Could Healthcare Reform Transform America?

On my last post, I mentioned at the end that "reform will have to be imposed on" the healthcare system to control costs if private companies don't do it. An interview with Steve Forbes on Larry Kudlow's CNBC show has just discussed this very topic. This is what they say private companies should do.


Steve Forbes

Steve Forbes says that if insurance could cross state lines, then competition between insurance companies would bring down prices. He advocates medical insurance companies offering catastrophic insurance at affordable prices. He also suggest offering medical insurance that is portable, rather than dependent on employers with the help of tax incentives. As it is now, medical insurance can determine hiring success in America.

With federally-run Medicare and Medicaid "running out of money" he says that we don't want any more government-involvement or else medical insurance companies will get extra money. (Menioned in my last post, they did in 2003 with the Medicare Modernization Act.) He thinks medical care is "antiquated" in the U.S. He approves of clinics -- "Docs on the block"-- to treat minor ailments, and mentioned that perhaps doctors could use email. Steve Forbes thinks that healthcare reform must be a grass-roots effort, not government-led.

Let's hope transformational change swiftly insures 50 million Americans. Are you optimistic?