Through the Misty Dawn - Editorial

A New Health Care Program Is Imperative

When an impoverished person visits the Emergency Room the hospital picks up the tab. Many such persons cannot afford to visit a doctor. Others obtain Medicaid assistance. These sad facts are a huge burden on taxpayers and the medical profession as well. There is a way to drastically reduce these burdens.

Today, we have alternatives for many that omit coverage for millions of Americans. Voluntary health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid are the primary options.  Democrats are touting a universal health care system under control of the government. Republicans  are promoting more competition by insurance companies. The former tends toward socialized medicine while the latter simply extolls the free market system when millions of Americans cannot afford that virtue.

Years ago I suggested a mandated medical savings plan for all Americans similar to Social Security. My idea was to require all working Americans to subscribe to an automatic (Medical) savings plan with payroll deductions by all employers, similar to Social Security.

My idea was that banks would accumulate the direct deposit savings rather than the government's Social Secuity. Employers would require proof of such a savings account for medical care before a prospective employee could be hired. Hospitals and doctors would then send their bills to the respective banks for payment via the patient's  debit or credit card for the medical account. The card could not be used for other services. Even a partial payment would be better than no payment at all, if the account was deficient. 

All working American would have a required reserve for medical expenses.

Richard Englefield

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click here)

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