Simple Way to Fix Healthcare: Mr. Obama Please Listen
Let’s assume that the “problem” with healthcare is that 15% of the population is not covered. To solve this problem, we don’t have to compromise the highest quality healthcare system in the world. We can apply the forces of capitalism, free trade, and competition.
Specifically, we need to set up incentives for healthcare providers to compete to provide services to those who are not otherwise covered by private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. How do we do that? Simple math. Require providers who want to be eligible for higher Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement to demonstrate that 15% of their services are provided for those without coverage of any type.
Make the effective increase in reimbursement enough incentive for providers to not want to opt out of Medicare/Medicaid all together. Yes, we need rules to define how those percentages are calculated and rules to discourage “cherry picking” of particular types of indigent patients.
And, we need to allow time for practices to ramp up. But those are frankly easy details. The point is we can leverage the best parts of our existing healthcare system and economy without creating more inefficient government bureaucracy that will certainly reduce the quality of care.
Those who refuse to look at such an approach have suspect agendas, like increasing the size of government for the sake of increasing the size of government.
