Written by Steve Cannon for USSANews.com.
– Sell everything (via liquidation if necessary) and then privatize the whole thing. Make every hospital a private hospital that is “for-profit.” (Fire everyone in the process. If the fired workers want to keep their jobs, let them be interviewed by their new, private sector bosses, and earn their positions.) This will save billions of dollars by stopping the maintenance of a failing system, both the physical hospitals, and lackluster workers. The private sector will swoop in and fix every problem when a profit-motive is in place.
– Give every vet a credit-type card which will pay 5% for every year of service. Ensure every hospital and doctor in the nation accepts this card. The government can (and should) afford it.
For example:
– 4 years of service: 20% of your medical bills are covered by the Fed. The other 80% will typically be paid by your insurance company, assuming you have one. Thus, your 20% deductible to the insurance company is paid for by the Fed because of your service. If you do not have insurance, you are responsible for the balance (because you are responsible for having insurance).
– 8 years of service: 40% of your bill is covered. The insurance company will gladly pay the 60% balance because it’s 20% less they need to pay than if you were not a vet with insurance. Obviously, no deductible needs to be paid.
– 20 years of service: 100% of your bill is paid by the Fed. Insurance companies rejoice. (Although, if you have 20 years of service, you will not need private insurance.)
– Offer active vets bonuses.
For example:
– Earn the Congressional Medal of Honor: 100% of your bill is paid by the Fed.
– Earn the Silver Star: 50% of your bill is paid by the Fed.
– Earn the Bronze Star: 35% of your bill is paid by the Fed.
– Earn the Purple Heart: 10-100% of your bill is paid by the Fed.
– Enlist: 5% of your bill is paid by the Fed.
– Earn something else: Earn 1% or 2% for various achievements. People with families will be champing at the bit to earn lower medical costs, just give them a reason to serve!
These are common sense ideas that will help millions of vets and save taxpayers who care about the vets millions upon millions of dollars. More importantly, lives will truly be saved. Additionally, hospitals, and their workers, will profit, in turn creating more jobs and more wealth – and probably paying more taxes…not per person, but in total.
America first! Damn it!