What is the problem with healthcare?
Published 7:00 am Friday, March 31, 2017
Donald Trump ran on the promise to “repeal and replace .” And he seems to be ok with a watered down version of Ocare.
My problem is that nobody is talking about fixing the root problems.
First problem is the lawyers in the doctor’s office. The fix for that is to repeal all of those horrible product liability laws of the 1970s. Remember back when you could not win a million dollars by spilling a cup of coffee in your lap? I could give many other examples where those laws have damaged our economy. Now, those laws account for about 1/3rd of the bill at your doctor’s office to pay malpractice insurance. Repealing the Product Liability laws of the 70’s would not only greatly reduce the cost of doing business in health care, it would put U.S. manufacturers on a more even playing field with China.
The second problem is the drug companies and their Clinton like business practices. Supposedly the federal government regulates them. It seems the drug companies have a great deal of influence on health care. My fix has two parts.
1. Cap what the drug companies can profit on concerning chronic illness at 10 percent and make it so advertising is not compensable.
2. Offer a reward for the cure of major chronic illnesses. That reward could be worth a billion dollars for the cure of cancer. Then, these doctors with promising breakthroughs will stop disappearing.
Sadly, the first root problem cannot be fixed because it would require an act of Congress, which is made up of congressman and senators who are lawyers. Perhaps we need to limit the number of congressmen and senators that are lawyers as well as implement term limits.
Emil Kleinfeld
Pearl River County