For the best Medicare model, look down under

[TexasTowelie]

By Stephen M. Soltys, M.D.


The idea of insurance is simple: Knowing how often a bad event (emergency hospitalization) might occur in a large group of people, you can charge each person a premium to cover for those losses.

The key is that it has to be an event that no one wants to have happen. If you begin providing insurance coverage for things that people want to have happen then the cost skyrockets. Imagine what your car insurance would be if, in addition to covering accidents, it covered oil changes, tire rotations and repairs on worn parts.

In large part our health insurance cost crisis has been fueled by the fact that what started out as insurance to protect people from the cost of a crisis hospitalization has morphed into a means for funding routine health care services.

While the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also know as Obamacare) was a major step in making health care accessible to more Americans, its Achilles heel is that it still uses the concept of health insurance to fund routine care.

Read more: https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/for-the-best-medicare-model-look-down-under/Content?oid=11503989

[SunSeeker]

1. I know first hand what a marvelous healthcare system Aussies have.

Wish we had that here. I'd gladly pay the extra 2% in income tax for it like Aussies do. It would be a huge savings!!!

[Thunderbeast]

2. Not including preventative care is a poor incentive.

"Routine" medical services prevent catastrophic health events that make insurance costs rise for the entire pool.

[TexasTowelie]

3. Below the fold:

So basically the Australian Medicare program promotes good health care practices: getting routine preventative health care, seeing a doctor early in an illness to prevent costly complications and keeping follow-up appointments so chronic conditions don't worsen.

[Unclephil]

4. One of our biggest complications is the AMA

is the AMA. They have limited the number of Doctors by limiting the number of medical schools. We also have 17% of our economy tied up in medical. I am all for single payer but we also have to address these issues.