One of the big campaign issues is what each candidate proposes to improve the state of health care in this country. The United States spends far more per capita and seems to get less for the dollar compared to nations with some form of national health plan.
The McCain campaign claims that consumers will benefit by being empowered to choose their own providers and buy their own health insurance. He plans to eliminate the tax incentives to employers for providing coverage to their employees. It seems reasonable that if the tax breaks are in fact eliminated, then employers will no longer offer any form of insurance coverage as a benefit to their employees.
Left to their own devices, Americans may think that they can just muddle ahead but will soon find that the data one would need to make these provider choices is difficult if not impossible to come by. And while some providers may post some information on their websites, it may not be in the same format as another provider’s. Consumers are left trying to compare apples and oranges.
The federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that there are 12 different rating schemes for doctors, 26 for medical groups, and 81 for hospitals, and 86 for health plans. Even the most intrepid, determined consumer is hard pressed to research all of that data and find a doctor who meets their needs. How many of us have the time to research even a fraction of those databases or of the health care providers in their county? Good luck to you even if you do have the time.
The Alternet website has a good article in their recent issue. I cannot quote any excerpts, but here is a link to the story -- http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/94154/?page=entire. You may also check amednews.com
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