Making Healthcare Reform Affordable

One of the hottest topics for debate today is healthcare reform. Both sides of the debate, Republican and Democrat, have passed so much rhetoric that many Americans are confused and unsure what is actually being done. Some believe the healthcare system itself is in need of reform, while others feel the only reform our healthcare system needs is in making it affordable. Each side is accusing the other of being uncompassionate and ignoring the problem. The purpose of this article will be to look at some of the core problems with the healthcare system, trying to make it more affordable for all, while keeping the reforms from running the country into severe debt in the process.

First, we must acknowledge that in terms of actual care, the healthcare system in America is among the tops in the world. Studies have been done to show that more innovation and new medicines have come about as a result of the American system. The free market has led our doctors and pharmaceutical companies to research and experiment to find cures and medicines which would have never come about in any other healthcare system. Because of expected high salaries and profits, the healthcare industry has been desirable, leading to some of the best doctors in the world. These doctors also know that they are ultimately responsible to the patient, leading to a high quality of healthcare and high success rate. The healthcare system itself, then, is not broken. The only portion that needs reform is the affordability of that healthcare.

No serious discussion on healthcare reform could begin without first considering tort reform. There can be no doubt that the cost of malpractice insurance adds to the cost of healthcare in America. Without getting the cost to doctors of frivolous lawsuits under control, costs will continue to skyrocket. Even the idea of regulation of prices doctors can charge would lead to reduced care as doctors would leave the field for fear of not making enough to repay college debts. Doctors should be held accountable for malpractice, but a large portion of suits seek either excessive judgments or simply have no rational ground on which to stand. Tort reform could ultimately cut tens of thousands of dollars annually from doctor's expenses, leading to lower costs to patients and insurance companies.

This leads to another high cost of healthcare; education of doctors. Doctors must go to school for the standard four years for a bachelor's degree, then four years for medical school, then residency. A doctor can require between ten and twelve years of school before they charge their first office visit fee. Even if the cost were only $15,000 per year, it would be well over $100,000, most of which would be debt of some sort. This cost is driving potential good doctors away from the healthcare field and driving up the cost to see those doctors who see it through.

One potential method of reducing the cost of a medical degree would be to put into place a program that provides medical school funds for those who will provide medical care at a reduced rate in rural areas. This would take care of two issues at once. It would make affordable care available to areas which might otherwise be less desirable and helps reduce the upfront cost to obtain a medical degree. If these doctors were required to "repay" their education by serving in rural areas for a period of five years, at lower fees, many potential doctors may see it as a way to get their degree at lower costs and a way to help the poor. This would be a lower cost to taxpayers through lower costs to the current Medicare and Medicaid programs and the proposed government option insurance.

Another method of providing low cost healthcare for the poor would be to require all doctors to see a certain number of poor for the cost of a co-pay to retain their license. Many times, the poor will visit an emergency room for minor reasons because the emergency rooms are not allowed to turn them away because they cannot pay. This would relieve non-emergency traffic from the emergency rooms, reducing costs to hospitals and provide access to quality care for the poor. The care would not be free, therefore reducing the chance of abuse, but would be very low cost. Physician offices, specifically those with several physicians, could share the responsibility for seeing these patients. This would keep them from being inundated with low paying patients. A community could also provide space for clinics where area doctors rotate shifts. A doctor may only have to take two or three days each month.

Once cost saving procedures are put in place, the cost to insurance companies would decrease. The companies would then be expected to pass these savings on to customers by lowering premiums. If these companies knew they could avoid all out regulation by self-regulating, with oversight, they would most likely be more willing to pass the savings along. Employers would be the largest benefactor of these lower premiums and could pass along some of the savings to employees. Many companies currently spend almost an equal amount to provide good coverage to employees as they do for salary. If they are spending less on insurance premiums, they could offer either better pay or more benefits, such as retirement or long term care coverage.

The only portion of healthcare reform that would be left to tackle would be pre-existing conditions. If insurance companies and employers are saving money and doctors are charging less, the overall cost of long term and pre-existing condition care would be reduced to the point it would no longer be as great an issue. To be sure, insurance companies would still wince at covering a known problem, especially if that problem was known to be very expensive. Again, oversight could be used to ensure this sector of society was not left out in the cold.

Most of these suggestions would not increase the cost to the government, and therefore taxpayers. Most people acknowledge the need for solutions, they simply disagree on the costs and how to pay for them. These suggestions would reduce the costs of healthcare without adding to the burden of the taxpayer. Reducing the cost of healthcare is the real solution and is something everyone can get behind, no matter what their political party.