Marc Yacht
A two-part series published in the Tampa Bay Times exposed outrageous unregulated charges by Florida trauma centers. The argument for marketplace medicine rings hollow when patients are charged $33,000 for the hospital trauma team call-up.
That is the cover charge; other bills come later. Total bills can tally up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Trauma care represents the character of American health care. There are many examples exposing the profiteering of insurers, drug companies, hospitals and health-care providers. Patients fall victim to exorbitant insurance premium costs, co-pays and personal bankruptcy. There are better models to provide health services.
The Physicians for a National Heath Program (PHNP) are 19,000 strong. However, their following goes well beyond the membership and includes nurses, elected officials, and other health-care providers.
Bills surface calling for a single-payer system. Most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced S. 1792, a bill to create a single-payer state administered system. The House companion bill is 676 and has languished several years with a long list of co-sponsors. The new Senate bill may also fall victim to health insurance lobbyists.
In 2017 Vermont plans to launch the nation’s first universal health-care system. The model replicates Medicare for all and aligns with the provisions of congressional HB 676. Medicare, launched in 1964, continues to provide health care for seniors. Health providers prefer Medicare and patients like it.
Managed care, on the other hand, with its changing panels and draconian oversight has harmed quality of care and interfered with doctor-patient relationships. Outcomes and savings are subject to who provides the statistical data.
Certainly, managed care interferes with doctor’s decisions, drops qualified doctors and pressures providers to deliver minimal care to patients.
The U.S. provides care at twice the cost per capita of most nations, leaves 50 million uninsured and ranks low for outcome and quality of care.
Students at the University of Chicago Medical School advocate for medical-care reform. They encourage that other service models be taught and many have taken up the banner for a single-payer system. Such a system reduces administrative costs, simplifies paperwork and removes for-profit insurers from health care. It is generally felt that the nation must move to single payer to attain affordable universal health care.
Unfortunately, the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) fails to address profiteering by insurers. But it does accomplish significant advantages for patients. Despite Florida politicians’ effort to thwart Obamacare, 440,000 citizens have signed up. California has the highest number of sign-ups, Florida ranks second.
One signee (J.H.) mentioned his inability to get insurance for himself and his wife because of their medical problems. He simply went without insurance until Obamacare. Another (R.M.) mentioned saving half his premium and getting comprehensive coverage. In the past his costly insurance had high deductibles and caps.
Because the Legislature refused expand Medicaid in the state, Florida lost $51 billion in federal aid. One million citizens are priced out of Obamacare.
Minor medical problems could create high premiums before Obamacare. States that have cooperated with Obamacare and created state exchanges have helped working families acquire health care. And even in states still battling Obamacare, large numbers of people are signing up through the federal exchange, often with the help of volunteer students, advocate organizations, hospitals and surprisingly insurance companies.
Obamacare will not accomplish universal coverage but it will significantly reduce the numbers of uninsured. Countries that provide universal health care have healthier populations, significantly lower health-care costs, and a relatively uncomplicated health-care delivery.
Marc Yacht is a semi-retired physician living in Hudson Florida. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
