Comments on: Ball on health care http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/09/14/ball-on-health-care/ Political news in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York state. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:36:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bruce http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/09/14/ball-on-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-47701 Bruce Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:41:58 +0000 http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/?p=11434#comment-47701 The only concrete actionable suggestion Assemblyman Ball makes is "Tort reform" and in and of itself this is not really a suggestion for how to improve healthcare. According to Patricia Danzon's "Liability for Medical Malpractice" as referred to by T.R.Reid on page 36 of his "The Healing of America" "... The nations total malpractice bill, including insurance premiums, big dollar verdicts and defensive medicine adds only 1% to our total healthcare costs." As far as Mr. Ball's suggestion that we "...cut out middlemen, insurance companies..." this would place us squarely in the same health care group as the third world which also provides healthcare on an out of pocket basis. Nowhere does Mr. Ball address reducing cost - in any concrete fashion - eliminating corporate healthcare rationing or covering the millions of Americans without health insurance at any given moment in America and the tens of thousands of them who will die of curable or treatable conditions because they can't get access to care. The only concrete actionable suggestion Assemblyman Ball makes is “Tort reform” and in and of itself this is not really a suggestion for how to improve healthcare.

According to Patricia Danzon’s “Liability for Medical Malpractice” as referred to by T.R.Reid on page 36 of his “The Healing of America” ”... The nations total malpractice bill, including insurance premiums, big dollar verdicts and defensive medicine adds only 1% to our total healthcare costs.”

As far as Mr. Ball’s suggestion that we ”...cut out middlemen, insurance companies…” this would place us squarely in the same health care group as the third world which also provides healthcare on an out of pocket basis.

Nowhere does Mr. Ball address reducing cost – in any concrete fashion – eliminating corporate healthcare rationing or covering the millions of Americans without health insurance at any given moment in America and the tens of thousands of them who will die of curable or treatable conditions because they can’t get access to care.

]]> By: samuelclemens http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/09/14/ball-on-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-47700 samuelclemens Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:25:09 +0000 http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/?p=11434#comment-47700 Medical Tort reform does work "Consider the results of tort reform. Perry pushed for the changes that have become a model for the nation. The legislation delivered common sense to the courtroom and created an unprecedented influx of new Texas doctors. That means greater access to health care for all of us. " http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-hicks_25edi.State.Edition1.26bf82c.html Medical Tort reform does work

“Consider the results of tort reform. Perry pushed for the changes that have become a model for the nation. The legislation delivered common sense to the courtroom and created an unprecedented influx of new Texas doctors. That means greater access to health care for all of us. ”

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-hicks_25edi.State.Edition1.26bf82c.html

]]> By: John http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/09/14/ball-on-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-47699 John Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:49:39 +0000 http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/?p=11434#comment-47699 Ball's "innovative" way to eliminate the middleman, is to allow Dr.s to collect their fees in advance directly from the patient. When you think about his plan, it is just plain dumb. Plus it does nothing to improve access to care or reduce the cost. Ball’s “innovative” way to eliminate the middleman, is to allow Dr.s to collect their fees in advance directly from the patient. When you think about his plan, it is just plain dumb. Plus it does nothing to improve access to care or reduce the cost.

]]> By: Andrew http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/09/14/ball-on-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-47698 Andrew Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:31:44 +0000 http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/?p=11434#comment-47698 Umm, pretty sure all those bullet-points from Ball are taken care of in the Dems' healthcare plans. Maybe HE should read the bill? (Notable exception might be "tort reform", but tort reform has been done before in Texas and other states and HASN'T measurably reduced costs, but has padded insurers' profits.) Umm, pretty sure all those bullet-points from Ball are taken care of in the Dems’ healthcare plans. Maybe HE should read the bill?

(Notable exception might be “tort reform”, but tort reform has been done before in Texas and other states and HASN’T measurably reduced costs, but has padded insurers’ profits.)

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