Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 This opinion was published at delawareonline.com on January 19, 2015. The views expressed below belong to Dr. Richard Lamb and not of the Caesar Rodney Institute. Reposted with permission.   I am unacquainted with Bill Holt, but when he writes comparing John Staplefords column about Health Care and free markets, and stating--"Mr. Stapleford mistakenly tries to apply free market principles to areas of life that are distinctly outside the domain of FREE MARKETS", I have something in common with his illiterate understanding of free markets related to the health market--OR, any market. My entire life (85 years) has been related to health care. My father was a country doctor, together with three other doctors (two M.D.s and a Dentist), in a rural village of 800 residents, and surrounding farming-ranching drawing range of many hundreds more seekers of provisions and service. My reference period begins in 1929, and extends for 36 years of perfectly free markets, until Government socialized Health Care with MEDICARE, beginning in 1965. Commerce of FREE MARKETS, cash basis, or its equivalents (I recall many instances where patients traded their product for my fathers services). Dr. Lambs office call was two dollars. Some paid promptly, some over time and some, not at all (todays equivalent of medical assistance). All merchants (35 active businesses) in my village, existed on the same basis, and I recall no outlandish problems during my developing years. Also, every child received a well prescribed and delivered education. I recall only one student not graduating from high school, (I now believe Robert was dyslexic). I graduated from Medical School in 1953, and was a practicing physician until retirement in 2003.   So, with such a nicely functioning Free Market system, what intervened to screw up the works? I can best describe the perceived problem by describing my FIRST Medicare patient who stated, "I could never afford to have my hernia fixed, until now". Assistance for health problems was provided by local governments, paid by local taxes, and was available on a rather slim basis--what politicians were willing to put forward and tax for. Not much waste, or even what was perceived as necessary. Medicare Social Health Care changed everything. FREE MARKET--no more. The first decade of cost was estimated to be 12 billion dollars, it was over 10 times that amount. Physicians were advised to submit their "Usual and Customary" fees for services, then a board of lay experts Allowed what they determined was proper. This board accepted newly conceived procedures, determined whether they were proper, and usually denied payment until long after such techniques had become standard practice. This is Government Health Care, totally controlled, first dollar coverage for services, which is delivered by a Price Control" system. The ACA (Affordable Care Act) was conceived to Mandate ALL other Americans, not eligible for Medicare, to be insured by a Government managed health care system. So far, the corruptness, dishonesty, and inappropriateness, has, after 5 years nearly 60% of all Americans in favor of abolishing the ACA.   Delawares Healthcare INNOVATION Plan, has been approved for a $35 million grant, to evolve (innovate) superior methods beyond todays failed Government Medicine plan. Three areas are to be investigated to integrate (or replace) todays inefficiencies. These concepts will come from the minds of Delawarians. 1. A focus on neighborhoods. 2. How to expunge the great areas of inefficiency all patients endure while under health care. 3. Improved outpatient (home care) services and efficiency.   INNOVATE-- to begin or introduce something new, by being creative. Creativity arises from an environment of free enterprise (markets?). The past 10+ years has seen American enterprise enchained by government regulations, through a deluded Economic Theory the believes Financial Technocrats can manage Americas economy. These experts have allowed public and private debt to overwhelm individual freedom of action and decision. Fed (Federal Reserve) action to produce ZIRP (zero interest rates) has eliminated the ability for natural decision making, DISCOVERY, how to find the cost factor (not always money) which satisfies each party to a transaction. The Fed has guaranteed ZIRP into the distant future, obviating the ability to discover what a proposals time value is. Thus, the entrepreneur--Innovator has been denied the environment--natural unencumbered freedom of thought, incentive, and future enrichment, necessary to be productive.   How can this new Delaware Health Care Commission Innovate anything worthwhile, when the basis from which is asked to create comes from a health care systems thats a Socialized fraud, and the economic-financial environment present has been distorted into an unnatural basis, from which nothing useful can evolve.   Two plus two still equals four, not what the Government wants you to believe.     Richard Lamb, D.O. 1 Woodchuck Way Kennett Square, Pa 19348 Were not shopping for health care like we shop for a TV", by Bill Holt COMMENT The News Journal January 17, 2014 "A new start for health care in Delaware", by six Delaware Voice contributors COMMENT The News Journal January 19, 2014   I am unacquainted with Bill Holt, but when he writes comparing John Staplefords column about Health Care and free markets, and stating--"Mr. Stapleford mistakenly tries to apply free market principles to areas of life that are distinctly outside the domain of FREE MARKETS", I have something in common with his illiterate understanding of free markets related to the health market--OR, any market. My entire life (85 years) has been related to health care. My father was a country doctor, together with three other doctors (two M.D.s and a Dentist), in a rural village of 800 residents, and surrounding farming-ranching drawing range of many hundreds more seekers of provisions and service. My reference period begins in 1929, and extends for 36 years of perfectly free markets, until Government socialized Health Care with MEDICARE, beginning in 1965. Commerce of FREE MARKETS, cash basis, or its equivalents (I recall many instances where patients traded their product for my fathers services). Dr. Lambs office call was two dollars. Some paid promptly, some over time and some, not at all (todays equivalent of medical assistance). All merchants (35 active businesses) in my village, existed on the same basis, and I recall no outlandish problems during my developing years. Also, every child received a well prescribed and delivered education. I recall only one student not graduating from high school, (I now believe Robert was dyslexic). I graduated from Medical School in 1953, and was a practicing physician until retirement in 2003.   So, with such a nicely functioning Free Market system, what intervened to screw up the works? I can best describe the perceived problem by describing my FIRST Medicare patient who stated, "I could never afford to have my hernia fixed, until now". Assistance for health problems was provided by local governments, paid by local taxes, and was available on a rather slim basis--what politicians were willing to put forward and tax for. Not much waste, or even what was perceived as necessary. Medicare Social Health Care changed everything. FREE MARKET--no more. The first decade of cost was estimated to be 12 billion dollars, it was over 10 times that amount. Physicians were advised to submit their "Usual and Customary" fees for services, then a board of lay experts Allowed what they determined was proper. This board accepted newly conceived procedures, determined whether they were proper, and usually denied payment until long after such techniques had become standard practice. This is Government Health Care, totally controlled, first dollar coverage for services, which is delivered by a Price Control" system. The ACA (Affordable Care Act) was conceived to Mandate ALL other Americans, not eligible for Medicare, to be insured by a Government managed health care system. So far, the corruptness, dishonesty, and inappropriateness, has, after 5 years nearly 60% of all Americans in favor of abolishing the ACA.   Delawares Healthcare INNOVATION Plan, has been approved for a $35 million grant, to evolve (innovate) superior methods beyond todays failed Government Medicine plan. Three areas are to be investigated to integrate (or replace) todays inefficiencies. These concepts will come from the minds of Delawarians. 1. A focus on neighborhoods. 2. How to expunge the great areas of inefficiency all patients endure while under health care. 3. Improved outpatient (home care) services and efficiency. INNOVATE-- to begin or introduce something new, by being creative. Creativity arises from an environment of free enterprise (markets?). The past 10+ years has seen American enterprise enchained by government regulations, through a deluded Economic Theory the believes Financial Technocrats can manage Americas economy. These experts have allowed public and private debt to overwhelm individual freedom of action and decision. Fed (Federal Reserve) action to produce ZIRP (zero interest rates) has eliminated the ability for natural decision making, DISCOVERY, how to find the cost factor (not always money) which satisfies each party to a transaction. The Fed has guaranteed ZIRP into the distant future, obviating the ability to discover what a proposals time value is. Thus, the entrepreneur--Innovator has been denied the environment--natural unencumbered freedom of thought, incentive, and future enrichment, necessary to be productive.   How can this new Delaware Health Care Commission Innovate anything worthwhile, when the basis from which is asked to create comes from a health care systems thats a Socialized fraud, and the economic-financial environment present has been distorted into an unnatural basis, from which nothing useful can evolve.   Two plus two still equals four, not what the Government wants you to believe.   Richard Lamb, D.O.