Wilmont Kreis

Dr. David Ryan is an amalgam of wonderful qualities I have observed in physicians over my career. Unfortunately he is probably too good to be true. At any rate he is, in my experience, much more like most doctors than the evil Dr. Berger. Read More 

We need to think of healthcare like roads. We all have some need, some more than others and have different abilities to pay. I propose an across the board system like very basic Medicare for all citizens and paid by a tax base. Again think about roads. If you want more levels of service these will be extra. If you want the $25 dollar a pill new yet unproved statin or anticoagulant instead of the equally effective 50 cent generic, you can buy it. The same with the $20,000 total knee when the $4500 model has a long successful track record. If you really want it, pay the difference. I realize this is a somewhat naïve solution, but maybe a place to start. The key must be to keep it simple and honest. Read More 

Solutions: We must get healthcare out of employment as does almost every other first-world nation. It was once a good idea but is no longer. Removing the healthcare burden from employers will allow them to make appropriate manpower decisions without fear of bankruptcy, improving business and employment. A single payer system would be ideal, but I’m afraid it can’t be the government which has shown us it is incapable of almost anything. I would suggest at the most two or three private entities with strict oversight to minimize the layers of useless bureaucracy with which we now suffer. Hold on, there is more to come. Read More 

Recently I asked for feedback on how people viewed their healthcare. I appreciated the large input. I noticed most comments were negative and the big winners were high deductibles, loss of or no coverage, and abundance of red tape. I will have some thoughts on solutions next. Read More 

The healthcare consumer must have some role as payer. Deductibles are flawed because they severely dissuade patients from initiating care. Sometimes this is something serious which will become much more expensive as time goes on. Co-pays are a great idea when somewhat tied to ability to pay. It makes you think about decisions like going to the doctor, or worse, the ER for a very minor problem. It also makes you consider whether an inexpensive proven treatment is as good as the outrageously costly new, less tried alternative. Read More 

Since I began blogging (and writing) about healthcare fraud, I have been asked repeatedly, “How did we get into this mess and how do we get out?” How did the U.S. come to have healthcare twice as costly as any other country and still be ranked 37th in the world in healthcare (just below number thirty-six, Bulgaria)? Let’s spend the next few weeks investigating. Read More