Genomic Expression Blog Healthcare is an asset, not an expense

Healthcare is an asset, not an expenseThere is something Rotten in the U.S. Healthcare systemThe republicans had eight years to come up with something better than the Affordable Care Act (ACA). None of the proposals honor the commitment that Donald Trump made during his election. Instead, the proposals includes 1) defunding of preventive care, which will drive up costs, 2) repeal of important provisions that ensure that people with pre-existing conditions can afford a plan 3) Redefinitions of what healthcare is to a point where important care no longer is included driving up out of pocket cost 4) Increase of cost for the elderly who needs healthcare the most.I am in support of more effective healthcare; however, the inconvenient truth is that the U.S. healthcare system is three times (3X) as expensive per capita compared to the single payer healthcare systems in Europe, which cover EVERYBODY, with comparable outcomes.Furthermore, providing healthcare enables patients to be active, hold jobs, and pay taxes.In other words, the United States could provide healthcare for ALL with the existing budget by making structural changes. Here are a couple urgent changes which could provide a more cost-effective healthcare system in the United States:Change the six percent (6%) kickback that doctors get for writing drug prescriptions. The kickback drives up the use of drugs as well as provides perverse incentives for drug use. This is in steep contrast to the Stalk laws which makes it illegal for diagnostic companies to provide economic incentives to doctors to use diagnostics. Next generation diagnostics can predict responses to drugs, and the other truth is that only one out of four cancer drugs prolong life! We are wasting $75 billion out of the $100 billion we spend on cancer drugs every year globally.Enable Medicare to negotiate with...Read More