Thread by @9ontheturn

⛑Healthcare Reform🏥

📍Currently most all private insurers (@Aetna @Humana @AnthemBCBS etc) already have contracts w/ @CMSGov for Medicare Advantage plans. If EVERY American becomes eligible for healthcare coverage, that means more people will be needed to process claims…

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…which means… MORE jobs, not less.

💡 Here's my ideas💡

Costs💰
📍people who qualify for Social Security/Medicare can keep their Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans
📍State Medicaid could help supplement contributions into system for unemployed/disabled

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📍If we had nationalized health care, then that would eliminate networks/restrictions on which doctors you can see or hospitals you can go to. 🔅Qualifications would instead be if the doctor/facility is in good standing, no investigations, safe, @TJCommission cleared, etc.

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📍I don't think insurance companies would close, lay off people, etc - they would just continue to be government contractors, that offers additional private plans for people who want additional coverage, enhanced care, etc.
🔅The individual would pay those costs themselves

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📍Veterans should have FULL access & coverage - at ANY facility, any provider
📍VA centers can be redesigned to exclusively handle service related problems like
🔅PTSD
🔅basic functionality limitations (physical therapy, rehab)
🔅burn centers, trauma
🔅mental health, etc. …

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📍@DeptVetAffairs centers could even focus more on…
🔅research
🔅reacclimatization post deployments
🔅offering experimental treatments (virtual reality, MDMA, LSD, etc)
… if veterans are able to have their basic medical needs addressed in the "main" healthcare system.

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📍Employers would pay into the system (FICA) w/ contribution requirements being based on # of employees, company income, etc.
📍If we're going for no copays/coinsurance with public healthcare coverage, then employees will also contribute (income based? flat rates? via FICA)…

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…like now, but contributing to national healthcare coverage (vs only disabled, >65)
🔅So if you make a little less, you pay less. If you make a little more, you pay a little more.
🔅Biggest difference would be an increase in FICA withholdings, BUT in exchange for healthcare

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📍Changes in healthcare & increasing minimum wage could help stop employers (like Walmart) who pay their employees so little, they need social programs (like food stamps)
🔅Or change their practice of hiring so many part-time employees to avoid giving healthcare benefits

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📍If federal minimum wage is increased (and interest rates/inflation doesn't eat up all the financial benefits) that could:
🔅significantly reduce the number of families that depend on social welfare programs to survive (saving us money, that we can use to cover healthcare).

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📍There will be plenty of doctors/patients that want/can seek NON-medically necessary care (like plastic surgery), pay out-of-pocket for enhanced comfort care, concierge care, etc.
🔅Yes hospitals have fancy rooms/food options/better beds/etc for people willing to pay for it

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🔅NO public dollars should be used on any of these additional services
🔅Actually, if someone wants/can afford private coverage - I think maybe that plan should be used first (that's probably debatable), before a public coverage plan is used. …??

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📍We currently have a shortage of nurses & doctors. This is partially attributed to maximum education requirements for instructors, the costs of school & training, and the overall need for more medical and nursing programs. Many programs have 2+ years waiting list.

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🔅Plus with advances in technology, people started to steer away from traditional careers (doctors, lawyers, etc) and sought education & training in the digital/technology/engineering fields.
🔅Some people changed just due to astronomical costs of medical school (6 figures+)

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🔅No, most doctors don't make "tons of money". It's specialties that make more money (neurosurgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons, etc), but those specialties require more education and longer residencies (which means more expenses).

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📍A #MedicareForAll type system could be encouragement to enroll in healthcare programs if can get assistance w/ education costs - in EXCHANGE for a specified period where they work in the "main healthcare system", BEFORE they can venture into private practice.

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📍When it comes to helping with education expenses for in-demand careers, there has to be some kind of change in the costs at Universities/Colleges (at least for medical/critical need programs). What's the solution? I haven't quite figured it out yet. Ideas❓

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📍The tax programs being discussed (marginal tax rates, wealth tax) would bring in DESPERATELY needed money to deal w/ our debt, natural disaster recoveries (worsening w/ climate change), infrastructure, national security, deficit, etc.
🔅That would affect 0.1% households

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🔅Which means 99% of the country will NOT be impacted, in any way, by having the wealthy pay a more fair share of taxes. Tax revenue we've lost due to lobbying & dark money, that had politicians giving most tax relief to the wealthy, widening the wealth gap, year after year.

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🔅Of course the billionaires don't want to pay more taxes #duh
🔅they're getting a genourous ride from GOP, & manipulating the tax code to decrease their tax liability (leaving the rest of us to compensate for that loss) while WE get further in debt & at risk economically.

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📍Here's another thought - if marijuana was legalized federally, there would be such a significantly positive impact on our economy.
🔅We would NEED immigrants just to fill the massive amounts of jobs that would be available.

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🔅Colleges could start offering more horticulture degrees, marijuana programs (like Northern Michigan), etc.
📍Marijuana legalization & climate change policies (that we NEED back desperately), is a GREAT opportunity for…

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…Cannabis companies (like @AcreageCannabis) and renewable/green energy companies & innovators (like @GeronimoEnergy @FirstSolar) to look at setting up in towns that have lost their coal mines, manufacturing plants, etc.

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🔅The cannabis and clean energy companies could work with the local communities in offering retraining and education in their fields, so employment opportunities can return to those impacted areas. Maybe even offer TEMPORARY tax breaks for company's time & cost of training.

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Anyways, as a former paramedic, critical care nurse, traveling ER nurse, and now a disabled person I feel like I have perspectives that can help identify problem areas, offer ideas, etc. if anyone is interested in talking? @KamalaHarris @SenWarren @AOC

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