REPLACING OBAMACARE CAN BE DONE AT SAME TIME AS REPEAL

Many Americans have suffered enough under Obamacare and I agree with Dr. Rand Paul that OBAMACARE should have a concurrent REPLACEMENT PLAN when it is repealed, hopefully by the summer of 2017. As a physician and author of 'OBAMACARE' over 5 years ago, I offered healthcare solutions that benefit and not hurt the majority of our citizens.

I believe that we should include replacement provisions with the repeal plan this year and then in 1-2 years introduce other provisions which may take longer to gain consensus.

The replacement provisions that should be included with the repeal legislature are now summarized as follows:

1. MAINTAIN PREEXISTING CONDITIONS where insurance companies cannot exclude an individual due to prior health issues.

2. ALLOW THOSE UNDER AGE 26 (I PREFER UNDER 25) who live at home with a parent or are enrolled in school to remain on their parent's family plan.

3. CAP CATASTROPHIC CARE for those with comprehensive healthcare plans so that bankruptcy from an illness is less likely.

4.ALLOW INSURANCE ACROSS STATE LINES to increase competition and lower prices. Also, allow for all types of catastrophic plans to enter the marketplace to allow for more choices for the individual consumer. To go into effect Jan 1, 2018.

5. MEDICAID BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES so the states can budget and take care of its poor.Medicaid expenses have become an increasing percentage of a state's budget, so let the states handle their finances and not the federal government. To go into effect by Jan.1,2019.
NOTE that of the 20 million additional Americans insured under Obamacare-about 14 million are due to medicaid and its expansion.

6. HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS should be expanded and available to all so that Americans will better understand costs and choose their healthcare more effectively leading to a decrease in healthcare costs. Also, these HSA's can be used for all medical needs and kept from year to year and then inherited by heirs.

7. TAX BENEFITS-All medical spending for premiums should be pre-tax dollars and completely tax deductible for individuals as well as companies. For those ~ 6 million (not on Medicaid) who may lose their insurance with the repeal,they can utilize subsidies or tax credits as outlined by Dr. Price and Speaker Paul Ryan. I believe that we should also allow for charitable tax deductions for individual providers who provide free care to those that qualified for subsidies by the current Obamacare qualifying formula. In this way, ALL AMERICANS HAVE ACCESS TO CARE.

8. PORTABILITY- Allow health insurance coverage to be portable from job to job and allow individuals to participate in any association with lower premium cost options.

9. MAKE ALL MEDICAL-RELATED COSTS TRANSPARENT- including hospital fees,physician fees, medical supply fees. This will allow more choice by consumer and lower costs.

These provisions have a good chance of getting passed with Democratic support, since many Senate democrats are up for reelection in 2018 and do not want to let pre-existing conditions and other popular provisions lapse on their watch.

Some of the provisions that can be passed later in the administration are;
a) MALPRACTICE REFORM- with panels and not layperson juries; and with pain and suffering caps.
b) DOCTOR LICENSING-should be national and not state to state. This will allow Doctors to utilize telemedicine and give individuals more choices in their care.
c) DECREASE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AFFECTING DOCTORS- lets make being a doctor fun again by getting government off their backs as much as possible. Doctors are retiring earlier and advising family members to not go into medicine more than any previous period.
d) DEREGULATE FDA RULES ON NEW DRUGS- so that pharmaceuticals can bring new drugs to market sooner and at less cost.
e) ALLOW AMERICANS TO BUY MEDS OUTSIDE OF US- this will allow choice and savings for the American healthcare consumer. A liability waiver will need to be signed by the consumer to protect the pharmaceutical company from litigation.
f) REFORM MEDICARE- with changes in age eligibility and means testing to make it sustainable in the future.
g) VA REFORM- to allow our vets to have choice and at least Medicare type of care.

The solutions do exist to improve our healthcare system. What we need now is the political will to get this done. This may be our only opportunity for some time. So let's pray for our President and our Congress to accomplish these goals.