my solution to healthcare

So nationalized healthcare or nonnationalized healthcare, that is the question?

My solution a hybridization, partly because I like my private healthcare. This hybridization will lead to a nationalized healthcare system if the system is run smoothly and efficiently, but will allow individuals to seek private insurance if the public system is not run well. Less money will be needed to pay for the system as a private system will still exist which many individuals will choose to operate under and so taxes will not go up exponentially fund this program.

We create the National Health Insurance Board, it oversees Medicare and the futurely expanded Medicaid. We revamp medicare so it is just for elderly and simplify it (remove privitization as it confused elderly) and expand medicaid. We allow for the existence of a private healthcare alternative and if you make above a certain income you can buy into the government system in a graduated system that reflects your ability to pay but remains below the cost for private insurance.

Those within the public healthcare system have to pay a co-pay so that there is a cost control mechanism. The co-pay for an emergency room visit should be higher than for an office visit to a doctor. If determined necessary, this co-pay can reflect your income level (i.e., ER for poor = $10 and not poor = $20), but still not more than private insurance.

The government also takes over the payment for catastrophic long-term care illnesses, like cancer, etc., but without removing institutions like St. Judes. The government should encourage donations to such institutions to not only off-set government costs but continually connect the public to the needs of the fellow citizens. This offsetting will also reduce the cost of private insurance, thereby better allowing people to afford and reducing the strain on the government for everyday care. Individuals, if they so desire, can buy supplemental private insurance for catastrophy care if they so desire.

The government must negotiate with drug companies and drug companies are limited in what they can charge for drugs where some other source assisted in the creation of or payment for a drug. Any government investment is drug creation results in caps on profit (most drugs involve government grants or loans). Any new and innovative drug (i.e., not clarinex type drugs) that ends of failing, the drug companies can write off loans from the government up to some percentage. The government agency that is created to oversee the healthcare system will work to stabilize and equalize the costs for patient treatments and medical supplies so that one hospital isn't charging 10 times the rate of the hospital down the street for the same procedure.

Wow, that was so hard. Seriously government officials. I just came up with that in 5 minutes. What are you people doing?

Today's focus...education

With company giants like AT&T saying that can't bring back work to teh US because they can't find skilled worker's, one begins to question what our education system is producing today. Hint: the answer is NOT smart, responsible children. There are many problems with the education system, to list all of them would take a book. However, I'll just hit some quick points: 1. Underaged pregnancies. Solution: dispense birth control like candy, have condoms in every high school, and then use scared straight sex ed classes (you know, no form of birth control is perfect, all these scary STD's that even use of a condom won't prevent, etc.).
2. Non-driven children. Solution: Bring back dodgeball. If kids are given awards just for trying, they aren't going to try their hardest to succeed. By wanting kids to feel "good" about themselves, we are essentially killing their ambition. Oh, and remove junk food from schools.No pop. No chips. Lunch should be healthy. Studies show a positive effect on students who have healthy diets.
3. Kids not going to college. Solution: Be ok with that. College is not for everyone. However, those who don't go to college need to be given another avenue to find employment. Schools, especially inner city schools need to have strong vocational education programs that will get their kids jobs, programs targeted to the jobs available in the area in which they live.
4. Kids not being able to asjust well to the real world. Solution: manners. That's right good old manners education. Kids need to learn that respect is earned not given. They must learn that their superiors at work are in charge of them and they have to suck it up sometimes. They need to control their temper and their attitude and stop acting like little children.

So that's my suggestion on how to start approaching this matter. Bet none of this get's done though.