Dr. Bailie met with Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona on Friday April 30 to discuss the real issues affecting healthcare in the State of Arizona and in the US. He brought to light numerous facts that are not covered by the media but concern those working on the front lines of healthcare. Dr. Bailie’s primary concern is that he is seeing the cost of healthcare rising exponentially to patients in the face of record insurer profits. The ACA (Obamacare) may have some beneficial provisions, such as no pre-existiong conditions but it has done nothing for out-of-pocket costs to consumers. IN fact, many who were insured now cannot afford insurance at all and do not qualify for subsidies. Many docs do not take plans from the Obamacare exchange and many insurers are dropping exchange plans because they are not PROFITABLE. DR. Bailie believes the entire insurance industry needs a shake-up and that the idea of insurance needs to be redefined. He expressed that excess money in the system (i.e. PROFITS) need to be given back to policy holders not to SHAREHOLDERS of companies. Insurance companies need to be privatized by law and then converted to MUTUAL INSURERS where consumers can easily shop companies by premium and efficiency. Policyholders then get a return dividend annually if the insurer handles the risk pool properly, benefitting the consumer. This would create competition among insurers but most importantly take the HUGE excess and put it back into the consumers’ pockets, where it belongs. In addition, to cut costs, medical malpractice merit panels can be created at the state level to rid the courts of bogus lawsuits yet allow patients who are affected by negligent care to proceed through the judicial process.
The truth has not been told about what is happening in healthcare and Dr. Bailie feels that the only way things can change is if “boots on the ground” physicians provide insight to the lawmakers. Just as we are seeing in the presidential campaigns of both parties, it is time to shake up the status quo and give the power and choice back to the people.
David S Bailie, MD
President
Arizona Institute for Sports Knees and Shoulders, LLC
Providing personalized subspecialty Orthopedic Care since 1996
www.AZISKS.com
