Health Care Reform

Some thoughts on Health Care from the Dean of Havard Medical School. Too often the health care debate consists of Dems pushing their idealogical, partisian approach and criticizing Repubs for standing in the way of progress and Repub not offering any meaningful alternatives beyond the good ideas of increased competition and tort reform.

It should be obvious that we can not just add 50 million people to our current system without considerable costs and considerable increases in waiting times to get into seeing a doctor. And probably extra cost increases because emergency room usage will increase when people can't get into seeing a doctor otherwise. Doctors aren't just working at 70% of capacity now, waiting to provide service to all these new people.

And you can not just cut $50 billion or so, c 16%, from Medicare spending. Oh sure, you can pay less to the Doctors but they are not required to take Medicare patients. What would you do if you got 20% less for working for someone? Would you find another employer?

Somewhat is going to have to explain that we either need rationing or some customer based pricing for services. Someone who insists on motorized scooters and medical testing of questionable value should have to pay out of pocket.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704431804574539581994054014.html