America’S Great Healthcare

By Xlibris US

Historical Firsts and Innovations in the Development of Healthcare are Presented.
An Honest Review and Evaluation of our Presidents
Healthcare Reform is set forth.
Americas Hospital of the Future is Presented, Featuring
a Green Healing Environment Through the Use of
Light, Space and Technology.
The Huge Growth in the Number of Patients Expected and the Alarming
Shortages of Doctors and Nurses are Reviewed and Necessary Expansion of
Education Proposed. The Important role and Growth of Physician Assistants
and Nurse Practitioners is Highlighted.
The Importance of National Tort Reform Along With the Huge Advantages it
offers Physicians, Patients, Healthcare and States are underscored.
The Outlandish Executive Salaries, Huge Profits and Repeated Fines for Illegal
Business Practices and Patient Abuses by Heath Insurance Payers, documented
by National News Media and National Organizations Concerned with
Healthcare in America are addressed.
Alternative Options For Total Healthcare Reform are Proposed, Fulfilling all of
our Presidents Goals at Less Than Half the $1.083 Trillion Budgeted, While
Including the Essential Education and Cost of an additional 91,500 Doctors
and 712,000 Nurses by 2020, all with a Less Costly Payer System.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477150344

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by By Maury Coffee.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2012913422

ISBN:   Hardcover      978-1-4771-5033-7

             Softcover        978-1-4771-5032-0

          Ebook           978-1-4771-5034-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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www.Xlibris.com

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104857

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I   Why I Decided to Write This Book on Health Care

Chapter II   A Few Opening Remarks to My Readers

Chapter III   America’s First Hospital

Chapter IV   The World’s First Open-Heart Surgery

Chapter V   America’s Hospital of the Future

Chapter VI   Not-for-Profit vs. For-Profit Hospitals

Chapter VII   America’s Physician Shortage Is Approaching a Crisis Stage

Chapter VIII   America’s Nursing Shortage Needs Urgent Attention

Chapter IX   Importance of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners

Chapter X   National Tort Reform Is Needed

Chapter XI   How Payment for Health Changed Over the Years

Chapter XII   How a For-Profit Insurance Company Ruined a Patient’s Life

Chapter XIII   America’s Health Care Payment System Needs Total Reform

Health Insurance Company Abuses

BOOK DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to:

my dearest friend, golfing partner, companion, advisor, nurse

lover and wife- Ann.

CHAPTER I

Why I Decided to Write This Book on Health Care

I have spent my entire career in the health care field, over fifty-five years, and believe that it has prepared me to provide an overview of our health care system and make my personal observations from a national perspective. I am no longer representing any one organization and am quite sure that my former colleagues may be somewhat surprised as I express my current views about our health care system. Also, I have some recommendations that can help America by making health care more affordable and available to all Americans.

I titled my book America’s Great Health Care based on my belief that health care provided to patients by physicians, hospitals, and all providers in America is truly outstanding. On the other hand, when we look at the overall system, it is surely not the case, and major change is necessary.

There are things taking place in health care that if not corrected will certainly crumble the foundation of our health care delivery. These unfortunate negatives are already driving doctors out of practice at a time we are about to face a major crisis consisting of a shortage of both doctors and nurses. In addition, too many hospitals are closing due to financial hardship.

This needs to be clearly articulated and addressed, as most of our system will require tremendous expansion to meet the needs of the baby boomers, who are approaching what we rightly or wrongly call the golden years. Although some of these areas are extremely sensitive especially as it relates to those companies providing payment for services rendered by providers, I have decided to call a spade a spade. Sometime in the near future, it will prove essential to make extremely major changes to place health care on a solid track. Caring for sick patients cannot be secondary to the almighty dollar while providing sound quality health care.

For most of my years in health care, I thought the system was doing very well, and I was and am certainly proud of my chosen profession. However, my research and overview of health care from a national perspective, plus spending my last several years as a patient within the system, has convinced me that we need major change. Health care dollars are not being kept within the health care system and in the communities our hospitals and other not-for-profit health care organizations serve.

Generally, the not-for-profit American tradition of caring for sick patients, which I admired, has been overtaken by the for-profit, moneymaking machines of health insurance companies. The patient-care providers are continuing to do the very best they can, while the insurance companies are acquiring health care dollars for huge executive salaries and profits, leaving hospitals in some areas of our country dying on the vine. Those health care dollars are desperately needed to continue to educate the huge number of doctors, nurses, and other providers required and to replace older hospitals and divisions of hospitals, to avoid the crisis we are beginning to face.

So-called trial lawyers have gotten totally out of control with sickening greed, and action must be initiated to bring this growing trend under control. They are forcing doctors to double up and shotgun expensive tests so they do not take a chance of losing in court. They are also facing tremendous increases in malpractice insurance. These are the reasons doctors are leaving their practice by retiring early or moving to a state that has already enacted tort reform. Scores of doctors are already planning their move to Vermont, which is reacting to these problems.

Sue, sue, sue is their modus operandi. Trial lawyers are often loathed even by their colleagues in more professional areas of law. I have relatives and friends who are lawyers, and they quietly confirm that fact. Trial lawyers have more ads inspiring people to sue on TV than there are of Coca-Cola and Pepsi combined.

Why have trial lawyers been able to accomplish their moneymaking activities on doctors trying their best to care for the sick without Congress passing proposed tort reform? Why are health care insurance companies taking billions upon billions of dollars out of the health care system, forcing hospitals to fold or give in and allow their hospital to be purchased with health care dollars they have earned and need to expand facilities and services?

It is my personal but well-founded conviction that the majority of legislators and congressmen refrain from taking corrective action because both for-profit HMOs and trial lawyers have the dollars to contribute heavily to their political action committees as well as super committees on both sides of the aisle. These monies help key legislators keep their jobs at election time. In turn the donor’s preferred positions on legislation are supported most regularly by the legislators. It is an important fact that the not-for-profit organizations, on the other hand, are prohibited from providing monies for that purpose which is totally unfair and heavily tilted in favor of donors.

Changes that I will suggest very likely will not happen in my lifetime with the current gridlock in Congress we now have. Our representatives need to set aside extremely strong positions of being a Democrat or Republican, especially when the subject of sound health care is at stake. The ability to compromise has been forgotten within the beltway of Washington. For that reason, I have always worked very hard during all my years in health care, not to let anyone feel that I had a leaning toward one party or another.

There is another important fact relating to health care that is not clear to some. That fact is that you cannot provide health care without doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other necessary health care facilities. But you can operate good health care system without an insurance company. In addition, there are other and better ways for health care providers to be paid than by the life and auto insurers that have moved into the business of healthcare insurance like they are in charge.

These are the reasons I have the inspiration to write this book. I know very well that my ideas may never be put into action. I only hope that some things I mention will inspire ideas and laws that will be helpful—somehow, someway.

My publisher reminded me that I probably repeat my messages a bit too much in my book. But quite honestly, I am doing that to try to drive home some of the points I feel are so very important to keep health care great, and of course, I am not writing a novel.

One last thought. For my last twenty years in healthcare, I spent a lot of time in the halls of Congress in Washington and those in the New Jersey state capital, and I truly have many legislative friends, friends whom I highly respect. They are the political leaders that do what should be done regardless of the Political Action Committees or super PACs that decide to support them. I believe the current Governor of New Jersey is a good example, although I have not had the pleasure of meeting him as yet.

CHAPTER II

A Few Opening Remarks to My Readers

I would like to convey the fact that I am attempting to express only my personal opinions throughout my book. I have been in retirement for several years with no current relationships with any of the fine organizations served in the past.

I will attempt to identify opinions and ideas as to how our health care system can possibly be improved based on my past experience, present experiences as a patient and my ongoing daily research over the past several years. I will place a title on most chapters relating to a major subject on health care and then provide supporting information along with some of my personal thoughts, opinions, and/or recommendations.

I then plan to set forth some alternative opportunities in selected chapters which I’m inclined to believe could improve the provision of health care in America, followed by political considerations where appropriate. I will often conclude with what I truly feel could help provide better health care to Americans and/or