LETTERS

Letter: Are we ready for this National Health Plan? Published on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Email To Friend    Print Version Dear Sir: This information was passed on to me and I found it interesting and I thought I should share it because in my opinion it makes a lot of sense. Here's a better plan. Take the projected $48 million (only, not per year). Stick it in a bank. When someone gets sick and requires more serious medical care, send them by private helicopter to Miami, etc. Lets look at costs to do this (Medi-vac) vs the new "sure to fail plan" that will eventually bankrupt TCI. Lets say private charter can be arranged (maybe with local airline, Coast Guard, etc) to Medi-vac someone to Miami etc (a contracted cost can likely be arranged for ~$10k/trip). If (using a very high figure) -10% (3,000 people) of population would require Medi-vac transport, this represents - $30 million. But more realistic figures are roughly 1,000 people that might require Medi-vac service (3 patients/day/year). Also, many who have private insurance are already covered for Medi-vac services, so maybe only 500 people would require such service to be covered by the state. That equates to only $5 million to ensure serious cases get off-island emergency medical attention. That would cover 9 years of medical needs, versus $48 m/year as indicated in this article. The status quo can be maintained, and worked on to make measurable improvements, rather than tear the existing system apart. Putting in place a system with no proven record or predictable cost profile for the years to come, does not sound like a healthy Health Plan. The new plan is a guaranteed path to financial disaster and an even worse lack of medical facilities on island, than currently exists. The existing system without doubt needs improvement. This can be accomplished applying incremental funding with measurable changes to use as success indicators, to prove that the funding is working and effective. Implementing a total change with unknown but substantially higher costs and unproven benefits, and still not addressing many of the medical needs, is not demonstrating sound responsible management, in any industry. If existing hospitals in major centers have difficulty to get sufficient funding and staff to maintain a full complement of services, exactly what should TCI citizens expect will be the true result of all this new funding. To try and develop a full service facility on-island, without ready access to draw qualified people to work here, will suck the financial backbone of the island dry in short time, and will ultimately require implementing the old system again, but with even less funds available. Someone hasn't done their homework here. Either that or say goodbye to all you have, because you will become another welfare state, and end up with a totally useless medical system like Canada has, with typical waiting times of 6-18 months to see a specialist. At least wait and see what happens in the US, and in the meantime, work on improving your existing system. Maybe before long you will have the best system around, with only minor changes made, vs radical long shot gambling. Lets take a trip the new emergency room in Provo's new 20-bed hospital. Say 2 people come in for emergency care within 15 minutes at 3 am. One a severe heart attack, the other a bar fight with a knife penetrating 3"into the brain or a major organ. How many specialists will there be to attend to these cases. More than likely the equipment and technical staff and lab skills will not be available to address either case , let alone at 3 am. But in an hour both can (and likely will) be transported to a center that can easily handle such dire emergencies, with all the necessary technical, lab, medical facilities necessary, (beyond just the emergency ward). Blood work, MRI/CAT scanners, respirators, etc the list goes on and on. There may be a dozen hospitals at the disposal for the victims, as it is likely both will be Medi-vac'd off island in any event. This is the reason for building a hospital, but due to lack of resources and funding, it can only handle a broken leg or cuts and bruises. Better to maximize your on-island resources to ensure medical emergencies can get proper treatment 100% of the time in fully equipped hospitals with experienced staff adapted to handling any sort of medical emergency. Stay in the real world folks. Might as well start selling Formula 1 racing cars on island while you're at it. Pat Eke   Reads : 417 Back... Comments: No comments on this topic yet. Be the first one to submit a comment. 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