HEALTH CARE

Health care is a topic that is best severed into smaller portions. The sub-sections are quality, cost, universal coverage, and a peripheral issues surrounding health care in general.

Rhode Island will be the focus of this discussion, but Rhode Island does not operate in a political vacuum. It is part of a national system. To the extent the two could be separately discussed, I will try to do so.

As to the quality of health care, there is little doubt that American health care in general leads most of the world. The American legal system has kept the system expensive as all hell but has succeeded to a goodly extent in making sure that just about every test has been completed to avoid a potential malpractice claim.

The reality is that the legal system has destroyed the cost effectiveness of health care. But, don’t blame it all on the lawyers. The doctors have a share in the related costs of health care. A friend once said “If doctors weren’t in it for the money, they’d be social workers” -- an interesting point to ponder.

This all leads to a system that is up to the highest standards and at the highest costs. With the exception of college costs, there is probably no area where costs have increased so dramatically. But high cost and high quality do not necessarily equate to efficiency.

The solution to any public concern over health care therefore must include a review of costs and procedures and a restructuring of the medical malpractice laws so as to retain it in concept while adopting a more reasonable standard for health care that is not considered inferior treatment.

Where there is a duty to treat in our hospitals, it is little wonder that those without health care coverage end up at the emergency room for treatment. As just about any idiot can tell you, time in the emergency room is both costly and wasteful. Hospitals are going broke. But, to address this problem, there needs to be available, affordable alternatives. Without this, why bother?

The question of universal coverage, then, becomes a political issue. The reality is that it is government that has created this situation and now it is considering such stupidity as forced insurance on everyone. The reality is that the state has extended its coverage beyond its means, expanded the ability to file malpractice actions, and now claims error. It is like a boy who shoots his parents begging mercy for being an orphan.

The facts generally demonstrate that health care in Rhode Island is available. It is of good quality. It is expensive. But it is available universally, that is, depending on the availability of money to pay for it. The problem for the government is that it has found itself in the role of paying party.

People enjoy the protections offered by ads for trial lawyers during the afternoon television schedule. All people like to be healthy and make money. That's a given. But the solution is not universal health care insurance. To indirectly tax people to pay for this is merely the same old government policy of "screwing up the works" and then putting the bill on the taxpayer, in this case not by direct tax, but by indirect mandatory insurance (a tax in disguise).

In the future I will try to expand on these thoughts, using this framework. The next installment is likely to address the holistic approach that is required to “solve” this government condoned crisis.

By standardizing care, by freeing up the system from questionable litigation, by providing for alternative care, and by getting the government as far away as possible, there may be a chance for recovery.