[Brian Griffin]

“Let the market place work it’s magic.”

My plan allows for subsidy-eligible “all the doctors” prescribe bulk drug purchasing coverage plans.

My plan provides for a Federal Drug Marketplace with income-based pricing.

“I would rather see hospital groups work as their own insurance co-op.”

My plan separates out drug coverage subsidies so hospitals can be care-only coverage providers.

Most of the middle class likes to travel and often lives far from their workplaces, so hospital provided care-only coverage will often not meet middle-class needs.

[DoughtyOne]

Let the market place work it’s magic.

My plan allows for subsidy-eligible “all the doctors” prescribe bulk drug purchasing coverage plans.

I'm not sure what you are advocating when it comes to subsidy-eligible bulk drug purchasing programs.  It may sound self-evident to you, but I'm not sure what meds you're talking about.  I'm not sure exactly what you have in mind either.  Is it your thought that patients should be able to walk into a pharmacy and simply order 4x100 or 2x1000 of their desired tablets?

My plan provides for a Federal Drug Marketplace with income-based pricing.

These ideas always sound nice on the front end, but what's the back end?  The back end is that like an "Earned Income Tax Credit", the middle class picks up the tab.  The lower income folks get a medication for half price, and the folks in the middle class pay the full load plus some.  This strikes me as wrong.  I don't want anyone going without, but it really bothers me every time the middle class is expected to step up and carry more of a load.

I would rather see hospital groups work as their own insurance co-op.

My plan separates out drug coverage subsidies so hospitals can be care-only coverage providers.

While that sounds like something a lot of folks would think was a good idea, there are some problems with it.

If a patent brings in 13 drugs of their own, who monitors for drug interactions for any new medications or therapies given, if there in no central drug information center in the facility.  Pharmacies are there to provide all medications.  It is the job of the pharmacist to review what a patient is taking and help physicians avoid life endangering situations.  I.V. fluids, antibiotic fluids, capsules and tablets, pain meds... these are things that need to be monitored.  Who is going to do that if all meds are brought in from the outside?

Some medications require lab values while the patient is in the hospital.  Those are constantly evaluated so that the patient is give the best possible care, and protected from situations they can't resolve on their own.

Most of the middle class likes to travel and often lives far from their workplaces, so hospital provided care-only coverage will often not meet middle-class needs.

Reciprocal agreements would cover this type of situation.  A certain hospital would privide service to people outside it's group, while other hospitals would serve their patient when they were outside of their general coverage area.

Funding for this sort of thing would be set aside to cover instances like this.  Nobody would go without coverage just because they went on vacation.

When you think about it, a hospital wouldn't be paying out fees it wouldn't have had to cover otherwise.  These costs would have been absorbed if it were in/area, but would be paid out if not.  It would amount to an outlay either way.  Instittuions would rather serve their clientele in house, but they would still be covered when out of area.  And there are costs to the institution even if people are getting care in their local hospital.