A Modest Healthcare Proposal
It would seem one of the most vexing concern for the citizens and government of the United States of America would be healthcare. While many people feel that some sort of government run program that gave necessary access to healthcare, with a moderate and sensible tax rate in place would be ideal, those currently in charge, and many of their supporters feel that this is unacceptable. Anybody requiring the support of his or her neighbor, without that neighbor freely giving that support is unacceptable. More to the point having sick and poor people in the healthcare system is an undue burden on that system. This is evident by the rising cost of insurance premiums since the implementation of current healthcare regulations. This is why it’s prudent to evaluate each person by the severity of their health issues, the solvency of their insurance program, their fiduciary contribution to society, and the likelihood that they will be able to pay back any debt accrued from health care and treatment in a timely manner.
This will simplify who has access to healthcare and what healthcare they have access to. An individual (or family) below the poverty line with a broken bone may, given a reasonable amount of time, be able to pay back any debt accrued for their treatment within a few years, barring any other major crises. However the same person with cancer would not be able to pay back the debt within a reasonable time, even with insurance.
In this proposal somebody with a potentially fatal, but treatable and costly illness has three options presented to them when it’s first implemented: the first is do nothing. The sickness will eventually kill you, and it may be a slow painful death, but as long as you’re able to keep working and have family and/or friends willing to support you, you may just wait it out until the inevitable happens. The other option is to save up and gain assisted suicide in those states where it is legal. If you can pay for the cost of assisted suicide, and there is no law barring it where you live, then of course you can seek it out. The third option - and this is an option I assume that those that are currently on any form of welfare would be forced to comply with - is simply volunteer for execution. Now these executions would take place semi-monthly, and would be mass executions. So as not to pour salt on the wound of being forced to seek out execution because one cannot pay their healthcare debt, mass graves will be dug for all those who are to be executed. Though families and friends who want to pay to have the bodies of loved ones transported back to them for proper burial may do so. And it’s safe to assume cremation may be offered at cost in some markets.
Now for the first few years all of these options will be voluntary. Some people, even most people, will probably let nature take its course in the hopes that some sort of windfall comes their way. This seems reasonable., but once this program is rolled out into full swing, financial assessors will be needed at each medical facility or through private insurers to determine the likelihood of payback within the specified timeframe. Those that are deemed to be financially insufficient will be given a week to a month to sort out their affairs, and then be forced to comply with execution. There is a simple reason for this: Organ harvesting.
The cost of the executions, financial advisors and burials (or cremations) though intended to be done in the cheapest way possible will still require money for the workforce and equipment. And while some people may be completely useless in death due to the severity of their illness, many will still have some valuable organs than can be harvested and offered to those who planned better financially, or were just fortunate enough to be deservingly born into wealth. The organs harvested from those who need healthcare at a level they couldn’t not afford will be offered at fair market rates. Those that can afford the new heart, the new liver, retinas and so on, will be contributing to the unfortunate, but necessary system set up for the poor. And while the poor will still be a burden (how could they not be?) they will be able to contribute to the system for those that can afford it.
Of course there would be several levels to this healthcare system. The top level would have full access to every modern drug and treatment available. The bottom level would only have access to basic vaccines, and low cost treatments for minor ailments that may or may not be effective. Then there would be, at the very bottom, what we call 0 level recipients. These individuals being the homeless and indigent members of society with no close network support of family or friends to help support them. People who find themselves with in this level would be given a short time to climb back up to the next tier, or would be summarily rounded up and executed during the next scheduled purge.
There is more to it than what is written here. Details of what each level provides would need to be detailed, and of course insurance rates would have to be calculated for each level. But the basics are here: no individual would be cause for undue burden on the healthcare system any longer, because they would either be able to pay for their treatment through insurance (if they qualify) or out of pocket. Or their organs would be harvested to be sold into the system. There would also be an option for family members to volunteer for execution to have their organs harvested to cover the cost for other family members, and of course selling a kidney, lung, or even a portion of a healthy liver would be acceptable contribution to help cover healthcare costs. Each person would be accountable for themselves, but could volunteer to help others if they desire.
This is the only fair way to approach health care, to make sure that each person is paying into the system either through cash or through blood. In the long run, I feel it could become a model that other countries could emulate.*
*This is meant to be satire, F. G. Shaw has no desire to see this nightmare of a proposal implemented in any way. And while he believes that most things should be on an open market, his stance is that healthcare should not be one of them. And affordable and decent health care should be available to all people. He also feels the current system is lacking, and the proposals currently in the House and the Senate are a nightmare. He otherwise spends his time working, playing games, watching cartoons and podcasting about them.
Labels: healthcare, Jonathan Swift, Politics.
posted by F.G. Shaw @ 10:17 PM
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