Challenge Match: Whatukno vs LDragonFire: Government Loan Sharks in the Health Care Industry? , page 1

Question 1: I want to know who would be covered by a National Healthcare System?

All Americans would be covered by this plan. From birth to death, the coverage would be there. Pooling existing resources under the Medicare/Medicaid system is the logical step in order to create a feasible national health care initiative. State and Federal entities exist already in a mismanaged and often confusing Hodge podge to provide these services, however if brought under the leadership of one agency, already established to help insure Americans that cannot insure themselves, this agency would have the means and the funding to be able to help every American have basic health care.

So this system of yours would indeed be separate from the existing Medicare and Medicaid programs? What about vision and dental coverage? With Medicare nursing home care is covered and is considered long term care.

No, this would not be separate from Medicare/Medicaid, this would be the result of a complete reorganization of the existing agency. In addition to the office of Medicare/Medicaid, further funding that already exists from Social Security would enable the assurance of long term care in the event of permanent disability and nursing home residency even through to Hospice care would be governed under the already existing agency if it were to be reorganized in the aforementioned fashion. As far as the complete details of the plan, I can only speculate that agencies already in existence that provide these services could be mandated under the Medicare/Medicaid entity and thus be able to provide a host of services to the population with their pooled resources this would be able to cover some vision and dental care.

Further boosting the income needed to fund such a program is already in effect, the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax This already funds both Medicare/Medicaid, and Social Security and thus would help make this plan economically feasible.

Could you please show how you arrived at this number?

I simply added all the numbers from The Heritage Foundation to arrive at that number.

So if the Federal Government created a National Healthcare System that Forced healthcare professionals to work in this system it would spur legal battles all over the country thus adding to the already huge cost of such a plan.

Not if this was not grandfathered in, but pertained to only new applicants for medical school student loans. This therefore would be a new contract and thus not applicable by the previously mentioned Missouri law. This again would be a potential benefit for new doctors to be able to work, gain experience and all the while capitalize on a program that would enable them to work off their student loans. This would be a great help to those struggling after college.

I also see lobby groups {like Pharmaceutical, and health insurance companies} in Washington fighting this all the way, thus rising the costs of this even more.

I can foresee this as well, the rational idea would be that these Medicaid/Medicare professionals would prescribe more cost effective generic versions of prescription drugs. These versions while not having the same name as the name brand version of course are the same drug.

I can also foresee in this plan a strong enough congress to ignore big pharma on this issue. It would be in the best interests of big pharma to comply with this idea as to otherwise fight it would cut into their profits. This is because if this plan were to be implemented, millions of Americans that before were economically unable to go to a doctor, and get the prescriptions from that doctor filled would be able to. Besides the fact that this plan does not in any way shape or form force pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices or to otherwise cut into their bottom line.

As for health insurance companies, I can envision a partnership between the office of Medicaid/Medicare and the health insurance companies, lessening the burden on taxpayers all the while health insurance companies would reap the reward of a singular source of new customers. Slightly subsidizing health insurance companies for the return of backing Medicaid/Medicare with their corporate strength. Furthermore, health care providers could still sell more comprehensive coverage to customers that wish it. Still enabling them to gain customers and profits.

Companies could benefit from this plan because they would no longer have to pay the cost for a group rate plan instead it would already be taken care of. Companies may elect to further insure their employees with additional coverage.

It is not advantageous for American Doctors and other professionals to have such a plan the Average doctor in America with a specialty makes twice what there counterparts in Canada makes.

This is why this would only be a offering to new doctors out of med school. These doctors have much more to gain by having their student loans paid off by the government instead of paying it off themselves. This would also not be a permanent thing because doctors of course would want to make a competitive salary. So when the student loans are paid off, the doctor having fulfilled his obligations to the program could go into private practice or work at any hospital that they so choose.