Comments on: Opportunity for Coakley in March http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/news/opportunity-for-coakley-in-march/ Public Policy Research Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:19:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: David McKalip, M.D. http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/news/opportunity-for-coakley-in-march/comment-page-1/#comment-4020 David McKalip, M.D. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:45:03 +0000 http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/?p=1807#comment-4020 Coakley concludes (with no facts to support her conclusiosn) that price variation is: 1) bad, 2) not related to variation in quality or additional services and 3) must be stopped. The fact is that Massachussetts and other third party payers for healtyh care seek to put patients, doctors and hospitals on a budget. They want Dr's like me to spend no more than an arbitrary amount on a patient - based on what they can happen to raise from premiums or taxes. They would penalize me financially and professionally if I prescribe care that is over budget but that is needed by the patient. They don't even leave an escape mechanism for the patient: balance billing. It appears MAssachusetts not only wants to set a global budget for an "episode" of medical care (e.g. 90days around time of surgery), they want to deny the ability of a patient to pay out of pocket for more care or have a charity donate money to help them out. Why must all patients live in the global budget cage? Because cowardly politicians won't admit that their centrally planned medical economies require rationing. Because insurance companies want unnaturally high profits they get through unholy alliances with government. Because the nanny state knows best and it is the job of the patient/citizen to sacrifice for "The state". It is time to reject this faulty financial model for health care and grow personal out of pocket spending for routine annual medical care for patients. Health insurance needs to be deregulated to allow it to be more affordable? Why can Bay Staters by insurance from Idaho that is so much cheaper? Because the state says you can't. Interesting you can still buy auto insurance from the Geico lizard.... Coakley concludes (with no facts to support her conclusiosn) that price variation is: 1) bad, 2) not related to variation in quality or additional services and 3) must be stopped.

The fact is that Massachussetts and other third party payers for healtyh care seek to put patients, doctors and hospitals on a budget. They want Dr’s like me to spend no more than an arbitrary amount on a patient – based on what they can happen to raise from premiums or taxes. They would penalize me financially and professionally if I prescribe care that is over budget but that is needed by the patient.

They don’t even leave an escape mechanism for the patient: balance billing. It appears MAssachusetts not only wants to set a global budget for an “episode” of medical care (e.g. 90days around time of surgery), they want to deny the ability of a patient to pay out of pocket for more care or have a charity donate money to help them out.

Why must all patients live in the global budget cage? Because cowardly politicians won’t admit that their centrally planned medical economies require rationing. Because insurance companies want unnaturally high profits they get through unholy alliances with government. Because the nanny state knows best and it is the job of the patient/citizen to sacrifice for “The state”.

It is time to reject this faulty financial model for health care and grow personal out of pocket spending for routine annual medical care for patients. Health insurance needs to be deregulated to allow it to be more affordable? Why can Bay Staters by insurance from Idaho that is so much cheaper? Because the state says you can’t. Interesting you can still buy auto insurance from the Geico lizard….

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