Question on H.R. 676: Does anyone support this?

We can build a cheaper and better heqalth care system. I support HR 676. I am always writing in favor of this idea. We spend way too much money on care and not nearly enough on prevention. HR 676 will move us towards an emphasis on primary care which yields better results at lower prices.

I don't think H.R. 676 is the answer. The bill covers all people residing the the US which is a great incentive for folks to immigrate illegally. To contain costs they'll have to limit coverage or reduce payments for services which will force more doctors to opt out of the system.

Thanks for the link though. It only took me about 3 clicks to be able to find the actual text of the bill. What we need is a bill that addresses the root causes of health care costs rather than the symptoms.

what do you suggest?

There are several things that can help reduce the cost of healthcare. Limit medical malpractice to actual damages plus some percentage for pain/suffering. Eliminate the practice of lawyers charging percentage contingency fees. Let them either work gratis or have their usual hourly rate as a contingency. That will help eliminate marginal and spurious lawsuits. Require equivalent pricing of drugs in the US with what the producers charge when they sell them in other countries. Establish a standard of action when new problems are found with existing drugs. If the manufacturer follows the standards and is honest and up front, shield them from product liability suits. If they try to hide a problem then hit them with quadruple damages.

Give people an incentive to be proactive with their healthcare. Pay a dividend to people who maintain a health weight, don't use tobacco, and attend regular checkups.

Set standards for testing and review actual care based on those standards. This could help prevent defensive medicine where a doc orders all kinds of tests whether warranted or not to protect himself. These are just a few suggestions but the biggest single thing would be if Congress would change it's approach to containing healthcare costs from treating the symptom to treating the causes.