to the open market...like we have now.

3) Immediately eliminate state insurance lines, prohibit pre-existing condition bans, create truly open market  competition, expand health saving accounts for those who can afford them, enable large groups to take advantage of their numbers to have cost effective policies for members (alumni associations, unions, churches, Moose Lodges and businesses). The working poor and disabled could be paid for by their small deductables and a universal 1%-2% state healthcare tax on some consumables, a 1% universal national healthcare tax, higher end open market health care policy costs (to mollify the left who loves to stick it to the rich, their major donor base).

KEY : Enable the states with block grants to care for thier own poor, (not Uncle Sam.) use Medicaid grants in a new way to create revenue for state run systems.

4) Encourage wellness plans like Silver Sneakers to become part of every senior citizen insurance plan. Wellness could save billions of dollars. 🏃

Nothing we do will be without sacrifice. It must be reasonable, however, so my kids and thier kids are not burdened with crippling healthcare costs. We must provide care for the poor, reward the middle class with incentives and ask the wealthy to lead the way.

We are in this together and watching both parties addressing this critical issue in a partisan way is a public shame. Leave your idelogies at home and talk to each other. We the people will have our way. We can do this, but it must be together. Fat chance!?

JG