Thadeus McCotter on Fixing Health Care in America

Who is Thaddeus McCotter? He's the House Republican Policy Committee Chairman. Here's what he said to John Hawkins (read the whole interview, lots of good stuff):

We need to get a patient centered -- not a bureaucrat centered -- version of modern medicine that allows a patient/provider relationship to be the key and to build upon that. That, to me, is going to allow the supply to meet the demand to the point where costs start to come down and adequate safeguards are there for those that cannot help themselves.

I think this is key, too. And to get a patient-centered relationship, you need to return power to the people in the relationship.

Imagine for a moment, that you are in a relationship with a guy, but that all dating times, conversation topics and every other part of your relationship was managed by a company who didn't know you, didn't particularly care if the relationship works or not, and actually hoped the relationship ended. That's what insurance companies are like. The government is even worse.

The energy exchanged while dating is love, or the potential for love. The energy exchanged in a doctor-patient relationship is knowledge and expertise for money. When a third party enters this relationship, the dynamics change. The patient takes things they don't need. The doctor gives things they don't need, or maybe that are inferior because the third party demands it.

A cash-driven relationship keeps the exchange more honest. George Bush was actually on the right track when he wanted to expand Medical Savings Accounts. It put the power back in the hands of those in the relationship. Of course, insurance companies do NOT want this. And the government itself loses power when people have more power.

Right now, the relationship is bureaucrat-centered and the bureaucrats would like it to stay that way.