An article appearing on Bloomberg.com notes how effective the veteran’s health care system is and how it can be a model for the success of government run health care. Veterans love it and according to one vet the care is superb (with few out of pocket costs). Perhaps such a model will provide the best option for America, but what these reports don’t emphasize is the program operates with 19,000 salaried doctors, 153 medical centers and 900 clinics. According to the article, 5.1 million veterans were treated and the budget is $45 billion. My calculations show that equals a premium of about $735 per month for single coverage. According to the latest markup from the Senate Finance Committee, at those rates this would be a “Cadillac” plan by 2013.
What is the point, well the key words are salaried doctors and clinics, both which were soundly rejected by the American public when they were part of HMOs. On the other hand, if you do want more control over costs the fee-for service system must change. I happen to think the best chance we had to improve our system and manage costs was the pure HMO model, but we are past that now. Whatever the changes are that will truly improve are system, they are not in any proposed legislation. Somebody should be tell the American the people truth and let them decide based on the facts and not the political and other rhetoric.
Free choice, no interference by anyone, clinics, salaried doctors, networks, managed care, ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chance.
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