http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23266596

By Whitney Ray
WJHG-TV
updated 5 minutes ago

Governor Charlie Crist is proposing a plan to help Floridas millions of uninsured afford health coverage. The plan cuts cost for working families and provides provisions for doctors to set up their own hospitals. While health care workers are praising some aspects of the plan some others say the proposal could hurt the community hospitals. Four months ago Vanishia Cramity gave birth to a baby girl. She was rushed to the emergency room, but when it came time to pay, she didnt have insurance to cover the cost.Im still paying it off and that bill is very, very high. Cramity says insurance is too expensive for her family. Governor Charlie Crist agrees. I want to get health coverage to the 3.8 million Floridians who dont have health insurance today. Governor Crist Wednesday announced a plan to help cut the cost of health insurance for low-income families. While the plan would help Floridas millions of uninsured it could hurt hospitals. The plan would eliminate the certificate of need allowing doctors to set up their own hospitals. Florida Hospital Association spokesman Rich Rasmussen says the proposal would create a two-tier system. Those who have insurance would go to one tier, those that have no insurance would go to another which would put all of our community hospitals at risk. Crist says his proposal would create healthy competition. If we can have less regulation of how health care is delivered in Florida, we have the opportunity to have lower rates available to people to get more coverage to the uninsured. The certificate of need was established 30 years ago, whether or not it survives the 2008 legislative session will be up to lawmakers.

You ought to go see the guy out at Microspine about this. He told me a year or so ago he was trying to buy Healthmark to upgrade it and bring in some more services but was unable to do so. His only other option was to try to get a Certificate of Need for another hospital. He said that process was so difficult he just decided to do something else. If this passes, I can see a lot more choices for all of us in this State.

__________________

Oh God NO! This can't end good....everything that Charlie touches turns to chit!


/

__________________
But hey...Top Ramen tastes a whole lot better when you eat it off of a Granite Countertop. (Mr & Mrs Too Much Homebuyer)

Florida State Flower

Instead of trying to find ways to make insurance affordable, why don't we just find ways to make health care affordable?

With the exception of a major illness/accident occurring, all of my healthcare spending for the year would cost less than my insurance premiums - if I was paying directly for a doctor's visit and medicine (at non-gouging prices).

Ala carte medicine would save a ton of $ on staffing and paperwork. I am sure my doctors would also love it if, instead of dealing with the insurance labyrinth, I just paid $50-75 per visit with things like Xrays and blood tests added on.

__________________
The enemy is ignorance.

Instead of making healthcare more affordable why don't we try to lessen the demand on the healthcare system by trying to make the population healthier? Bad habits (i.e. obesity and smoking) drive up healthcare costs for those of us that try to maintain healthy habits. I've always wondered why there has not been more emphasis on preventative medicine.

If he were a real fiscal conservative, he would require all healthcare providers to provide their price lists by CPT code, and discuss pricing of prescription drug options with patients. He would also promote the use of HCSA's and high deductible indemnity insurance, and move all state employees to such a system to promote the it's adoption. If conservatives would actually lead like conservatives then we might not all be staring down the barrel of a single payer system courtesy of President Clinton II.

All this plan does is make the insurance companies very happy, as they can crank up the negotiating pressure on hospitals under this plan. Unfortunately, there is virtually no chance that the savings will be passed along to the consumers. It also probably pleases a few specialty surgeons, who see hospitals as a ticket to riches because doctors' fees are so tightly regulated but hospital fees are not.

I certainly hope that if he drops the certificate of need requirement, he requires every hospital to have an emergency room that accepts indigent patients, or that he drops the requirement for current hospitals to operate an ER, otherwise we will end up with a two tier system.

As for Vanishia, she needs to call the hospital and tell them she can't pay her bill, but would be willing to pay 105% of the Medicare rate. I am sure the hospital would take it because that's way better than nothing or the Medicaid rate. Just spare the rest of us the cost of pandering to special interests and pretending it's conservative and promotes a free market.

...because it's not as profitable as medical treatment.

Have you ever heard of a lobbyist for Gold's Gym?








.

__________________
But hey...Top Ramen tastes a whole lot better when you eat it off of a Granite Countertop. (Mr & Mrs Too Much Homebuyer)

Florida State Flower

Every doctor I've ever known has strongly advocated preventative care and healthy habits. People are constantly being told that certain things are bad for them and that they should change their habits to improve their life, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. America's eating, fitness, and health habits keep getting worse.

__________________
The enemy is ignorance.

I think the problem is -- how do we legislate healthy habits? There is a ton of social pressure to be fit, but people are not motivated.

Do you think work/life balance is a part of the issue? Or the Farm Bill?

I think our lifestyle has a lot to do with it - the amount of TV watched, fast and fake processed food eaten, and time spent behind the wheel or desk.

Don't know how to reclose those floodgates though!

__________________
The enemy is ignorance.

Boortz says we need to look at total costs when making this argument. Healthy people evidently live longer and die slower. Both of these things greatly increase total costs per individual.

This is not me, so be gentle. I am just paraphrasing something I heard on right wing radio.

__________________

Chris Rock....There's no profit in a cure