American Healthcare: Bracing for the Perfect Storm By Mark Tumblin

Our American Healthcare System has long been in disarray. As we approach yet another election, the debate on Healthcare falls, in some opinions, second behind the economy or third behind the war in Iraq. As critical as the economy and the war are, it is obvious Americans have had enough of the current state of Healthcare.It seems we are headed for the perfect storm. We as consumers have reached our limit on what we can spend on quality healthcare. Our physicians have reached their limit on a fee for service system that not only dictates how medicine will be practiced but randomly decides what will and will not be reimbursed by insurance companies. Our government has begun the monumental task of reforming the healthcare infrastructure but many of the obstacles to reform are too political for effectiveness. Last but not least, several of our choices for the upcoming presidential election would have you believe universal healthcare is the only solution. We are forced into healthcare's perfect storm as reform one way or another will happen. We must decide to influence the storm toward true reform or depend on our government to protect us from levy system straining at the pressure. [more...]