Health Care
- Make medical school tuition free (government pays, but same enrollment caps)
- Malpractice = worker's compensation type system (limited recoveries based upon multiple of out-of-pocket)
- Consider phase-out of health insurance other than major medical; Alternatively, health insurance industry is regulated similar to public utility for 10 year period. While generally we seek to minimize regulation, the health care industry in general has not done a good job of self regulation (or limited state regulation)
- Consider enacting a 2% sales tax on goods and services to fund certain indigent health care and medical research. The indigent health care would provide major medical care for up to 3 years to certain qualifying applicants. Medical research would be selected based upon the health issues which are most costly to the federal government programs.
- Help public manage and better utilize the massive medical information on the Web.
- Develop system that allows varying levels of care for treatment - Nurse, Para-Physician, Physician, Certified specialist
- Implement a centralized, unified system of health care records, standardized forms and computer "flashdrives" so that portable, unified patient history information is available to health care providers, insurers and the government (as needed). Significant time could be saved if we didn't have to prepare and process new forms at each doctor visit. As tests and treatments were prescribed and diagnoses made, they would be added to the patient "flashdrive" which the patient would carry or store.
- Provide hospital incentives for better service especially emergency room - each emergency room should separate urgent care from emergency care; government ratings.
- Medicare wealth limits (over $3,000,000 in net worth; not eligible)
- Pharmaceutical development cost recovery system that results in reasonable drug costs; marketing and competition (need more information); limit liability exposure for government approved drugs
- Nursing home care - audits of homes; encourage home care (current system ends up being government drain - inflated cost for service received) - not an entitlement. (see Discussion above)
- Review speed limits, motorcycle helmets, seat belts and other preventative programs; pre-drivers training which focuses upon dangers is presented in the eighth grade
- Improve and develop prenatal care and early childhood assessment standards and care
- Diagnostic review committees (private pay and Medicare) - for a fixed fee a patient who has had various tests done over 6 months without diagnosis or satisfactory treatment - patient can get committee review and advice - nonbinding.
- Government promotion of good health is appropriate; however, imposition of government restrictions on dietary matters is not proper. In other words, while a government may promote low fat diets, it has no business restricting a restaurant's menu offerings.
- Review hospital tax exemptions -- Alternatively, see Total Wealth Tax.
Goals: Cost effective, better care, but the patient retains control.
Reasons: The current system is not working for doctors or patients, but appears to be working for insurance companies. The idea is to generally let the economic market control; however, we need to try to encourage a competitive market. If we are not relying on the market we must regulate as a utility. We currently have an artificial market. In addition, we will encourage and develop preventative programs to decrease the need for health care services.
"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there also is the love of humanity." -Hippocrates