We need to change how we look at health care in this nation. Health care is way too expensive and lower income people do not have good access to health care.
The most logical solution would be to lower the cost of health care. If we could do that, then lower income people would have more access. An easy fix would be allowing neighborhood clinics to be established that can treat common ailments. Personnel at these clinics should be able to identify basic illnesses and treat injuries such as broken bones and lacerations. Your average emergency room visits are for chest pain, fevers and coughs. All of which are symptoms of typically minor problems. If neighborhood clinics could be established with personnel who can diagnose and prescribe treatment for these basic issues you could take a lot of pressure off of the hospitals.
So why don’t many of these places exist? Most people don’t want to spend the massive amount of money and time it takes to become a certified doctor only to work at a small clinic and not make much money. The solution is to allow people to practice medicine without government intervention. A person’s diplomas and their patient testimonies should be all consumers need to judge them. If I have a minor cut that needs a few stitches, someone who has taken a one semester course in emergency medicine should be able to help me just fine. It saves me money and it gives someone a job. Bingo, the cost of health care just went down.
I’m not ignorant of the fact that 80% of current health care expenses are for major treatments. Treating cancer, cardiovascular disease and severe injuries make up this category. By moving the minor stuff out of the hospitals we free up people who have the skills necessary to treat these problems. We can also move continuing and preventative care out of the hospital and into the clinic, freeing up even more doctors. Also with these clinics in the neighborhoods preventative care becomes cheaper and more accessible therefore lowing the chance that someone will need major treatments later on.
So how do we implement this? The government could print up a bunch of money and dump it into building, staffing and regulating these clinics. The problem with that is there a certain people who have a vested interest in keeping heath care expensive. These people will either strive to keep health care the way it is, or inject themselves into the money stream going to the clinics. Either way it doesn’t work. The solution is to compete with the current established institutions to force them to change. All you need to do to cause this competition is remove the regulations currently preventing entrepreneurs from building community clinics. The solution would actually save the government money since they won’t need as many regulators.
But won’t people get hurt or receive shoddy treatment? Not if the clinic wants to stay in business. If they do a poor job, people will stop going and another clinic will open up. I trust my life to the mechanic who works on the brakes on my car. I do this because I go to a reputable shop and use mechanics who are ASE certified. Likewise I would trust my life to a Doctor who has a good reputation and credentials that I find acceptable.
So, less government interference yields more market choice which causes cheaper health care and a higher standard of living for all. Sounds good to me.
We need to change how we look at health care in this nation. Health care is way too expensive and lower income people do not have good access to health care.
The most logical solution would be to lower the cost of health care. If we could do that, then lower income people would have more access. An easy fix would be allowing neighborhood clinics to be established that can treat common ailments. Personnel at these clinics should be able to identify basic illnesses and treat injuries such as broken bones and lacerations. Your average emergency room visits are for chest pain, fevers and coughs. All of which are symptoms of typically minor problems. If neighborhood clinics could be established with personnel who can diagnose and prescribe treatment for these basic issues you could take a lot of pressure off of the hospitals.
So why don’t many of these places exist? Most people don’t want to spend the massive amount of money and time it takes to become a certified doctor only to work at a small clinic and not make much money. The solution is to allow people to practice medicine without government intervention. A person’s diplomas and their patient testimonies should be all consumers need to judge them. If I have a minor cut that needs a few stitches, someone who has taken a one semester course in emergency medicine should be able to help me just fine. It saves me money and it gives someone a job. Bingo, the cost of health care just went down.
I’m not ignorant of the fact that 80% of current health care expenses are for major treatments. Treating cancer, cardiovascular disease and severe injuries make up this category. By moving the minor stuff out of the hospitals we free up people who have the skills necessary to treat these problems. We can also move continuing and preventative care out of the hospital and into the clinic, freeing up even more doctors. Also with these clinics in the neighborhoods preventative care becomes cheaper and more accessible therefore lowing the chance that someone will need major treatments later on.
So how do we implement this? The government could print up a bunch of money and dump it into building, staffing and regulating these clinics. The problem with that is there a certain people who have a vested interest in keeping heath care expensive. These people will either strive to keep health care the way it is, or inject themselves into the money stream going to the clinics. Either way it doesn’t work. The solution is to compete with the current established institutions to force them to change. All you need to do to cause this competition is remove the regulations currently preventing entrepreneurs from building community clinics. The solution would actually save the government money since they won’t need as many regulators.
But won’t people get hurt or receive shoddy treatment? Not if the clinic wants to stay in business. If they do a poor job, people will stop going and another clinic will open up. I trust my life to the mechanic who works on the brakes on my car. I do this because I go to a reputable shop and use mechanics who are ASE certified. Likewise I would trust my life to a Doctor who has a good reputation and credentials that I find acceptable.
So, less government interference yields more market choice which causes cheaper health care and a higher standard of living for all. Sounds good to me.
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posted originally at Fr33Agents.net
