Saturday, November 01, 2008

XO's Health Care Plan

We are the wealthiest and most scientifically advanced nation on the planet.

It is absolutely barbaric that any of our citizen's should be allowed to get sick and die through lack of health care when we have the means to prevent it.

This is not rocket science. It's medical science and we have it.

My Simple Plan

1. Every child born in the United States is entitled to a full Human Genome Map.

2. Genetic and medical information is an inviolable trust between a doctor and a patient. No law may be enacted that would allow 3rd parties to gain access to this information. Only the patient, immediate, authorized family members, and linearly authorized health care professionals.

3. Legislation prohibits anyone at any level in business, government or society from discriminating against anyone based on their Human Genome Map.

4. Every citizen is entitled to a full "Level 1 Diagnostic", once a year. This is a full physical and mental evaluation using the latest state of the art diagnostic tools. Full blood works, MRIs, EKGs, X Rays, every diagnostic test that the bleeding edge of medical science can apply.

5. Employers are required to give each employee paid time off work to receive both diagnosis and treatment as needed.

6. Every citizen is entitled to a lifelong medical regimen based on the delta between the yearly diagnostic exams and their Human Genome Map baseline. All conditions affecting a citizen'x mental and physical health are monitored and treated from cradle to grave.

7. Commercial Health Insurance is eliminted and single, tax payer funded system is established. The financial burden for providing this level of health care will be levied equally across all levels of society. We all pay for the health care of all of us.

There is no reason for anyone in this country to be denied health care. We can afford it. We should provide it.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know a way to pay for it that is easier than that...tax churches.

:-D

I Travel for JOOLS said...

I have long supported a change in our health care system and chastised the Republicans for their lack of attention and caring on this very serious issue.

XO, your plan is futuristic and interesting and may be the plan after the baby boomers are dead and gone, but not affordable now.

I'd be happy if everyone had the same plan that our congress has, and yes I agree everyone should pay for it.

Old Fart said...

A taxpayer funded system? Nothing can go wrong there, we know the government is trustworthy, caring, and always looking out for our best interests.

Anonymous said...

Simple and interesting idea, X.O.

The only issue is #2, which necessitates #3 is just a candle in the wind.

A priori any information that is logged into the current 'net attached systems is already compromised. And not only by the 'net gangs that have cracked nearly everything. The central problem is Social Security.

Though it currently is a federal crime to even ask for someone's SSN for nearly any reason -rental agreements, insurance, the info sheets your new Dr. or Dentist asks you to fill out, in fact almost everything except direct transactions with primary fiduciary orgs; your bank, for example- in fact the ubiquity of the number in public life is exceeded only by its presence in every database you can think of, either as a primary, secondary key or foreign key. And that’s just the Federal systems.

Experian, Equifax, Paydex, IntelliScore and TransUnion, as well as the 3rd party data providers that have sprung up to get around federal law that allow anyone –for a fee- to research anyone else, have exponentially compounded the problem.

For all intents and purposes, yours, mine, everyone’s Social Security number is an easily accessible bit of data.

And I’ll say it again; there are already laws against its misuse. But too many individual states, Missouri among them, allow data mining by nearly any and all comers. (Here’s something for Jason Kander to take up should he wish to slay an unpopular, though powerful dragon: enact legislation that allows every Missourian to lock down their credit at the Big 3 so that NO ONE can look at your credit without your written permission *)

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What is needed, then, is a new system. Or two.

RE Social Security, ideally all we need do is generate pseudo-random primary numbers of, say, 20 digits, to replace the current blown 9 digits. However, severing all ties to the octopus wrapped tightly around our privacy will take a ton of effort that will be fought against at every level: should the government endeavor to alter the system, someone will try to also “fix” Social Security at the same time, thereby dooming the effort.

Also, a secondary data storage network, off-net (hard-line) and accessible only by care providers, needs to be built to handle your specs. A worthy WPA-like project, one that perhaps President Obama will initiate.

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Solve those 2 little details and it’s a great plan.

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* There are a few caveats; if interested Google the information and look at California’s law.

Xavier Onassis said...

poodlesplace - Agreed Supplemented by legalized and highly taxed weed.

travel - part of me is surprised that you would agree with my idea. But another part that knows you a little better can understand it perfectly.

old fart - I would trust a taxpayer funded, government controlled (said government being in the control of said taxpayers), before I would EVER trust a group of investors looking to maximize their profits and line their own pockets at the expense of the sick. Fuckin' A, bubba! Free Market Health care doesn't work worth a flying fuck!

doc - Excellent analysis. You make a lot of absolutely valid points about the privacy issue. Unfortunately, the very concept of "privacy" is probably obsolete, there is no turning back the clock and we should all just get used to it. The very first time someone asked a citizen for their SSN, that person should have refused and taken the case all the way to the Supreme Court. But the gullible sheep that surround us were all too eager to give up their privacy for convenience, expediency and the illusion of safety. Apparently, we don't cherish privacy enough to deserve it.

FletcherDodge said...

"said government being in the control of said taxpayers"

This is absolutely your funniest line of the weekend. You always crack me up.

Xavier Onassis said...

emaw - you have absolute control and you can exercise it on Tuesday.

Demosthenia said...

There's also the issue of personal responsibility. We need to get off our collective fat asses and exercise. Quit smoking. Get healthy. Or pay for our choices.

That's the line the insurance companies like to use anyway...

I know...we give tax breaks to everybody else, so why not incentivize healthy living??? A tax break if you quit smoking or lose 25 pounds or whatever...



(Tongue mostly in cheek...)

FletcherDodge said...

XO, I plan on exercising my right to vote again on Tuesday (in addition to the three times I've already voted in advance).