HCCD Report Georgia 30513

The following represents the conscience of those present at our meeting. 

Participants: 

            Ron (Small Business owner)

            Cecilia  (Retired Teacher)

            Joseph (College Student)

            Raymond (M.D. 25 yrs)

            Bernard (Recreation Director)

            Monica (Health Inspector)

            Bill Grindstaff (Citizen)

Any medical program isolated form the free market competition will ultimately reduce the quality of available health care and create a system that is hard to use for the consumer.  The following are some specific areas we discussed and agreed on: 

1. Eliminate VA hospitals.
2. Restructure insurance policies
   1. To be used only for catastrophic events (i.e. Higher deductibles)
   2. Eliminate annually cumulative cap on insurance deductibles.  This practice tends to defeat the incentive to conserve medical resources. Auto and homeowners insurances are not set up this way. Like other insurance types, each incident should require a deductible.
   3. Make insurance policies more user friendly. 
   4. Streamline the doctors process for receiving payment from insurance companies.  Medical facilities currently pay up to 25% in order to receive payment.
3. Educate the public to help them take charge of their medical program.
   1. Teach more specifics about ways to help your self and family, i.e. healthy lifestyles, minor first aid, and self-medicating.
   2.  Make cost of medical care very accessible to patients so they can be more involved in deciding where to spend their money.
4. Expand the use of medical savings accounts.
   1. Individual savings accounts owned by the consumer but restricted for use in paying medical expenses.
   2. Created via required payroll deduction.
5. “Pharmaceutical middle men”  Reduce the need for these companies
6. Reduce government regulations restricting free enterprise, i.e. stark laws, CON laws.
7. Localized compilation of medical records accessible by patients and with patients permission, doctors.