Bill Clinton on CNBC

Whether conservative, liberal, super left or super right, it was interesting to watch former President Bill Clinton this morning on CNBC. He articulated perfectly what is wrong with the healthcare system in the U.S. and it has NOTHING to do with not having a public option, or whether we pay17% or more of our GDP on healthcare spending....it is all about outcomes. He referenced Columbia where they spend 6% of GDP on healthcare and have a much higher outcomes rating than the U.S. The problem is on governance of the healthcare process, especially on physicians and hospitals, which can happen between government, insurance carriers and providers. A public plan is such a radical (far left) change to the current system, that most agree we do not need to be so radical, though we do need a big change. This can be done pushing providers, and insurance carriers, to be regulated and incented based on outcomes. The better a patient gets, and more efficiently, means better compensation to the provider and institution (read up on the Cleveland Clinic, and Mayo Clinic). Providers and institutions that do not have good outcomes, will go out of business - just like in the REAL world....poor business models fail and go bankrupt. Same should be true for healthcare.

Obamacare

Is Obamacare officially dead? As an internet insurance entrepreneur, I have mutliple news channels on all day every day, and they all say the same thing - what about Medical Malpractice tort and the costs of defensive medicine and unnecessary testing...these numbers are not small, they are as high as 30% of the healthcare spend! I will say one thing whether I support one side of the isle or the other "politically" I do not want uneducated (on healthcare anyway) politicians driving our healthcare system in an unhealthy direction in order to win their seats the next go-around, or to get happy lobbying/self-interest support. It is very scary to think one of my 4 kids could be denied care, as the Obamacare and House-supported model right now, does not focus on the core problem - our system does not have consumerism now...if I pay a 25$ copay for a service that is $400, or $400,000, what do I care as a consumer? Believe me, my employer cares. If I have a sick child or loved one, I do not want the government looking at statistics telling me what we can and cannot do. I am also fine with paying my fair share as we all should be in the U.S. Why does everyone come to these terrific institutions we have in the U.S. for their healthcare? Because it is the best.....we all do need to pay our fair share though, that is another problem...the healthly are not offsetting all of the sick in todays' system.

Why doesn't the government just backstop large claims and the chronically ill folks in the nation (5% of the population drives 49% of the spending) for the private insurance industry, and as a take back enforce stronger regulation, and profit restrictions? All medical records being electronic like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinics do respectively (arguably 2 of the best institutions in the world!)?

We need to get politicians out of the debate and start fixing the real problem here....let's have bipartisan, outside entities with expertise in this area assist reform, instead of politicians elbowing for votes please!