POLITICAL ISSUE #303: EXCESSIVE MEDICAL COSTS

PRESENT CONDITION: Medical costs are consuming a rapidly increasing share of America's GNP and a much higher share than in other industrialized nations with equivalent medical care.

DIRECTION OF IMPROVEMENT: Medical care costs as a fraction of GNP need to be stablized and even reduced.

ISSUE JUSTIFICATION: Keeping the American people in good health is an essential ingredient to American prosperity. Good health allows people both to be productive and to enjoy the fruits of their labors. However when medical care costs (or for that matter the costs for any single social activity) get out of hand, they seriously impact American prosperity by diverting resources needed for other essential productive efforts.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Allow registered nurses to independently practice medicine and prescribe medicine as first level licensed general practitioners.

JUSTIFICATION: Allowing medical doctors to hold a monopoly on providing medical services to the public is a outrageous practice that 1) vastly overcharges the public for routine medical services that do not require a PhD in medicine 2) denys the public access to medical care either because they can not afford a $90 charge for an office visit or because the medical care is not available (e.g. home visits or medical care in small towns that can not support a "Doctor of Medicine") and 3) denys capable women and men the opportunity to have an independent career providing basic medical services to the public.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR SOLUTION # 303.1 PRIVATE PRACTICE NURSES

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SOLUTION DEFINITION STATEMENT
FOR
SOLUTION # 303.2 LIMITED INSURANCE DEDUCTIBILITY

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Basic Medical Insurance (e.g. $1000 deductible with 80% coverage with a cap at $5,000 (i.e. $1,800 maximum non-insured payment)) and only such insurance shall be tax deductible for everyone. Employees currently receiving more generous insurance shall have the right to drop the extra insurance and have the cost of the additional insurance added to their pay. If they retain the insurance, its value will be added to their W2 wages reported to the IRS. Insurance companies must accept all applicants. The rate charged may vary with age, but must otherwise be uniform to individuals and employees of large corporations. Insurance companies may require a 60 day waiting period and a five year minimum policy to discourage people from signing up just before major operations.

JUSTIFICATION: American medical costs can only be controlled when Americans have to pay a significant portion of their medical costs and thereby have an incentive to control costs. The above plan encourages Americans to be self insured for their normal medical costs while ensuring all Americans equal access to insurance for extensive medical care.

AUTHOR: UWSA SANTA CLARA CO EMAIL:humphrey@aimnet.com

OPTIONS FOR SOLUTION # 303.2 LIMITED INSURANCE DEDUCTIBILITY

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SOLUTION # 303.3 MEDICARE FRAUD CRACKDOWN

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Combat Medicare fraud with the following reforms:

1) Contract to a private sector insurance company an annual review of both a) the procedures and practices in the Medicare System as defined by congressional law and b) the performance of the regional private Medicare administators as defined below. Make a annual public report with recommendations.

2) Privatize the Administration of the Medicare system through several regional contracts to different private insurance carriers. Renegotiate contracts every five years. Empower administrators to reverse overcharges and to identify fraud. Set up a branch in the Justice Department to publically handle all appeals on overcharges and to prosecute all instances of fraud.

JUSTIFICATION: Medicare costs are out of control both because the system encourages unnecessary use of medical services and because there are widespread overcharges. We need to both revise the rules to discourage unnecessary medical treatment and vigorously prosecute overcharges and fraud.

Author: Frances DeCarlo Email: frances@aimnet.com

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