Blind Spending
Posted by Advocate Aaron on April 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Would you agree to purchase a car without knowing the price? Of course not. Should public health care coverage be instituted without knowing what it will cost? Again, of course not. Before the United States can consider publicly-funded health care, we must first reform the medical industry at its core.
Many conditions exist in the American health care industry that drive costs to exorbitant levels that would threaten the entire U.S economy if the current system fell under the umbrella of public funds. So says columnist and author George Will (http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will010109.php3), who argues that ambiguous pricing, non-competitive equipment purchasing practices and a carte blanche Medicaid reimbursement policy despite dubious medical billing practices add up to big trouble.
If the medical industry is free to charge whatever it wants, and American citizens are footing the bill no matter what the costs, then free medicine could bankrupt America.
Now, don’t get me wrong — I want everyone to have access to adequate health care. But I want to make sure that any publicly-funded health care system is sustainable. Checks and balances must be instituted to stop reckless spending. Competitive bidding must take place to reduce medical equipment costs. Procedural protocols must be in place to ensure that every citizen is provided the best care available – hospitals and doctors must not be able to take short cuts with our treatment simply because they receive reimbursement. If due diligence in health care is not exercised, no reimbursement should be issued.
At the same time, we must not limit the ability of doctors and hospitals to provide high-quality care; medical equipment manufacturers to develop state-of-the-art technologies; and prescription drug companies to advance discovery. Certain spending segments must be prioritized – maternal care and cancer research, for example – and a governing body must be appointed to make decisions on such prioritization.
Blindly spending public funds no matter what the expense could yield tragic results, and so could limiting the ability of medical professionals to provide world-class care. There can be no ‘you get what you pay for’ mentality – there must be a ‘you get everything you need’ mentality for everyone across the board.
Before the American people enter into an agreement to fund the medical industry, policies must be put in place to ensure sustainability. This is the only way we can provide proper care for everyone in the nation.
