'Should Citizens Derail Health Care Express'
By Richard Olivastro
June 15, 2009
Page 2 of 2
Here's the general bottom line.
Americans are fortunate to have available a private health care system that is, in reality, second to none. There are plenty of doctors, surgeons, and other specialists available in the U.S. to deliver needed care to all citizens. While some community activists want more facilities, existing hospitals, and especially other health delivery facilities, are calibrating both care delivery models, facility expansion, and outreach to meet local needs.
All Americans would be better served if the government would remove all constraints to doing business on hospitals, etc. Allow them to compete with each other, in every area and neighborhood in which they choose. Competition not only can drive prices down, it will drive prices down. The same market reality applies with doctors, surgeons, etc.
The one 'jaw-boning' action that real leaders should take is to publicly call on all members and entities in the health care industry to post prices online and conspicuously in patient waiting areas. The coding used by practitioners to bill insurance companies can also be used on 'cost-of-care' estimates for prospective patients. That would assist individuals in non-emergency situations to comparison shop and promote medical second-opinions.
Yes, competition will drive down the cost of health care; and, everyone who prefers to have health insurance will be able to find a provider -- if government is told to stop and stay out.
Government's exit would remove coercion and thus enable the appropriate use of promoting personal behavior modification to further reduce costs by placing that responsibility on each individual subscriber; and providing each subscriber the opportunity to achieve earned health discounts as a matter of choice and personal commitment.
Vast majorities of Americans do not agree with government intervening in either the banking or auto industries. If someone stands up to the government interventionists and special-interests, articulates the downside implications of government nationalizing our private health care system, America's Citizens will derail the administration's 'Health Care Express'.
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Richard Olivastro is president of Olivastro Communications - an executive leadership development company - a professional member of the National Speakers Association, and founder of Citizens For Change.
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA. >> Back -- Page 1 2
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