Change we can believe in?

[WelshMedic]

Is this an option:

Set a baseline of care at federal level that everyone is entitled to. Authorize a (limited) number of insurance companies to cover this baseline level of care through premiums. Then make health insurance mandatory for everyone. But make it income -indexed. Those who can pay, do pay. Those who can't get helped out in the form of premium subsidies or tax rebates.

Simple really, isn't it!

WM

(well, it works here anyway)

[itku2er]

I know that there is already a bill in VA to cut medicaide funding for Nursing Homes and what care will be paid for. So I am sure it wont be long till it hits EMS.

[FL_Medic]

The private I used to work for regularly transported a family member of an employee. Regularly as in, to life-sustaining treatment (you figure it out).

Medicare paid every other trip. Same mode of transport, same absolute medical necessity, and basically the same documentation every time (you could almost photocopy the transport in and transport out reports and just leave the dates and times blank).

Yet they saw fit to only pay 50%.

Yeah. I want THEM running my healthcare.

chemo or dialysis?

[CBEMT]

Those who can pay, do pay. Those who can't get helped out in the form of premium subsidies or tax rebates.

We already have this. Those with insurance pay. Those without get the same level of care and the hospital is lucky to ever see a dime.

chemo or dialysis?

Doesn't really matter. I'm trying reasonably hard to tell the story and maintain anonymity.

[FL_Medic]

And who pays for those who can't pay? It's not that they "can't" either. This is the land of opportunity and up until quite recently it wasn't that hard to get a job. I think we should have personal financial accountability/responsibility. It's not fair that, just because someone makes a decent living, they have to provide for others that can't. These socialistic ideas always fail.

I think that we are going to get busier with a universal-like healthcare plan in place. Everyone says that people will stop using the ERs as their primary healthcare. Not true, if they(not everyone) weren't apt enough to get a job and healthcare before, they aren't going to now. People don't appreciate what is just given to them. You have to earn something to truly appreciate it.

I find it interesting that, according to the poll, most think we will be busier, and have decreased budgets. Yet we will be providing the same level of care....

[CBEMT]

And who pays for those who can't pay?

Congratulations. You've solved the mystery of why health insurance costs so much.