1. universal health care with significant changes and not,"cook book medicine"
2. REVISED MODEL TO ELIMINATE ANY GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT OR DELIVERY SYSTEM. THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T MANAGE SOCIAL PROGRAMS. WHEN THEY LEARN TO QUIT BEING GREEDY AND QUIT TAKING THE HARD EARNED MONEY OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS, AND CAN ACTUALLY BALANCE AND ENFORCE A BUDGET, I MIGHT RECONSIDER.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED A SYSTEM WHERE TOO MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE EVERYTHING GIVEN TO THEM. DEMOCRATS NEED TO GET OFF THEIR BEHINDS AND WORK FOR A CHANGE!
3. Government mandated health insurance, not government PROVIDED health insurance.
4. Stop giving public aid to young healthy people. Make medicare and public aid have co-pays for emergency room visits. Stop paying medical care for illegal aliens.
5. A Universal Health Care System with coverage by a single payor
6. A return to market incentives for the consumer. ie patients should care what is spent on their behalf.
7. A healthcare system that controls the costs of health insurance and pharmaceuticals in the same way the government regulates/controls utilities. We can have a functioning hybrid system without increasing dollars spent, by simply allowing gov control of price.
8. [No Answer Entered]
9. Universal healthcare provided by a single payer government system
10. A UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM THAT IS BASED ON WELNESS & PREVENTATIVE CARE RATHER THAN OU BROKEN SYSTEM WHICH IS BASED ON ILLNESS.
11. Revert to fee for service
12. I think that universal healthcare would be devestating to our advancements and for the care of our people. I would be interested in learning more about health savings accounts, making people more responsible for their healthcare and also encouraging health professionals to compete for better prices as well as standards of care.
13. [No Answer Entered]
14. Universal coverage for basic care; universal assistance with advanced/specialty care; ability to buy more insurance and physicians to charge more than paid under government funded programs; ability for physicians to unionize
15. A combination of the two! Insurance companies shouldn't tell me how to practice but then I must be a good steward of resources. It is hard to think, that at age 55 I would not be eligible for open heart surgery in Canada unless I could pay for it.
16. with all the tax money that gets wasted, stolen, overspent, etc. there wouldn't be a need for universal health care. Social Security wouldn't be in jeopardy either. Fix the greed and vice that goes on and health won't be an issue. We waste too many resources on illegal immigrants. Health care insurance companys have too much say in policy. Lets really focus on prevention instead of paying lip service to it.
17. both systems should be available
18. removal of all healthcare companies from the stock market to shift the business focus back onto patients and providers only. how can we allow non-providers to make a single dollar off the sick???
19. back to fee for service,,get rid of manage care and assignment, get governament out of health care,,has done nothing but increased the cost and access...
20. Ideally I'd prefer a return to a system without third party payment at all. Patients and doctors would agree upon appropriate payment for services and handle them privately. Public clinics for those who can't afford private care to be manned by resident physicians under the supervision of senior private physicians who, in return for their pro bono services can not be sued. Service in the clinics is a requirement for licensure, i.e., not voluntary.
21. 1)all healthcare purchases (insurance, drugs, etc) with pretax dollars, 2) tax credit 100% of the cost of standard plan full deductability above than, 3) prohibit preexisting exclusions allow individual underwriting for lifestyle choices (smoking, obesity, etc.)
22. Changing to a system putting MORE responibility on individuals, such as Health Savings Accounts, instead of employer provided "free" care. We need to have patients limit their own care instead of feeling that medical care is free which could lead to rationing access.
23. A model that allows the market to dictate products, services, and pricing with very little government interference and much less oversight and regulation.
Most of the other questions in this survey are unanswered because the options given do not approximate this model or reflect the role of the patient in making healthcare choices and influencing a market driven model. For example, Question #6 below---my answer "probably/likely worse" is not an option.
24. Protcet the needed but remove the middle man in the system that take money out of the system to pay their salaries and shareholder dividends.
25. test
26. 2 systems, private and public
27. One based on teh British NHS system
28. 1) Fiscal responsibility of employers to provide healthcare, 5+ employees.
2) Group insurance rates available to employers employing 1-5 employees.
3) Monitor the administrative component of insurance companies (PPO, HMO, Non Profit and Commercial) and their bonus systems.
4) Tort reform.
29. Quality health care syould be universally available and accessible. However, I would not force people to enter against their will. The current systen is broken and even significant improvements will not make quality health care universally available and accessible. Therefore, some changes within any system will have to be government mandated, such as ALL providers, at all levels, individual and corporate MUST do their share and prove it, or lose the ability to practice or be a provider. There must be a national data base of health information that is safe and portable. There mus be some regulation of the cost of pharmaceuticals.
30. Needs to be a complete system but not a government beaucracy like the VA, Medicare, or Medicaid. I spend a lot of time in Costa Rica which has a government medical system for all and the quality of care is very very poor; Thus a private system which is as good as the US system has developed for those with insurance or CASH.
If the universal government run system in the US is as bad as the VA system, Medicare, or Medicaid patients, doctors, and the country will be in bad shape.
We need health care for ALL but in needs to be a system where ALL get quality care not just access after waiting months to get in.
31. one payer system
32. mixed system with iniversal health care and private insurance to enhance coverage if individual desires.
33. The best solution to the healthcare crisis is to return to a model of non-profit third party payor system.
34. Truly, a free market system. A safety net for those persons who are truly impaired and as a result unable to pay for medical services.
35. People should not rely on the government for this.
36. A system similar to military health care system with the option to go out of system for additional fee.
37. Mandates that hold people accountable, not just employers, much like states require auto insurance, banks require homeowners insurance.
38. For better QUALITY care, go back to 100% market-driven, private, fee-for-service care (i.3. get the government OUT of the health care business). For better ACCESS to care (regardless of quality), the governmment would have to "take over" the whole industry (including pharmaceuticals)--quality would undoubtedly suffer, but everyone would have coverage of basic health care. This "in-between" stuff is bad for everyone!
39. Taking steps to discourage frivolous lawsuits, and drive down the operating cost for healthcare.
Taking steps to control managed care systems. Currently the discounted rate is not enough to see each patient.
Force managed care systems to pay for preventive primary care.
40. INDIVIDUAL health insurance. No more employer sponsored plans. No state mandates. Church/charity for those without insurance after SOME payment according to income or other resources.
41. I think that we should have a government sponsored healthcare system that could look like any of the European or Canadian systems. Any , and all of these systems are better thatn the current chaos and greed-driven program here.
42. Get the Government out of Healthcare
43. Fee for service. Let the market and competition between providers settle the costs of healthcare.
44. A two-tiered system where there is a safety net of basic care for those that need it and a private component, where those who can afford it receive and pay for premium care. Also Medicare should be need-based and physicians should be able to bill above what Medicare reimbursement levels are.
45. The currant system with significant improvements including doing away witht he VA system and give all military/families/retirees and insurance card to use what everybody else uses. Would cut down on major waste and duplications. Next the whole coder/counter-coder systems is a big expenses and yeilds no care and no real help to providers. You put in a code and they reject it and gets referred to someone else to review and recode and so forth and so on. Huge waste!
46. I'm not a health care professional, sorry.
47. user Pay
48. Single payor
49. A universal type heathcare coverage that allows every American citizen at least basic heathcare, supplemented by the option for multiple additional health care benefit options for those who want and can afford more than the basics. I feel the HMO's should have to compete with each other on a national level to drive the marketplace and force them to pay attention to customer service. I do not feel a government program is the answer; the government has done a horrible job of running the VA and the medicaid/medicare system. We need private providers to supply customer driven services. Wasting physician's time with more rules, restrictions, and profit-driven regulations is simply going to further damage the dr-pt relationship and make more physicians want to quit medicine.
50. [No Answer Entered]
51. A universal model with individual ownership, choice of multiple providers, and significant personal responsebility for heathy living.
52. THE CONGRESSMEN HAVE A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT WORKS WELL. A UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RUN LIKE MEDICARE AND THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER. IF THE CEOS DIDN'T MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE SYSTEM WOULD BE BETTER. THERE ARE NO CHECKS AND BALANCES ON HMOS THE WAY INSURANCE WAS WATCHED AND THAT KEEPS THEM DANGEROUS.
53. a system which rewarded patients for their behaviors.. and one that did not allow abuse of the system by the patients. There is much of the time too little effort and accountability for the patient. Prevention should be rewarded in healthcare costs.
54. Health care savings accounts or insurance as mandatory but with significant choices available. It should come straight out of wages paychecks and directed toward a health care plan of the earners choice. Government health plans would be worse than what we have now. Uninsured is not the same as uninsurable. Some people choose to spend their money on things other than healthcare and then expect that their bills will be paid by others. This is unacceptable. This is the group that are uninsured by choice.
55. Complete governmental control. Universal access
56. Single payor tax based universal health insurance
57. A market-based system based on consumer choice.
58. I favor a single payer, national health insurance plan as proposed in HR 676
59. get the lawyers and the government out of practicing medicine -- let the doctors practice medicine.
60. The Quincy Model for Universal Health Care for the United States -- Quincy Foundation for Medical Research-Charitable Trust
61. Complete elimination of ALL third party payers, except kith, kin, and charities, and return to a direct physician-patient relationship, with fee-for-service. The fee-for-service, in specie or in-kind, to be determined, on a case by case basis, with mutual decision-making and agreement between physician and patient, which includes outcome probabilities and promise of patient compliance and feedback; and the fee at appropriate times to be based on a sliding scale, and to allow for small, regular, longterm payments. Physicians should also be encouraged but not required, to do charity work. The overall effects would be to: increase integrity of physicians; lower physician income, but increase their quality of life; increase physician professionalism, and increase their respect by the community; give better medical access to ALL citizens; help slow our country's further advance into totalitarianism.
62. universal health care for all people similar to the VA for all major health conditions. Additional care and extras provided by private insurances. Dual pay system
63. Patients must for the most part take the role of payor - not employers.
64. Less government interference. Insurance deductible to the individual not the employer.
Acknowledge that the demand is unlimited and the supply is limited.
65. unsure
66. New regulations to prohibit all insurance companies from any pre-existing exclusions. Regulations to prhibit insurance companies from price fixing group plans. Policies should be based on age.
67. Combo of Private/ universal w portion of high dedectibles and/or co-pays to limit access but not restrict it.
68. Universal health care with private care available, the British and German systems.
69. Universal health care with private care available, the British and German systems.
70. A combination of UHC and pay-as-you-go
71. I actually think that we have an excellent model for delivering helath care in a semi managed way in our VA system. I think that a combo of that system with free enterprise as a part to encourage companies to continue to develop and market competative and needed new treatments would work best.
72. privatize medical care so it is purchased much like one purchases an automobile.
73. Individuals should be responsible for their own health care. Third Party payors are one of the reasons that healthcare is so high today.
74. I think we should cut way back on health care costs so that people can afford it without health insurance. That's the way it used to be and it made people more accountable for their health and the management of their money.
75. allow doctors to have their own "insurance" companies. Money is paid to doctors and they spend it as they feel is medically necessary for their patients.
76. Allow for an end to HMO's, and have competition among those who are giving
the care. I recently was paying over 3,000 twice a year for an MRI. This
was what was left for me to pay after insurance. A new radiology company
offered it for 65 dollars, with my insurance covering the rest. It is unfair
to offer universal coverage, we are not a socialist nation. Large corporations have bought up what were once church run hospitals in my community.
77. fee for service
78. Elimination of expensive, futile, end-of-life care requested by families. Also more personal responsibility. If patients do not care for themselves when preventive medicine would be relatively cheap and easy, they should not later quality for disability and free healthcare, say when kidneys fail because a choice was made not to treat hypertension or DM.
79. Removal of the government from any healthcare plans except catastrophic insurance coverage, and then this should be for everyone.
Short term health coverage for uninsured may be acceptable, but heath insurance should be a free market commodity, preferably in the non-profit sector.
80. Single payer system
81. A reasonably priced health plan for the thousands of workers not provided benefits by their employer
82. Pre-1960's model
83. A return to the principles of the Hippocratic Oath and Title XVIII sec 1801 of the Medicare Law. There is a difference between universal health care and access to universal health care.
84. a universal, single-payer health care delivery system
Queestions below relate to UHC. Because UHC alone is not enough to distinguish between multiple-payer and single-payer I could not answer your questions.
The question: "Do you feel that patient care would be better or worse in a UHC system, the answer is 'No' in a UHC, multiple-payer system and 'Yes' in a UHC, single=[ayer sytem
85. a universal, single-payer health care delivery system
Queestions below relate to UHC. Because UHC alone is not enough to distinguish between multiple-payer and single-payer I could not answer your questions.
The question: "Do you feel that patient care would be better or worse in a UHC system, the answer is 'No' in a UHC, multiple-payer system and 'Yes' in a UHC, single=[ayer sytem
86. Either universal healthcare or the current system with improvements. If there was universal healthcare, then legislators should ensure that it doesn't lower primary care physicians' salaries to "help pay for the system." Also, patients should continue to be charged a small co-pay to avoid the temptation of overusing and abusing the health care system. In addition, we should make sure we have enough physicians to provide care for the extra patient burden (increase medical school class sizes for e.g.)
87. A 2-tier system:
One component, free, run like the VA, accessible to all, funded by taxes on employers and individuals, but with some limitation of services (rationing)
A second privately funded system for those who want no limitation of service and will pay for it through either insurance premiums or "out of pocket".
88. 1) Make the political leaders walk the talk-i.e. they should have the same benefits they are forcing upon the general population
2) Allow all U.S. citizens to have a health savings account (with yearly contribution max at least equal to deductible)
3) Allow all U.S. citizens to get a tax deduction/credit for the health insurance premium of that individual's choice
4) Allow all U.S. certified health providers to get a tax deduction/credit for the charity care they provide in the U.S., its territorial waters or airspace
5) Have truth in pricing-i.e.- tell the customer, the patient, the actual cost of goods and services prior to purchase in non emergent situations
6) End the anti trust exemption for insurance companies
89. A better private healthcare system not put together by politicians or input from medical groups that will reap either political benefits or financial rewards by putting in their system.
The system should be put together by practicing healthcare providers that will analyze what is beneficial and what is necessary (and what is not) within each specialty. It is time to turn healthcare back to the people who perform it and by not using their information we can never provide coverage at a reasonable price. A government run program will produce the same result similar to every other government run program with the exception that this one will not only bankrupt us but also leave voids in the system that only impedes the health and welfare of the entire population.
90. The current healthcare model with TORT REFORM. Without tort reform, all is doomed. And we are circling the drain as it is right now.
91. a signle payer system with providers independent
92. A model designed by physicians, not people that have no understanding of the practice of medicine.
93. Blend of basic universal health and option to subscribe to higher tier of coverage through private insurance.
94. A universal health care but not totaly "free" for those that do not have one and for small businesses to be able to provide employees with something. Everyone will need to "pay at a proraed basis. I belive tha is the model tha the state of MA has. We should also keep the model that we have right now also. Do not get rid of the insurance that is alresady out there being provided by big business and for those who can afford insurance.
95. not familiar
96. UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL BASED ON A FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FORMULARY OF TESTING, ETC.
PERHAPS EXTENDED TESTING COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
THIS DOES NOT LIMIT QUALITY HEALTHCARE TO THE WEALTHY AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS FUNDRAISING ORGANIZATIONS...EXAMPLE, OPRAH'S BIG GIVE... TO ASSIST EVERYONE.
FIRST THOUGH, WE MUST LIMIT THE LIABILITY OF PHYSICIANS... PERHAPS BASED ON AN OUTCOME CRITERIA... FOR EXAMPLE, DOES PHYSICIAN HAVE AN INFECTION RATE ABOVE THE ACCEPTED NATIONAL AVERAGE? I HESITATE TO ADD REPORTED LAWSUITS AS THIS BRINGS UP THE LAWYER /DOCTOR/ADVERSARY RELATIONSHIP.
IF PEOPLE TRULY WANT AN INSTITUTION WITH THE LATEST TING AVAILABLE, I BELIEVE SOMEONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BUILD IT... BUT, IT SHOULD NOT BE FUNDED WITH GOVT MONEY AND RECEIVE GOVT MONEY.
97. Mandated health care for all citizens and non-citizens living in the US. Insurance plans would include a choice of private, subsidized and government programs (ie Medicare/Medicaid)
98. I would like to see the developement of a 2 tiered health care system, with a basic program availiable as sort of a UHC. This could cover basic needs, er care, preventiive care, but would have inherent delays in non emergent care. A second tier would cost more, but allow patients access to care more in the way they wish, more like our current system. This would give basic health care to those who cannot afford the current insurance, but also give choice to those that can afford it
99. The term "most beneficial" is loaded. Most beneficial from whose point of view? I think universal healthcare, as most European countries have, is far better: health care indicators (ie maternal-fetal death, etc.) are so far better elsewhere). But, we cannot suddenly eliminate what we have and suddenly create something new---and have it accepted. This is what Hillary tried to do. We need to work with all aspects of the system to change consumer attitudes, gradually changing the direction of the monolith.
100. The current system, with added financial incentives for prevention and staying healthy, and lower health insurance premiums for people who maintain a healthy weight, maintain normal blood pressure (whether through treatment of exercise and diet), and do not smoke.
101. Total ban on all middleman creaming the system under the pretext of insurance. Government playing the role of educator to the public on what to buy and where to buy. There is already this monstrous system of tort law which ensures public from fraud and abuse. We do not need a government system to prevent fraud and abuse. Public buying the service direct from physicians. You know how much money you can put in peoples pocket to buy healthcare? Government can give tax rebates for health spending, but even that is regulation. For food people buy from cheap to very expensive, for clothing people depend on christmas drive to designer clothes. For transportation there are people depending on public transport to ferraris. What is wrong with diferences in healthcare? Other extreme will be universal free healthcare, but why not free food clothing dwelling which is fraction of the healthcare cost? People just do not have to work.
102. A system or medical saving accounts ($4000-$5000) a year to everyone that can be rolled over year to year, can earn interest, and can only be spent on health care controlled by the individual with additional catastrophic health care insurance for accidents and chronic illnesses
103. whatever it takes to get big pharmaceuticals and insurance companies from running medicine will solve our problems
104. tax incentivized insurance; removal of "participation" agreements in order to impose financial responsibility for care on the patient.
105. One that actually pays physicians in a timely fashion at a fair and reasonable value.
106. Stop HMO's from restricting care to specific doctors and hospitals...and similarly if care ie surgery etc is available at the community hospital patients should be treated there instead of being referred to miles away to outside of the community. Creating a negative feedback loop causing the services that are so much needed for the community close down because not enough patients to keep the services in the community ie cancer care, cardovascular surgery etc
Need to create laws that allow patients choice and keep the patients in the community for reasons to keep needed sevices in the community
MDs who are serving hospitals affected majorly by close proximity to MOs shoud be involved in creating laws to balance this
107. Need to eliminate the third party payor for "elective" medical care and "premium" medications. There should be free government sponsored care for the top ten medical conditions (DM, HTN, CAD, Obesity, Pediatric vaccines, pre-natal care and delivery, etc . . .) There also needs to be a system for trauma and emergency care. Individuals who want elective care need to have private insurance.
108. A Single Payer plan!
109. The biggest problem is the payor system, until we can come up with a single (transparent) cost for for all patients what will we be fixing?
110. A return to traditional physician-patient relationship without undue external influence from government
111. A healthcare system that would universally insure basic healthcare coverage for annual checkups, vaccinations, and emergency coverage for sudden onset of some acute illnesses( with certain limits in place ). All children under the age of twelve years of age should have total healthcare coverage. This country can afford,at least universal healthcare for children.
112. I don't know, but our current healthcare system is broken, likely beyond repair. The current system is a disservice to both patients and healthcare providers. If there is not some type of significant change, the healthcare professions will no longer be able to attract the type of people that are capable of providing effective care.
113. [No Answer Entered]
114. Choice of goverment sponsored coverage or private ensurance
115. Catastrophic health care coverage with tax deductible minimums and co pay
116. A market based system that encourages competition and innovation. The government should be out of the business of dictating health care with the exception of a safety net.
117. Something similar to the congress health-care
However the need to limit benefits and have all pts. responcible for some part of its use.
118. Individual purchase of health insurance not dependent on employment.
119. Create a universal risk pool ( will lower costs ); fedral tort reform; uncouple health insurance and employment ( ie: universal portability ).
120. ONLY Hillary Clinton's plan for universal health care with a MANDATE.
121. Possibly a hybrid system - w/integration of the benefits of the current system driven by consensus and ultimate oversight of medically trained professionals - with the focus on overall best outcomes
122. I like the idea of a universal health care system for many reasons--coverage that is acceptable all over the US, so that if someone needs care outside their own state, they can get it. However, the cost to provide the same quality that we have now will be exorbitant. I would like to see a universal health care system WITH a sliding scale premiums payment structure, an upfront amount like we have now with our Aetna insurance--with then a higher deductible--which needs also to be matched to ability to pay, or placed in a medical IRA that can be taken from year to year. We need to change the payments to reward preventative care and encourage patients to do more preventative behavioral changes, and also pay doctors fairly. Those who have to use their brains, as opposed to being fancy technicians, need to be paid appropriately. We MUST change the rewards away from procedures--until we do, we will continue to see increasing specialization, and increasing costs.
123. Universal healthcare for basic medical needs, with the option of purchasing supplemental insurance for luxury care (organ transplants, etc)
124. Universal for basic care (ie, preventative medicine, prenatal check-ups, routine gyne care for women) with the option to buy coverage for more comprehensive care.
125. Current system with significant malpractice and insurance company regulation/reform and coverage for all uninsured citizens, required by law, and purchased on a sliding scale basis.
126. a revision of the current system
127. Universal health care is the most efficient but also the most easily destroyed by government bureaucrats. On the other hand, given the corrupting influence of money on our government, real change may be impossible without kicking the insurance companies out.
128. MCO's were a disaser! Go back to fee for service. We have doctors that cant't even afford air-conditioning, while the CEO's of insurance companies and healthcare companies are making million dollarsa year. That isn't right! Right now, it looks like the best model would be Health Savings Accounts.
129. The system needs a complete overhaul, but a single-payer system (esp. w/ the gov't as THE payer) would not be an improvement.