Yesterday, October 17th, 2011, in Boston Massachusetts, Democrats are working toward a plan that encourages global payments to networks or care providers for keeping patients well. This will replace the fee-for-service system that creates incentives for excessive care by paying for each visit and procedure. Basically, this new plan will give networks an annual fee for the care of each patient with higher payments for patients deemed to be greater health risks and with bonuses for high-quality care. The healthier networks and organizations can keep their patients, the more reimbursement they can have as profit. This plan will require all insurers to accept all applicants nationally in 2014, if the new federal health care law survives (Goodnough & Sack).
With anything political there are always going to be those who appose the idea. The most recent annual work force study by the Massachusetts Medical Society found that nearly 60 percent of physicians and higher rates of specialists said the were not likely to join a voluntary global payment system. Without voluntary support from that leaves it up to congress to pass a bill to have a global payment system for health care, and with bickering Republicans and Democrats it is sure to cause major disagreements between the two opposing sides.
I believe a global payment system would benefit everyone. It would give incentive for insurers to want to keep their clients healthy, which is supposed to be their job, and when they are able to keep their clients healthy insurers will be able to profit which will still provide incentive for Insurers to stay in business. It doesn't provide a plan to cut the budget of health care but it helps to give almost everyone health care coverage, and I believe that is more important than worrying about how much debt we are in, and also it doesn't increase spending on health care.
Goodnough, Abby, and Kevin Sack. "Massachusetts Tries to Rein In Its Health Costs." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://nytimes.com/2011/10/18/us/massachusetts-tries-to-rein-in-its-health-care-cost.html?pagewanted=1&ref=healthcarereform>.
Although, it would be idealistic for everyone to be healthy. I don't think its the insurance's job to be responsible for it. I think it should be on the shoulders of those who choosing unhealthy lifestyles. You mention that it does not increase health care spending, but that's just in the present. Those who would live off this program are bound to have some sort of influence in another life such as maybe children. These people may have children that will learn its okay to live unhealthy because "I won't have to pay the price. The government will." Eventually, the government will have to pay for people's health care if the trend continues.
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