Healthcare & America: Bureaucracy & Capitalism at their worst.

I’m not a doctor, or a healthcare expert. Just a barely employed father who’s getting eaten up by a system that is failing on both bureaucratic and capitalist levels.
America is a charitable nation, an innovative nation and for much of history, these facts and others helped keep medical care, and its costs somewhat controlled.
So what happened?
Well, a lot of things.
First of all our Federal government has created so much regulation and so many barriers, that setting up a healthcare business or building a hospital is just slightly less daunting than building a nuclear power plant. And unlike nuclear power, there are very few alternatives to doctors, nurses and hospitals for to treat illnesses or injuries.
We’re watching Congress play games again, on an issue that effects every single one of us. We’ve heard the tropes. One out of every six dollars spent in this country is spent on Health services. What’s worse, the laws and legislation governing the entire system were written, not by doctors or even Hospital Administrators. Instead, Insurance companies, and pharmaceutical lobbyists have ultimately been the authors.

The Affordable Care Act & Medicare Part D are two of the most expensive programs in our nation’s history, created by the people who profit on Sick Care. Health has almost nothing to do with it. And the tax burden to pay for these programs fall squarely on the middle class.
So regulation and legislation has made insurers wealthy and insurance incredibly expensive. Even still, somehow the American spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship has fought desperately to bring down prices
Take something simple these days like Lasik eye surgery. Or something self absorbed and a tad sordid like Breast augmentation. These procedures are almost always considered elective or cosmetic surgeries. Almost no insurance government or private will cover these procedures. But millions of Americans want bigger boobs and eyes that work without glasses. So what’s happened? The cost of these surgeries has been cut drastically over the last two decades, while the cost of basic services and citizens access to those services has continued to skyrocket.
Why? My guess is that regulations and the inefficiency of government have largely crushed market forces. And in reality, when you get cancer or break you’re leg, you can’t do a whole lot of comparison shopping. So pure market capitalism is not an option… especially the way the system is set up today.
Here’s the thing. It’s easy to piss and moan, but in Part II I’d like to explore some possible solutions. Before I do, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions?
1- Is Health Insurance a right or a privilege?
2- Is there a way to create a national system that is government based and similar to enlisting in the military?
3- Can we admit that we are all going to die? (Palliative care is incredibly expensive)
Writer, Journalist and lifelong learner I’m looking to have tough conversations, be challenged and create a new place where ideas can be explored without the fear of being demonized. Check out my new concept @ www.newcenterview.com