Ellen PhillipsThe past two columns have informed and emphasized a few of the major problems with some aspects of the health care system, thanks to Steven Brill in Time magazine. According to Brill, while it may not be easy, the “Bitter Pill” dilemma can be fixed. In a nutshell:
1. Tighten antitrust laws related to hospitals. This keeps them from being so dominant and helps insurance companies to better negotiate prices.
2. Tax hospital profits at 75 percent and place a tax surcharge on all nondoctor hospital salaries that exceed $750,000 to save over a minimum of $80 billion a year. (The Time article speaks extensively on these high-paying salaries, who makes them, and why — very interesting reading.)
3. Get rid of the chargemaster. Re-write these fees to reflect thoroughly transparent and real costs. Brill’s description hits this nail on the head as “the source of the poison coursing through the health care ecosystem.” Not only would this benefit those with insurance, it could mean salvation for the millions without insurance.
4. Amend patent laws or set price limits on so-called wonder drugs. This would ensure pharmaceutical companies would be limited in their monopolies and save billions of dollars a year.