Mxsmanic wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder writes:

Tort reform would help. As it is now if you go to the Doctor with a
cold he is more likly than not to run tests that aren't going to
find anything other than you have a cold because of the off chance
that you might have something else.

How would you handle doctors who are truly guilty of malpractice?
What sort of reforms would you enact?

Loser pays for a start. If that is to much for you the jury could be given 3
options instead of 2.

1. For the plaintiff
2. For the defendant
3. This case is so silly the plaintiff AND their attorney needs to pay the
defendant's legal fees plus some amount for wasting everybody's time.


Higher deductible are a good thing for a couple of reasons. They
make the insured take more care when they decide to see a doctor. In
the US it is not unusual for people to go to the doctor when they
really don't need to because all it is going to cost them, out of
their own pocket at that moment is $30.00. When they do the first
issue comes into play.

I've always thought it would be nice to have a policy that requires
you to pay back any medical expenses in the last six months of your
life out of your estate. Most people run up more than half their
lifetime medical bills during their terminal illness. If you exclude
these bills from coverage, you can dramatically lower premiums. And
since you can't take it with you, there no reason not to use the
estate to pay the final bills.


Well the wife or husband might have a problem with that particular idea.


A better fix than the higher deductable is a Health Savings Account.
It has all the systemic benefits of the high deductable and really
causes people to take ownership of their health care.

People have very little control over whether or not they get sick.
Most cannot save enough to pay for major medical care, no matter how
hard they try, and no matter how healthy they stay. The first
hospital visit will wipe out their savings (as it routinely does
already for many people).


Most of those with an HSA would also have a Major Medical policy for things
like heart attacks or cancer.