A health care plan I can get behind
From
The Angry Pharmacist:
The Angry Pharmacist Socalized Health Plan Solution
Here is my outline as to what could be the perfect socalized will-fail-less government subsidized medicine plan. Since obviously this is going to be passed riding on the coattails of the H1N1 fear and panic machine, I could at least throw in my $0.02 as to how this is to be laid out.
Now before you read this, remember years past when WalMart came into town? How they used their huge might to pretty much crush any competition in the area with �low low prices� all while shitting on their employees and being an all-around shitty store with poor service. Now considering this government plan has the financial backing of every taxpaying man and woman in the nation (regardless if they want to or not); think of Walmart as your cushy retirement insurance plan goes bankrupt and you�re forced to enroll into a government ran plan.
The Angry Pharmacist Socialized Health Plan Solution
By: The Angry Pharmacist
Here are some nice and easy (and unrealistic) points that this new government funded (with freshly printed money/stolen from the working class) health plan should have:- No trade name drugs are covered. No exceptions. Prilosec/Protonix doesn�t work for you? Tough shit. Cough with ARB? Too bad. None of the trade name medications would be covered. The government needs to eat its own dogfood (or practice what it preaches) and only does business with companies that drive down the cost of medication (ie: generic companies). That expensive chemo drug not covered? Then let the government use taxpayer dollars to buy out Amgen so they can give it out for free (why not, everyone else got bailed out).
- The plan is voluntary. If you wish to be a part of Obamacare, then you get the premiums deducted out of your gross-pay. If you wish to have private health care, then you won�t be dinged a dime for Obamacare. I�m not paying for all of your PacifiCare and Blue Cross plans (and your insurance premium dollars dont pay for my private insurance) so why should I have to pay for someones Obamacare? The chances of this happening are as likely as you buying the nice bridge I have for sale.
- You get 4 doctors visits a year with no/low copay (say, $10). Every doctors visit after that has a $25-50 copay. Yeah, it sucks for the people with chronic conditions like diabetes and stuff, but its better than nothing. Don�t get the unlimited text messaging plan and you can afford your doctors visits. Don�t order a large pizza and you can afford another doctors visit. Wait, actually becoming an active part in my health? What is this witchcraft you speak of!
- You get 1 $0 copay ER room a year. Every ER visit after that is $100 minimum. I�d like to see this figure raised to $250 or higher since ER is for��. EMERGENCIES! You know why the ER rooms are so packed? People view them as �Free�.
- Since all Rx�s will be billed to the government, if you are on a maintenance medication and you are non-compliant, guess what, your premiums just went up unless YOU (not your doctor, not your pharmacy) can submit documentation showing that you were taken off of that drug, or switched to another one due to intolerance. Whats the point of the government dumping all this cash into your doctors visits and medications if YOU are TOO LAZY to do anything about YOUR CONDITION. Not taking your medication is just pissing away money. No matter how many times I bitch, your doctor bitches if you don�t want to take your medicine then you can get dinged in the pocketbook. True this can be thwarted by people just picking up their regular drugs and not taking them, but it might make a few people think twice before asking for medication they have no intention of taking. Cue the �Waah, we don�t want the government poking its nose into our lives� as they happily promote Obamacare. Wait, are you confused?
- If your doctor kept up to the standard of care, then unless his peers can show an act of negligence, you cannot sue him/her for 1.4 zillion dollars in a huge malpractice suit. Lets face it, without your doctors care, you would have died a long time ago. We don�t need your doctor running up the bill with 400 lab tests every damn office visit out of fear of getting sued if he/she happened to miss something weird.
He goes on for a bit more -- this actually sounds really good. Knocking off the malpractice and the 'brand names' would drop the costs down by 90% easy. Cutting the traffic in the ER would allow for better service for thost poor souls who really needed it.
Posted by DaveH at October 30, 2009 8:38 PM