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The current healthcare system in America is on the brink of bankruptcy due to the rising administrative costs of its delivery. This financial burden is unsustainable and is leading to a national reduction in access to affordable care. The proposed legislation in the both the House and Senate are not the solution to this catastrophe. In fact they are guaranteed to be the catalyst for the final destruction of what has been the pillar of medical care in the world.
It is the thousands of physicians who make up the MillionMedMarch and Docs4PatientCare that are sounding the alarm in recognition that the current legislation will significantly raise the costs of healthcare delivery in America. This is a very dangerous proposition for our patients as the politicians in Washington DC are preparing to spend over $1 trillion dollars of our taxes. As these costs rise, access to care will diminish. Eventually thousands of physicians, clinics, and hospitals will be forced out of business leaving millions of patients insured, but without a doctor.
The fundamental objective of healthcare reform must be to lower costs without decreasing its value. If you have a procedure done in a hospital and a scalpel is used, you will be charged in excess of $250 for the scalpel alone. If this legislation is allowed to pass, the taxpayer will continue to buy more $250 scalpels. We MUST lower the cost of the scalpel and all of the other inflated costs that are burdening the system.
The following 5 principles are the unwavering points that the physicians of the MillionMedMarch (MMM) must see represented in any legislation that goes before Congress. These 5 principles are the foundation of healthcare in America and by adopting these principles we can ensure that every patient will have access to affordable healthcare.
MMM - Five Principles
1.Ultimately, medical decisions need to be made by doctors and their patients. Empower the patient to take control of their own healthcare through free market solutions. By allowing the patient to engage directly with their primary care physician, a large portion of routine and preventative care can be accomplished without the interference of a middleman.
2.No legislation should become law without serious tort reform. We spend $400 billion a year for coverage, representation and settlements as a profession. No serious legislation that aims at lowering healthcare costs can be considered if this principle is overlooked.
3.Insurance can be made more affordable by eliminating state monopolies and allowing the portability of health insurance across state lines. By uncoupling health insurance from employers patients will have the ability to control their own coverage. These methods create competition, which is the only true way to drive down healthcare costs.
4.Transform the reimbursement and billing systems that are strangling our practices. 35% of healthcare costs are spent for administrative purposes only and are erroneously raising the cost that are eventually being passed on to our patients. We need a simplified transparent reimbursement system.
5.End the National Practitioner Data Bank and other entities that are unfairly censuring doctors without due-process. These practices are a financial burden to the healthcare system and result in billions of dollars spent on litigation.
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