What The Affordable Care Act Means For Consumers
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-07-02/what-affordable-care-act-means-consumers
What the Affordable Care Act means for you. We take your questions on how implementation of the law could affect consumers.
Guests
Julie Rovner
health policy correspondent for NPR, author of "Health Care Policy and Politics A-Z," and contributing editor for National Journal Daily.
Susan Dentzer
editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, and an on-air analyst on health issues for The PBS NewsHour
Mary Agnes Carey
senior correspondent,Kaiser Health News.
Ceci Connolly
managing director and leader of PwC's Health Research Institute; co-author of "Landmark: The Inside Story of America's New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All."
Comments
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Alan Cohen wrote:
"Some one upset by the Supremes decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, was quoted saying: "I'm going to get away from this and move to Canada!" Didn't he know that's the place with the "dreaded" single-payer plan that saves tons of money and gives Canadians a longer lifespan than Americans?"
Your the guy from Ontario that posted on fb. I will tell you, you are not telling us the truth about Canada's Coverage. How long does it take to get hip replacement surgery? Non emergency visits can takes month to get treated Alan, you know that.
Supposing that I was my own doctor. Supposing that the role of MDs was that of “consultant”, but not “gatekeeper”. Supposing I were permitted to order my own lab tests? Instead of being infantilized?
Through the years I have refined my radical policy ideas. To be as succinct as possible:
[most radically: every social security card should have a license to practice medicine stapled to it. – at least on oneself-]
I propose that US citizens have three options, none of which are mutually exclusive:
1. Conventional health insurance
2. Single payer government option
3. Option to take responsibility for one’s own treatment
You may choose one, two, or all of the above.
In any case, no institution of any sort can promise any of us immortality. Pretending to do so is just a racket.
I have elaborated this idea much more, especially in light of my own aging and the US changing demographics. For now, I just don’t want to be too wordy or overwhelming.
I have another suggestion for motivating American students to have a passionate interest in studying science, math and such in public schools.
It is this:
Provide the opportunity for public school students to study both theoretical and practical subjects in the field of medical science.
This suggestion is actually a part of a larger vision. I will not burden you with it here. If you would like a succinct explanation of this bigger picture, reply to my email, or call me.
let me start with a story:
Eventually I knew as much as, or more about my condition than, the MDs I had to visit. So when I feel the symptoms coming on, the only way out of uncertainty was to make a doctor’s appointment. [ Meanwhile time is passing and you are in purgatory]. Then comes a drive somewhere else with MD’s order for a blood test. But law says lab can’t deliver the results to the customer. [more purgatory] Make another costly appointment to see the MD.
Move to California. Inside Wal-Mart is a kiosk. They have a menu on the wall of various tests they offer. You can even purchase an MD consult.
The CBC Blood test cost $29. Wow! About one co-pay in my insurance plan. [in network. More grievous, for my health insurance network, there is only one primary care doctor in the state of California]. My wait in the kiosk is less than an hour. Then the young attendant draws my blood. Next day the results are faxed to my home. Wow!
Aside from the big savings, think about all that purgatory time! And anxiety of feeling syncope, while lacking precise certainty!
[Amongst other things, this is a terrific incentive to school myself in medicine science.] What a breakthrough!
On several other occasions I feel those same disturbing symptoms. Works like a charm. This Wal-mart is less than a half hour drive from my home. Within 24 hours I have my answer. If my Hg reading is much above 8 or 9 I know not to bother going to the emergency room.
Then the inevitable hammer of special interest comes down. I drive to the kiosk only to be told that the CBC test is no longer offered. Reason: the business is afraid about legal liability.
If I were teaching this high school course, the first day of class I would say, “There is a shortage of ninety thousand medical doctors in this country. Today we are going to do something about that.”
Then I would tell all the students to take out a blank sheet of paper. I would put an examples of diplomas “Doctor of Medicine” and “License to Practice Medicine”. I would tell all my students to design their own certificates; and turn them in at the end of class.
Overnight I would photocopy them, and return them the next day. There would be an assignment to laminate and frame them. Then I would mount them on the walls, all over the classroom, for the rest of the semester.
During the semester I would have students doing term reports on various syndromes; and field trips to interview older citizens who suffered from those syndromes. Term reports would include hand drawn illustrations of how the syndromes were influencing body organ systems.
I bet cha the kids would be plenty up for it. They would find math and science a whole lot more interesting too. They would also be plenty welcome to all us old baby boomers. At least as helpful as our existing health care system.