NeoPlas Innovation: New Cancer Treatment
Healthcare Reform
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We're all about cancer treatment, not politics, but we're just as concerned about the future of health care in the United States as our whole country clearly is.  We're at a real crossroads, and the wrong choices may damage our health, stifle the medical innovation our nation is known for, and limit access to care for decades to come.  So when our valued colleagues at Fox News Channel asked us to post a physician's perspective on the issues we knew there was a constructive contribution to be made.  Everyone agrees that reforms are needed and affordable coverage needs to be available to all.  On that note we respect the differing opinions held by many good people, but for a simple and affordable solution, here's the way we see it.

  
  
Dr. Cantrell’s Prescription for Healthcare Reform
  
  
1.  Allow free insurance competition among all states.
-  Competition has a way of bringing prices down and service up.
  
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2.  Enact tort/liability reform to end the malpractice “jackpot” mentality.
-  The legal system is important when negligence occurs, but there should be reasonable caps on awards and attorney fees.
-  Lawsuits must have merit, and there should be consequences to the plaintiff and attorney when they are found to be frivolous.
  
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3.  Some protective legislative regulation is needed.
-  No one should be uninsurable, and there should be a reasonable maximum on extra premium costs for those with serious and/or pre-existing conditions.
-  Stop gouging the little people:   effective prices must be published and must be the same for all payers.
-  Clinical trials and off-label treatments should be covered in every state when conventional treatment fails or holds no substantial promise (currently varies by state).
-  There must be a speedy and effective independent appeals process when coverage is denied.
  
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4.  Make Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) a uniformly available and attractive option.
-  They are highly cost-effective and give both provider and patient an incentive to price medical care fairly and use it wisely.
-  They restore the direct doctor-patient relationship and mutual accountability that third party coverage has largely removed.
-  These plans become an attractive option to the “invincibles.”
-  Health insurance premiums must be tax-deductible for everyone.  If we want people to purchase insurance, we can't punish some of them for it.
  
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5.  Revise the EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) legislation so it’s true to its name and its important original purpose.  There are millions including many citizens / legal residents who will never purchase health insurance as long as they know they can get free ambulance rides and ER care for every case of the sniffles.  (It's called free milk vs buying the cow.)
-  Providers must be able to safely “turn away or require to pay” for non-emergency care which is currently bankrupting many hospitals.
-  If a well-designed guest worker visa program is created, ongoing proof of minimally acceptable health insurance should be a requirement.
  
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6.  If government has a paying role, it should be that of a final safety net for catastrophic conditions.  That can be accomplished without adding any new bureaucracy. 

  
  
How do you see it?  Whether you agree with our points or not, be part of the process and make your voice heard for the nation you love.  Contact your elected representatives and respectfully let them know what you expect them to deliver.  If you don't like their positions, give them useful alternatives.  You may be surprised how much your opinion matters.

NeoPlas Innovation  --  oncology answers you can live with.