Thoughts on Healthcare
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very politically savvy.
I have views, to be sure, but mostly just about the “big” issues. I think most of my ideas are pragmatic and logical (but then again, who doesn’t think that about their own ideas?). My ideas tend towards the liberal (and sometimes ultra-liberal), but I’m not a party member, and I have some opinions which are patently republican.
In short, it’s kind of a jumble in my head, which is why I’m reaching out on facebook to solicit some opinions on this healthcare hullabaloo we’re in the midst of.
So, maybe it’s just my ignorance (a very real possibility), but am I missing something with this whole health care reform thing that was apparently illuminated to the masses about a week ago because of some congressional ice cream social that got a lot of press? How are the plans being discussed good ideas?
And just to be clear, I don’t mean how is promising people health care a good idea. That much is obvious. What has me confused is how essentially turning part of the government into an insurance company is a good idea. Isn’t that essentially what all the plans being bandied around are suggesting? Is the government really suited to this purpose at all? Moreover, is that purpose even the best way to address the true problem? I mean, it seems to me, even real life professional insurance companies aren’t all that great at helping people stay healthy.
If the government is really all that interested in helping people with their health, why not take an approach that distributes its efforts across a wide range of programs that directly impact health care? Why, essentially, is the “best” idea up for discussion pretty much turning the government into yet another disconnected middleman in an already complex system? I mean, just off the top of my head, I can think of a few ideas which seem more straightforward and focused than anything I’ve read about so far being discussed by the people running our country. I mean, I’m looking for some discussion on this if I’m way off, but why not…
* Establish large scholarship programs for medical students who pledge to work in government-funed free clinics for X years after graduating;
* Cover the salaries and provide tax breaks to experienced medical professionals and specialists willing to work in those free clinics;
* Increase funding to free clinics for supplies and facilities;
* Provide higher incentives for charitable donations to medical centers and organizations;
* Help establish, and reward schools and organizations that follow guidelines for rigorous health education and establish healthy-living programs;
* Increase funding of medical research programs and universities with medical-based research goals;
I mean, clearly all of these ideas involve lots of spending, but so do all the other ideas I’ve been hearing about. If the money’s going to get spent, though, it seems smarter to spend it on directly addressing the issues at hand rather than just making things even more complicated than they already are.
Am I right? Way off? Vote for me in about 12 years?
Thanks everybody!