One writer for the Telegraph says that "Healthcare has been so politicized for so long and people suffer as a result." His solution? Push for the support of a bipartisan healthcare bill.
- Last week the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions reached an agreement on a bipartisan healthcare bill. The bill intends to stabilize the insurance market by restoring cost-sharing reduction payments, but President Trump stopped it last week, saying the bill makes it easier for states to offer plans with fewer requirements. While the bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, whether it moves forward seems to depend on President Trump’s support. Trump's response has varied and his administration is pushing for more anti-Affordable Care Act concessions. One writer said that we need to push for this bill saying that, "None of this should be reduced to political gamesmanship. Healthcare legislation and budgets are moral documents. They are about what we hold dear. They are about the human family. They are about people. Providing for the common good is the business of politics."
- A commentary article on CNBC cites "Obamcare's 'original sin' as the greatest problem with healthcare." The article goes on to say that, "The Trump administration's lack of a viable strategy for American healthcare just magnifies the original sin of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), which failed to address the root cause of America's health care problems: unhealthy lifestyles that account for 50-70 percent of healthcare costs."
- Do nonprofit hospitals need more regulations? A Fox News opinion writer thinks so. "In all the talk of repealing failed Obamacare and replacing it with a well-functioning, fiscally responsible and consumer-friendly set of policies, health insurance providers have taken a beating. But one area of the healthcare industry that hasn’t been examined hard enough is where the bulk of healthcare takes place: hospitals, especially nonprofit hospitals. Ascension, the largest nonprofit hospital network in America runs more than 140 hospitals, 30 senior care facilities and overall claims to have more than 1,200 healthcare facilities in 22 states. In 2016 the nonprofit Ascension made almost a half-billion in profits. Such hospitals are able to make that kind of money, not only from patients who pay, but also from for-profit ventures with for-profit partners, research programs, wellness programs, even their dining facilities." He's calling for the president to instruct the Treasury Secretary to change charity regulations to require tax-exempt hospitals to post their prices for care.
- And last, but not least, one writer is saying that we need to "cut the waste." In a new survey of 9,200 people across 15 states, 49 percent of respondents said they must cut other expenses to pay for healthcare. Yet, they aren’t cutting back on "frivolities like expensive electronics." Most often, respondents said they had to cut back on their savings, as well as spending on food and clothing, to pay for healthcare. "We can fix this problem by removing the incentives to do more and more. Start now. For example, all physicians should receive salaries, instead of payment based on volume of tests and procedures they perform," the writer advised.
Do you think the Trump administration should work towards implementing a bipartisan healthcare bill? Do you disagree that the "greatest problem in healthcare" in America is our lifestyle? Do hospitals need more regulations and do doctors need salaries?
Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts with us on Facebook.
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