Inside the Transition: Health Care

[rockoff50]

"BLAH BLAH BLAH"

[Confucious2012]

Yes, I agree, the other asshole got no agenda at all. Oh! wait a minute, he did have an agenda! IRAQ!

[clearvision12]

Obama's superlative management skills, to wit his superbly-run campaign & against-all-odds victory, combined with his tireless energy & first-class mind, make a break-through on health likely, if not a certainty. You Americans are lucky to ahve such a gifted man at the helm.

[TheocracyNow]

Michelle Obama was making over $300,000 a year working at the Hospital in 2006, how will healthcare costs go down when people like Michelle Obama are raking in the cash off the backs of sick people ???

[SheLuvsHerIpod]

I get your point about salaries contributing to the cost of health care but do you also consider the contributions of the insurance & pharmaceutical companies? Michelle Obama has no influence in either industry so forfeiting her salary benefits no one, especially not well educated, church going, private citizen Michelle. Why in the world should 5 migraine pills cost over $100? Why does a small business owner pay so much for insurance he can't afford the deductible it costs to be sick?

[joelcharder]

For effective HIT implementation, require electronic medical record vendors that receive federal funding to have physician on-staff to evaluate workflow impact and streamline implementation.

I like the idea of a healthcore that focuses on the National Partner Priority initiatives. Major bonus points if this tackles disparities in healthcare.

[PatsBlog]

The government has done such a stellar job with social security, Medicare, and the mortgage business, let's have them manage health care too! In fact, why don't I just work for the government. I wish there was a way that I could get the government to take care of all my needs like food, education, entertainment, retirement, medical, housing, and transportation. I'll work on the infrastructure and in return the government can provide all of my needs! Who needs money?

[junela123]

Cutpremium paid to private insurers for the medicare plus programs. As I understand the amount was $795 monthly in 2008.Far more than competive bidding. The donut hole,non-bid prescriptions is a hoax. There should be means testing and duplication of Medicare/VA etc. benefits stopped. Perhaps Ross Perot who reportedly did such an outstanding job in low cost claims processing might give some great advice. I am excited about your appointment to this post. Please don't disappoint us.

[littlerocken]

Population: 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.) x $20 = $6,076,492,800 a month

$6,076,492,800 a month x 12 months = $72,917,913,600

If everyone paid $20 a month health care would be affordable. An average household is approx. 4-6 family members this means for a family of six the cost would only be $120

Make all hospitals government agencies and make doctors, nurses and hospital employees state employees.

Insurance companies can do special types of insurance for lipo, etc. Very simple!

[gramda1974]

Do catastrophic health care first, that would lower health care insurance premiums. Let's say the government was to cover expenses over $100,000 then you would support from the doctors, hospitals and insurance companies. How much would it cost a family with a $5,000 deductible to cover them to $100,000? I think companies and individuals could afford that payment.

[C100WA]

BUSH FAILED AT OPERATING AN OUTHOUSE

[sammvoyager]

Biggest bunch of losers I've ever seen. From each according to his abilities, To each according to his needs. Karl Marx. The Revolution is coming.

[timothymorton303]

If you want to see a Kafkaesque, Byzantine bureaucracy at work, just let's stick with the system we've got in the US today. Take it from an ex-UK citizen (now US, lived here 16 years) who grew up on the choose-your-doctor, free at the point of service, free drugs (before Thatcher) NHS.

[Elgiasgirls]

If we could fix our healthcare system, wouldn't we put more people to work? A smaller ratio of care worker to patient would support employment and provide better care to people.

Also,please consider preventive care as well. It seems as though prevention is often left out of the conversation and yet it is less costly to prevent illness than to heal/cure or manage it.

[IloveJesusYesId0]

Yeah, change this world for the better, don't make the people force you as in every other change for the good that's happened in all of human history. This time those in charge should lead us along a rational and righteous path, without the religious overtones..

Let's show the good side of the human mind for once..

peace, love...

[charlessmyth]

This appears to be decision making by focus group, as per the broader input from the Internet to increase the sample size. The most likely outcome is that Americans want the world's best healthcare system, provided by government fiat, at someone else's expense. Not entirely unreasonable, when so-called developing countries get to enjoy some of such an outcome at the expense of Americans. The analogy is: America must sacrifice its infrastructure so that it can be built in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[d2tminc]

Let Nike and the NFL,NBA and Coke advertise on medical cards bottles etc just like some MasterCard's and bank cards to bring the cost of healthcare down even local small businesses.

[pa6xylly]

here's hoping!

(and please don't leave the academic world out of these conversations.)

[mauleriscool]

Those red glasses stick out

[antdog1991]

2 questions

#1 How many doctors will be sit at that table discussing health care? Primary care doctor have to be at the forefront of any realistic health care policies.

#2 Is the internet the best resource for gathering vital information needed? The main recipients of health care is the elderly. They have many story but the internet may be too new and intimidating. I had heard horror story of Medicare plan D's "Doughnut hole" but the people I hear from are elderly who rarely use the internet.

[IloveJesusYesId0]

That doesn't mean they know How to fix it though...

[2004JETTA]

GO OBAMA and Daschle

[tbspin]

Thanks for the update.

[kd1s]

Here's my idea, how about universal health insurance. Of course I know that will never happen since the insurance industry is too entrenched.

So nationalize the medical system. I think it would be beneficial to the U.S. to do so.

[aydosmith]

keep this up....

[chairde]

A good transition is an indication of the quality of the administration.

[Balogm]

I like Tom's glasses.

[piyushsoniccc]

great hope they can get it done

[sackingbedford]

we need Fmr.sen. Tom Daschle as secretary of health and human services.

[semiliteratedgod]

that's some good stuff, please push the progressive agenda to the limits!

[TRCOOLGUY]

Oh really?