I am writing this somewhat wordy but pragmatic letter and hope it gets in the hands of someone who can make a clear evaluation and find it helpful or at the least noted as to one perspective to the current Health Care Debacle taking place and under careful consideration, could actually prove very beneficial and part of the future solution. I feel the Democrats are out to make a clear change for the good of the country and the Obama Administration is shaping up to be the best Administration I believe I have seen in my lifetime; however is having a clearly difficult struggle battling the concerns over healthcare. I voted for Obama and even made a contribution to the campaign which was the first time in my life to do so because I believe in his overall vision for the country. Currently I live in Tokyo, Japan, and am exposed to a very different healthcare system as well as have many friends from other developed nations who have socialized medicine, i.e. England, Canada, Australia, etc. I have had various debates and have a good understanding of these systems from the standpoint of their basic citizens and the rights thereof from these systems. Of all the countries, Japan has the most hybrid system between socialized medicine and our current system; however would not be a good political strategy to mention as a talking point. Actually these ideas should be applied as original ideas from the Obama administration to the public and will close this healthcare debate once and for all.
To get directly to my point, I feel the Democrats are doing what they always do, bring a good idea to the table (bring the right idea to the table) but back down based on pole numbers and a clearly, historically based fact, of not managing the emotions of the populous. With that being said, I feel many of Americas fears are superficial in nature and may not address a simple premise of government spending, influence and size. I pose the question, “if you add something, you take something away”, such as adding a public option and taking away the obviously broken, inefficient and burdensome Medicare system. This would have an overwhelmingly favorable impact on republicans and the right compromise with democrats and the masses of people who are looking for that right tax cut would be dancing in the streets. I understand we will be cutting a huge tax generator for the government but we will also cut off and stop the hemorrhaging of a government appendage that is infecting everyone as a whole. It is possible to subsidize those in the current system with the public option, under some “special program” and the democratic party has 3 years to win the Medicare constituency over, plus everyone will be satisfied to know they are not contributing to a possible other welfare system and the welfare system of others, and everyone can take care of themselves. The revenue generated in the public option should closely account for the loss of cutting the program, especially if there is a system where it is an availability for every small business, and for those who may not necessarily be able to purchase the public option program all the time can still fall under a special subsidization program under the public option program but maybe with premium adjustments in time. There could be grandfather clauses to alleviate the “the government is trying to pull the plug on granny“ debate. In order to offset the loss in tax revenue, include a tax incentive for those who have proof of insurance for the tax year and be adjusted accordingly if that is a concern with a favorable adjustment for those who do and an unfavorable adjustment for those who don’t; however if it is going broke it may be best just to cut the losses on it. The IRS has the people and infrastructure and can also be included in the debate to validate proof of insurance. That last point is a little complicated to wrap your head around but could make huge in rows in appealing to those who don’t like any of the current systems, who don’t like picking up the tab from one average American to another and don’t see a clear solution. I feel confident that in 3 years the Administration can satisfy its Medicare constituency and its proponents and this type of drastic change will, and I emphasize WILL, have a huge favorable reaction with the American populous as a whole.
As an additional selling point, Americans should be able to “double down” on their health insurance and drastic changes need to be set in motion as to insurance regulation reform. This is a version of the Clinton play book in areas such as telecom, etc; which WILL be good for the health insurance industry, and everyone as a whole and would probably have them off the governments back for a while because they will be too busy creating/selling and purchasing new products and helping to “stimulate the economy” in many many ways. This is not a non-manageable endeavor, just a little unorthodox. That is one good point about Japan’s current healthcare system, to include insurance products such as hospitalization and rehabilitation remuneration, double coverage, etc. People, in general, like to know they can get something back when paying so much into a system that does just that and actually make some money in the event of such a challenging time in their life and this adds a great since of security and satisfaction in those moments. By the way, this is a homerun idea that will leave a lasting hurt on the republican party and brand because everyone benefits as a whole but carries some of their self-reliance and capitalistic ideals. To add to this point and to expound on the “pre-existing” condition problem of the current system, legislation should also include a wide range of other procedures that are deemed not a necessity and allow coverage of these programs at a price to include allowing the private sector to compete for these dollars and to compensate for the losses they will be incurring with having to cover pre-existing conditions. This could even include aesthetic procedures with a regulatory consultation practice. Deregulating that industry but with the right quality of care in the minds of everyone involved is good for everyone. Personally, I don’t like the whole system but these are the right decisions for everyone as a whole.
I don’t quite agree with this but also monetary penalties could be put in place and deemed necessary by the doctor in the advent of non-life threatening problems clogging the emergency room system. A doctor is qualified to make that decision and should, which would help all commercial entities in the system and help the system as a whole in this day and age in curbing the mass influx of those who use the system. On another point with that debate, people have to work and can’t afford to lose a day’s work when their child has the flu and they sacrifice their sleep and wellness in order to go to work the next day but ensure their child is seen, diagnosed and put on the right treatment regimen. With that being said, maybe a system that rewards afterhours care facilities should be looked at such as a tiered payment system by the industry to the facilitators that addresses this.
I have a few other points to add about this and I don’t want to sound like I’m pulling only the positive points of other systems without recognizing the negative points, yet being that so many systems have been in place and for such a long period of time, I think we can get it right and my points could aid it.
A clear plan needs to be outlined with someone reading charts and tables, pros and cons, and an informative debate needs to be made with a clear vision. There is enough time to regroup and get this done this year and not to be rushed and to have people put in the corner on the issue without all the CLEAR facts. Open debates should be held with the public having easy access to make informed decisions and people should be thinking outside the box such as this letter. I have read the top 5 myths about the new reform and the stats on people polled regarding this debate. I would like to make a statement to the Democratic party as a whole that I am ashamed to see that they cannot debunk the death panel debate and strategically, they should look at and put resources into how to overcome this and future situations such as this. I’m sure they can get a good team of psychiatrists and marketing gurus to look at how their messages get drowned out by basic human emotions of fear and distrust. To add, the immigrant debate is a valid one but no one seems to be showing that who pays into the system only helps support the system in revenue, etc. and should get treatment accordingly. We can look at the Denver Olympics at those facts and it would actually be good for the system for allowing as many of those who can pay into it, do so; to include people with student visas and short term visas, etc. The new program should be run like a private system alleviating people’s fears of the government keeping tabs on them and regulating what they have and don’t have and maybe compare it to the postal system or collegiate education system.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to read this and would personally like to see how these above mentioned points would not work. I have solutions for some of the other internal problems plaguing the system but can’t remember them all at the time I’m writing this; however many of the new options are definitely headed in the right direction. I just felt compelled to offer my “.10¢” after seeing the reform offered getting slaughtered by the American public in the news and it seems more people are buying into the stats shown to them, therefore buying into some of the current falsehoods. By the way, if the right person reads this and finds it beneficial and would like to ask my opinion on other problems facing the system, please feel free to do so or debunk my points.
I kicked off my first ever blog today because, like many, I have something to say and can't take it anymore. I can't believe the things the republicans are saying and doing and the way the American public is eating it up. If Americans don't like Barack because of factors outside of his control or their own internal shortcomings, why not just say so and not fill the airwaves up with smoke and call it fog.
I was getting worried that Obama was leaving his dirty work to Joe and obliviously conceeding this election, but he finally kicked this campaign off in Pueblo, Colorado. I have been getting ever frustrated at this campaign and the poll numbers are in sync with my feelings. I understand that he doesn't want to give his opponent his defense points before the debates but, I have to say, enough is enough. To make matters worse, most of the national media acts as an Obama dampener and distorts the facts based on the video snippet of their choice (Sam Donaldson at ABC). I expect it from FOX but to have a national networks fail America so badly is disgusting.
I thank God for people like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, who help add sanity to the world, and it is getting so deep that even Anderson Cooper is doing a decent job. Luckily, when things get crazy I can rely on Bill Maherand Jon Stewart.
