a new/old approach to healthcare

I just came back from a county leadership development initiative. It is a non-partisan committee designed to work with political leadership in our city/state. We don't talk politics, we never mention parties or ideologies.

We talk issues and practical solutions, then beat the politicians with common sense until they do what we tell them. (not really, but it's often fun to think about)

Tonight was interesting.

Our healthcare system is changing. We all know that, right? Basically, we can forget about most types of help from the federal government. The federal government is getting out of the healthcare business. It's an over-simplification, but that's the approach we were taking tonight.

We looked at returning to community-based healthcare. Coordinating resources not reliant on federal funding. Utilizing existing volunteer services and smartly spending the capital that we do have available to us.

I won't bore you with all the specifics because what we're doing is customizing our resources specific to our communities needs.

It'll be more targeted, more cost effective, and reach a broader range of people.

I can imagine we aren't the only ones doing it. We spoke of solutions and practical applications.

So even in this day and age, things can get accomplished without getting partisan, without blaming people or ideologies, without pointing fingers.

Things can actually get accomplished without the federal government even being involved, regardless of who is in office.


Anyhow, it was a long day, long night full of roundtable discussions, presentations, and initiatives designed to get things moving right away. So I'm a little wound up and decided to share it here (because I can't sleep yet) and because good is being done in the world, good people are doing good things, and not everyone is a partisan asshole.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Wait but what does my party tell me?

Thanks DC. Nice to have some sense in forums.

I feel as though the feds can't possibly make a free market solution until lobbyist are banned from congress.

My particular feeling about Healthcare is that in order to circumvent the major ethical dilemmas of making profit over treatment Healthcare should operate as non profit all the way to the drug manufacturers and insurance.

Still some competition, not a government takeover but adresses the major moral and ethical concerns in treatment, drug research conflicts of interest, and the need to maximize profit at the expense of the patients.

But honestly any group of human beings talking about the problems and solutions without foaming at the mouth is a big step.

a reply to: luthier

Baby steps. Let's focus on getting people well first. Everything else is massive change. We wanted to enact programs that we can and will start in days, not months/years.

Something everyone can do for their personal and community health, is to ensure access to good healthy real food. Community gardens, personal gardens, if there's strange bylaws that don't allow for food gardens, mix in food with flowers so it's not obvious, or even well hidden. Herbs everywhere. Thyme, basil, etc

An ounce of prevention......

a reply to: DBCowboy
Did you discuss these most important 3 steps.
Step 1. Get ALL insurance companies out of healthcare.
Step 2.MUST use government to curb drug company prices and profits.
Step 3. ALL top medics to be paid on performance and to accept Reasonable wages, not Hollywood style pay checks and that includes reasonable costs for using equipment, scans etc..
When or if you can get those implemented then you have a good chance of achieving something. If not then forget the whole exercise as your just blowing smoke in the wind.