HCCD Report New York 10023

Health Care Community Discussion

The meeting was attended by five professionals of retirement.  Three are receiving Medicare; two have their healthcare covered by the New York City teacher’s retirement system.

Natalie, a self-employed psychotherapist,  has had a lifelong problem with severe migraine headaches that occur daily, finds the Medicare prescription benefit inadequate for her needs.  She needs two injections a day to control her condition, but her insurance only subsidizes one.  As a result, she spent $8000 on medication last year, since she has reached the donut hole in her benefits. She also complained about talking to a different person at her insurance company each time she called.

The biggest problems with the current healthcare system are:  the cost of  medical care for patients; the efforts to control costs by profit-making organizations; and the lack of insurance for millions of Americans.  The donut in prescription benefits is also a hardship for many retirees, and threatens their ability to sustain their prescribed medications.

The group felt unanimously that U.S. citizens should be on Medicare from birth;   and were in favor of single-payer insurance.  As things  stand now, profit-making has distorted the healthcare system, denying access to people who need it and limiting educational opportunities for healthcare workers.  This would be the time to study the successful healthcare systems of other countries to find models for restructuring ours.

All five attendees said they largely rely on recommendations from friends when finding doctors, as well as from their own physicians; some also do research on the web..  Joe said he interviews doctors and asks for their cv’s; a doctor’s connection with a teaching hospital is important to him.  It was suggested that there should be an annual evaluation of doctors by the healthcare system and that patient evaluations should be posted on the web. It was also suggested that many more physicians’ assistants and nurses be trained, and that  young doctors work for a time in poorly served rural areas in return for scholarship assistance.

Difficulty in paying medical bills could be addressed by a universal Medicare system. . The group unanimously favored the idea of having the option to purchase a private plan  beyond employer-based coverage, and in fact felt it would be best, in a reformed system, if employers were no longer responsible for the health insurance of their workers. Coverage for mental health should also be greatly expanded, and there should be insurance for dental care.

To promote healthier lifestyles, people should be encouraged to use bicycles and to stop smoking.  People should also receive nutritional advice from the time they start going to school.  One person felt there should be a huge tobacco tax, while another felt that healthier lifestyles should be promoted through incentives, rather than bans.

Other suggestions for reform of the healthcare system:

Tort reform, so that doctors would not give patients unnecessary tests

An electronic database of patients’ records

Emphasis on preventive care: mammograms, PSA tests, colonoscopies, etc.

Neighborhood medical centers for basic health services

Taking money from drug prevention programs and spending it on healthcare system

Broaden available mental health and dental care services

Extend the right of married people to make choices for  sick partners to gay couples.

Address the issue of campaign finance.  Political contributions from the healthcare industry should no longer be allowed.  You can’t have genuine reform unless you deal with the political problem.