President Trump needs to address three aspects of healthcare. They are access to healthcare (those who want it but can’t get it), long-term viability of Medicaid and controlling future health care costs. This essay will deal with affordable access to healthcare.
Hopefully Trump has learned from the midterms. He NEEDS to have a healthcare plan that is plausible and HE is the only one that can do it. Almost all other involved parties are either socialists or they have been bought and paid for by the healthcare industrial complex.
Trump should start with the below mission statement.
Any American citizen that is willing to work should and will have access to good healthcare. Any American citizen unable to work, we as a nation, will take care of. Any American citizen unable to find work but is willing to contribute to society by helping a local charity in a substantial fashion will have access to healthcare. Free loaders will not be tolerated.
This will draw a stark line between the Democratic socialists and the Republicans who champion the American way of hard work. Contrasting free stuff versus doing it the old-fashioned way, earning it.
Even the Democrats know the country is not ready for socialize medicine. If they nominate a candidate supporting Medicare for all they will lose. Most likely they will coalesce around a (public option). This in effect will result in Medicare for all given that eventually the population will migrate to the government plan because it costs less. Except for the ultra rich private insurance will be driven out of business. Blue-collar Americans will forfeit their hard-earned benefits and be forced into the government run plan. They will wait in line for a low-quality product. Unfortunately, if the Republicans do not put forward a workable solution the Democratic deception has a high possibility of being successful. Past history (remember the Obamacare lies.) demonstrates the Democrats, with the aid of the mainstream media, will stop at nothing to force their agenda on our nation. These deceptive Democratic tactics cost Republicans control of the House in 2018 and if not handled well could defeat Trump in 2020.
Here is how to do it:
Allow small businesses/individual to put aside pretax up to $10,000 that individual employees can use to buy healthcare insurance of their choice.
- Allow the employees to put $5000 pretax in a medical savings account that rolls over if not used
- Have appropriate subsidies for individuals similar to those in Obama care.
- Allow this group to use the money above to buy healthcare insurance through the Federal Employee Benefits Plan and to pay for deductibles. The Federal plan consists of a menu of mostly private insurance plans, which would be now be affordable and is available nationwide.
- Any money that is needed to supplement high-risk individuals can be applied here.
Advantages:
1. Any American citizen that wants to have affordable health care would now have access. Pre existing conditions are not a problem.
2. Small businesses can fix their costs and help provide for their employees. Businesses that do not do this will not be competitive.
3. Given politicians use the insurance they will maintain quality. For the first time American citizens will have the same benefits that are reserved for privileged federal employees.
4. A substantial amount of the money paid for the premiums will come from pretax accounts many of which will be paid by small business. Thereby cutting the out-of-pocket expense for regular Americans.
5. The Republican Party will be seen as the party that provides access for those who want affordable healthcare. Unlike the Democratic Party that invented the concept that healthcare is a “right” as an excuse to force Medicare for all down the American peoples throat; The Republican Party would be the party of choice. The choice is to be rewarded for being a contributing member of society. Speaker Pelosi said [paraphrasing]” a person should be able to go out and find themselves. They shouldn’t have to worry about healthcare”. Her view is the rest of hard working America should pay for the freeloader. After the last Democratic debate the candidates have made some things clear. Not only do the Democrats want American citizen freeloaders paid for they want the illegal immigrant’s entire healthcare paid for.
One Americans view on this last point is what an average Joe related to me. He said;
”That crap ain’t going to happen”.
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Dr Betti is a practicing New Hampshire physician. He helped manage a private urology practice for 20 years. Former Vice Chairman of the Lahey Health Urology Department for practice management. Member of the American Urological Association Coding and Reimbursement committee. Member of the American Urologic Association National insurance and Advisory Workgroup. Member of the New England Medicare advisory committee.
All views are his alone and in no way reflect any other person or organization.
He can be reached at CRANLK@comcast.net
