Give job to stakeholders

Is it possible that politicians aren’t the best resource for redesigning our health insurance paradigm? The complicated machinations for taxing those who currently pay for, provide or receive medical care still can’t cover everyone.

Forcing employers to provide insurance cuts into businesses’ ability to profit. Unemployment rises. Penalties are a perverse incentive not to provide coverage because they cost less.

Cutting Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement exacerbates existing access problems, with nursing homes and physicians already dropping Medicare/Medicaid or closing their doors.

Taxing existing health benefits increases cost, reducing affordability to those currently insured.

Preventing insurers from limiting coverage leaves them with options of cutting benefits, lowering reimbursement (another way of cutting benefits) or cutting their own salaries (unlikely).

A public insurance option has all the allure of our current public options: Medicare (going broke), Medicaid (poorly run, few providers can afford to accept it), county hospitals (14 left nationwide) and the VA (so many, many problems).

Can’t we take time to do this right? Establish a panel consisting of the major stakeholders (citizens/patients, physicians, nurses, administrators, bio-ethicists …) and economists to explore problems, set goals and devise rational solutions. Better yet, establish several panels and we’ll all vote on the best plan.

C.A. Roller, M.D.

Spokane