unaffordable. And the ACA has made it unaffordable for everybody.
The whole system is corrupt. Once you have the patient in charge of
the decision-making, and not a third-party administrator, which is
what is happening now, it will be OK."
A better model?
If there's some agreement that private insurance companies are at
least part of the problem, there's no such clear consensus as to what
the role of government — or the alternative solution — should be.
"Single payer," advocates Dr. Kotler. "Cut out the middleman. But
don't count on such a practical and economical solution. Why would
insurance companies give up their profitable business?"
Medicare is the model, says Dr. Kotler. The military, Mr. Purtle
points out, uses the same model. "Nobody paid; everybody got
taken care of," he says. "I don't know if that's the answer, but I
think that's what's going to happen."
The law is still new. How it will ultimately unfold remains to be
seen, but if anything is certain, it may be that the incessant shouting
and finger-pointing going on in the political arena aren't helping to
smooth out the rough edges.
"I don't know the answer," says Ms. Conilogue. "I just know that it's
really frustrating at this point. There are places that are refusing care
to people (with ACA-issued policies), and that's not the objective of
the ACA. That's why things have to be changed over time. Everybody
just has to be patient and do the best they can." OSM
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E-mail jburger@outpatientsurgery.net.
