Failures of Existing US Government Run Health-Care Programs

MEDICARE

1) Medicare beneficiaries do not have the choice of physicians because many physicians elect not to participate in this program, mostly the result of the Medicare bureaucracy.

2) Many Medicare beneficiaries do not seek and/or receive adequate medical care. Medicare does not adequately cover medical expenses and must be supplemented by other insurance. Many Medicare beneficiaries often cannot afford the supplemental insurance. Government regulations will not allow Medicare beneficiaries to pay the difference; the Government’s assumption is that Medicare coverage alone is adequate. [NOTE: there is a television commercial where an elderly individual states that with Medicare AND her insurance she is able to get her motorized wheel chair].

3) The above will be compounded as Congress and the Administration take Medicare funds to offset some of the cost of the government managed public option.


TRICARE (The health-care benefits system for the US military)

TRICARE beneficiaries who have retired from the Armed Services (and their dependents) have even fewer choices in selecting their health-care provider than those in the Medicare system because TRICARE reimbursements to hospitals and health-care providers are less than those of Medicare. Consequently, many TRICARE beneficiaries live near heavily burdened military hospitals and clinics resulting in longer waiting times, effectively reducing access to care. This care is even further reduced for Medicare eligible patients – these folks are put at the bottom of the list for access to military clinics (yes, there is a cap) because they have (or could get) Medicare. A great way to treat our military retirees and their dependents!


VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VA)

VA beneficiaries encounter delays in their access to health-care. Case in point (true story): An elderly gentleman with advanced kidney cancer was given a prescription by his local medical oncologist for a medicine to be taken by mouth for his kidney cancer; the prescription would be filled at the local VA hospital. The VA refused to honor the prescription informing the patient he needed to see a VA medical oncologist. The patient died from his kidney cancer while waiting for his VA appointment; essentially, de facto rationing of healthcare. Nevertheless, you will hear elected officials tout the VA system as ideal.


So, you want another health-care program run by the U.S. government?

This article may be downloaded from my website:
thomasreid3md/home/health-care-reform