A Possible Cure for Healthcare: A Real-World Remedy

There is little doubt that the healthcare issue is a hot bed of emotional contention but, with all this rancor who is thinking creatively?

My wife and I have a few suggestions; a completely different approach to solving the healthcare problem These concepts were conceived to be put into practice on the community level; but we also realized that they could act as a national or universal model, given wider exposure.

1^st Tier: Triage

The first order of healthcare and the most often used is the walk in clinic. Where limited care can be administered or conditions diagnosed and evaluated to determine if the patient needs care that the clinic is not equipped to handle. Seventy to eighty percent of the time a walk in clinic serves the immediate needs of the public. This should be the least expensive form of healthcare offered to the public and sanctioned by the government.

The cost of malpractice insurance at this level should be minimal and provided by the government. The out-of-pocket-cost for this type of healthcare could be about $60/month per person.

The investors:

These clinics could be privately funded by doctors and lawyers or anyone with investment cash (government), with buildings being donated by the town for a tax write off. For the first five years it would operate as a non-profit organization returning realized profits back into creating other clinics. At the end of the five year period, full profits would be returned to the shareholders for an ample return on their investment in perpetuity. Ideally the government should support (invest in) such an endeavor as, it’s returns are self sustaining.

The Government:

The government’s part in this is to adopt legislation to draft interns into service in these clinics for two years tax free so they can get a leg up on paying down their schooling loans. At the same time drafting doctors who are two years from retiring to serve with the drafted interns -- acting as a mentor and medical adviser at the clinics. As an option, their time could be a tax deductible donation. This would supply the clinics with ample staff and benefits for participants.

Should this model work effectively there is no reason why the initial investors could not use the same model to provide a second tier of healthcare to provide services that cannot be provided by the first tier. This would provide a healthy form of business competition to the larger HMOs.