Let's see if the people of MD can do better than DC.
One idea I have for health care reform:
Tort reform. I don't know about others, but my observations show that we in America are a litigation society. Boy, if that doctor so much as blinks while filling the syringe, that's medical malpractice...let's sue for millions. (ok, that was sarcasm, but, I think we get the point. At least I hope so.) So, one solution, if it looks frivolous, smells frivolous, and tastes frivolous, then it must be frivolous....STOP IT! And by "it" I mean the frivolous lawsuits against doctors/hospitals!!!! And shame on the lawyers who accept those suits!  And if there is a legit lawsuit, we need to cap this idea of "the sky's the limit" on punitive damages. I say if there is a medical mishap, and the patient sues, then sue to recover cost..that's it. And anything punitive should be capped at 10 million. No more.
So..there's my idea....let's see what everyone else can come up with. 
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| Let's come up with ideas of our own for healthcare reform |
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lovestobake
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Oct 26 @ 10:36AM
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If you watched 60 minutes last night it should be clear we could do better.
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bluewind37
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Oct 26 @ 10:40AM
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The idea is for us to come up with our own ideas.
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moon_watcher53
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Oct 26 @ 11:01AM
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Bluewind, I have, I eat less but better. Less meat, more veggies. Have you heard of a vegetarian with cancer ? Maybe, but I haven't.
And yes to Lovestobake, I watched 60 minutes, isn't it appalling how the government has so many of these 'watchdog' committees and yet those medical supply providers are committing all those atrocious scams and stealing millions from the taxpayer.
We don't hear anything about the 'mob, the 'mafia' or any of those organized crime syndicates anymore. Of course not, they laundered their money and bought hospitals and other medical facilities as well as invested heavily in the pharmaceutical companies. Its all legal now and the doctors have no choice so they go along with the scheme.
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phantom53
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Oct 26 @ 11:06AM
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The idea of tort reform falls into the same category of getting a shark to eat it's own tail. Lawyers make the laws. Do you really think that you are going to get a lawyer to agree to tying his own hands?
The key to Health care reform is in the use of medical care. If people stop going to the doctor every time they sneezed, there would be plenty of doctors available to treat those that really need it. If people stopped thinking that their health is their doctors responsibility, there would be a lot more healthy people that didn't need doctors.
The mess health care is in is a direct proportion to the waste of resources that the American public think that it is their privilege to waste because they haven't been paying for it all. Why not go to the doc every time I sneeze? It doesn't cost me anything? Why shouldn't I go complain to the doc about my feet hurting? I like my fashionable shoes, even if they do wreck my feet....on and on and on...
I live in China. There is no free health care here and employers don't pick up the tab. So, what happens? People take care of themselves, try alternative medicines, herbs, teas, etc. before going to the doctor. Health care here is very cheap. I know a lady here that had her spleen removed due to an infection. Total cost was 125 RMB,. That is $18.38 USD. Why? The hospital doesn't feed you, give you a beautiful room, bring you magazines, fluff your pillow or do anything other than treat the medical problem.
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AverageJoe
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Oct 26 @ 11:06AM
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There is a doctor in New York City that has an interesting idea. He suggested making healthcare like having a gym membership. He said he would charge $87 dollars a month for unlimited office visits.
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ladyvampire
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Oct 26 @ 11:19AM
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ok, here goes...
A doctor does a routine operation, one he has done several times, but this time, he was drinking.. or doing drugs, then left you paralized, or with problems that will last you the rest of your life and cost you millions of dollars in health care costs. Now because of this "Problem" insurance companies wont take you and the one you had dropped you. Who should pay for this, you or your doctor? And lets remember, its the docs negligence that caused this.
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AverageJoe
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Oct 26 @ 11:27AM
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The end solution will certainly have to be a multi faceted approach. Any plan that does not address tort reform (such as Obamacare) is a complete joke. But what would you expect from an attorney. The thieves at the pharmacuetical companies also need to be put in check... strange how they can sell a drug in one country for five dollars, and the same drug in the US for 50 dollars! And im sorry, but I think the health insurance industry needs to be made a completely not for profit business. A fair wage and benefits for its workers, but SCREW the stockholders!
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Blaiserboy
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Oct 26 @ 11:30AM
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Slowly the Chinese model will be the one adopted...... people will still pay.. but with almost worthless dollars..... and they will slowly learn that pills are not the only way to go...
No problem.. slowly society will evolve....
On the subject of China....... it is well known that not all people have access to the things you have described..... while millions of people have a nice life in China..... many millions of people are living with severe conditions and hunger.
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ladyvampire
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Oct 26 @ 11:41AM
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I wanted to add one more thing... Say it was your child that doctor messed up on, say that child who once was running around a happy go lucky "normal" child, now can't move, is back in diapers and will never be able to take care of himself/herself again.
Or lets say the doc killed him/her on the operating table... can you put a cap on that? Is your child only worth 10,000.00? Or your mother, father sister or brother? How about your husband? I am sorry, but for my loved ones, 10,000.00 would be an insult. And if I could put a stop to medical negligence, or malpractice, I would in a heartbeat!
I didn't know I had asthma, till I had gallbladder surgery. The doctor gave me sleeping gas, and guess what, it exacerbated it. Then the same doc didn't come in to see me the next day, he went on vacation, and told the nurses to discharge me. I could have died from what he did. Now I have to use a nebulizer for the rest of my life. And a rescue inhaler, which before I didn't really need either one, as I was not that bad with it. Before that, I rode a bike 40 miles in one day.. can't do that any more, I am lucky to go just one block without getting out of breath. Don't you think for something like that, 10,000.00 would be an insult?
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bluewind37
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Oct 26 @ 11:55AM
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I say if there is a medical mishap, and the patient sues, then sue to recover cost..that's it. And anything punitive shouldn't be in the millions...punitive would stop at $10,000. No more.
Ok, here goes:
Sue to recover cost.
Let me clarify: If the doctor is negligent, then the doctor should pay the cost of all future medical bills, plus, the cost of earning potential lost.
Punitive should have been $10,000,000. My bad. Sorry about that.
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travelwoman
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Oct 26 @ 12:08PM
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I have been in small communities who had a community clinic, where the poor and uninsured could go see a doctor.
These clinics were NOT very nice: no carpet, no soft chairs, no decoration to speak of.
BUT... they got the job done. They had GOOD doctors who felt they did a valuable job, and they DID.
Last week I had to go to the doctor here.... I did not get to see an actual doctor, but and assistant. She could not tell me what I have. I'll need to see a specialist.
I got billed anyway..... $108.
I did sit in a nicely decorated waiting room, with very nice carpet, paintings on the walls, very comfortable chairs. Everything was very nice and fancy in the clinic.
Healthcare reform.... I would start having clinics and hospitals whose main purpose is to HEAL, not impress... 
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john49887
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Oct 26 @ 1:26PM
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Malpractice Payouts Falling
Medical malpractice payouts continued to fall across the country last year and account for a only .6% of our nation's health care costs, according to malpractice statistics complied by the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen.
Using data from the government's National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) - which has mandatory reporting requirements - the group found the number of payouts declined for the third straight year. The 11,037 payments recorded in 2008 were 31% fewer than the average number of payments recorded by the NPDB in all previous years.
If malpractice payouts are falling, why are malpractice insurance premiums rising? 
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bardnsage
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Oct 26 @ 2:24PM
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Just a few comments on this.
Tort reform, and the savings from Tort reform are under-reported by the government, because they are only looking at medical malpractice premiums.
To get the true benefit from meaningful tort reform, you must look at how the Tort laws effect the entire system. Surgical tube,,, is made the same way for a hospital, as it is for an aquarium sold at Walmart. It's the same thing. Surgical tube is between $5.00 and $10.00 a foot by the time the insurance company pays the bill. The aquarium tube is 30 cents a foot. Why? PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCE for any item marked as "medical". Tort reform would bring down the costs of EVERY medicine, and every piece of equipment, and all the supplies,,, not just medical malpractice insurance. And the premiums for medical malpractice are not just based on the total number of claims,,, but by the severity of those claims. Meaning,,, the $10,000,000 single suit may be just one claim,,, but hell,,, it's $10,000,000 dollars.
However,, the arguments against tort refrom are,,, how can I put a value on my child? What will keep the doctors doing a good job?
Tort reform is easy,,, just change the damages to ACTUAL DAMAGES. No punitive damages, no pain and suffering, no mental anquish, etc. Actual damages. Medical care to correct the problem, life long care if needed, lost wages, transportation,,, etc. No 10 million dollar settlements for a landscaper who had a sponge left inside of him, that was removed with no complications on the second visit,,, just because the doctor was drunk. The $10,000,000 law suit drives up everyones cost for medicine, and does not get the drunk doctor out of the operating room.
Damaging law suits are often not a prohibiition on the actions of bad doctors. As long as they can afford the rising medical malpractice insurance,,, they don't pay for it out of pocket, and it doesn't affect them directly. For surgical stuff,,, many times it's the hospital that pays for the malpractice anyway,,, so there is not even that control over the doctor. Many times, the settlements also include gag orders anyway,,, so it's all hush, hush. Make the doctor's liscense to practice,,, hinged on his mistakes. Good doctors, no problem. Bad doctors,,, find a new job, or practice overseas. Don't run up my bill,,, because the drunk doctor cut off the wrong leg of your diabetic grandmother. The insurance should take care of your grandmother's damages,,, and her extra care,,, but granny is not worth $10,000,000. And if you think that is a harsh statement,,, go ask Government Run Health Payment plan,,, if your 90 year old granny can get a liver transplant.
Are you going to get true tort reform,, why hell no. The TRIAL ATTORNEYS LOBBY will make sure that any tort refrom does not throttle the golden goose, and the plans being given consideration now in congress --- for your own good ---- make sure that even indirect damage to the lawyers is not going to happen.
Want some proof,,,, Ask yourself,,,, with all of the billions spent on Worker's Compensation Premium,,, why are the plans not putting that into the medical treatment pile,,, like the European plans that are held up as the models of the perfect plan. Answer,,, European attorneys never made billions from Worker's Compensation.
These Congressional plans for health care reform,,, have little to do with health care. They are about getting their hands on a pile of money,,, and using anecdotal tales of woe to justify their actions. Over 40% of the country is on GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH PAYMENT PLANS already.
How are they working so far?
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bluewind37
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Oct 26 @ 4:21PM
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Maybe I wasn't clear. This is a discussion for US here at MD to throw out ideas of what WE would do if WE could reform health care. This has nothing to do with Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. This is just for US here on MD.
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RANDY72
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Oct 26 @ 4:38PM
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What we seem to have is too much philosophy and no odyssey.(Lots of talk and no action). This leaves everything to the ambitious to do what they want.
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Mission_Impossible139
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Oct 26 @ 4:39PM
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if malpractice payouts are falling, why are malpractice insurance premiums rising?
Because insurance companies know that doctors and most people believe that frivolous lawsuits are a problem when in fact they are a miniscule part of the equation. The insurance companies therefore, charge the doctors exorbitant amounts, better said like this: "they rape the doctors" just like they are raping the rest of America. Malpractice policies are a huge money maker for the insurance industry.
Medical insurance should not be allowed to be a profit making entity. It should be either non-profit or run by the government. All the folks over 65 like the Medicare system. It needs to be modified to make it more streamlined and with the laws already on the books, the crooks involved with cheating Medicare should be brought to justice.
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