Tonight my wife asked me, “What’s Dennis Kucinich’s site like?” (I’ve been reviewing them =). So I had a look… Wow!

Firstly, Kucinich’s site is awesome. He’s using Drupal on a Linux server and his site has an excellent layout. Unlike some of other candidates crappy pages Kucinich’s site has very little text-as-a-graphic, uses color appropriately (unlike some sites), and its very easy to navigate (i.e. no “Mystery Meat Navigation” a la “McCainSpace”).

Secondly, I just discovered that Kucinich fully supports a single-payer healthcare system! Not only that, but he isn’t waiting to be president to get a bill into Congress… He has already introduced the Conyers-Kucinich National Health Insurance Bill: (H.R.676) which would ditch our current mess in favor of universal coverage that…

1. Covers all Americans regardless of how much they make or where they work.
2. Forces the government to negotiate on behalf of all Americans for lower drug prices as a single entity (which is the key).
3. Overhauls the reporting requirements and paperwork system currently in place (to drastically reduce it and make it more efficient).
4. Covers mental health services such as, “supportive residences, occupational therapy, and ongoing mental health and counseling services outside the hospital for patients with serious mental illness.” (which is important because this is difficult to get covered under traditional private insurance).
5. Prohibits duplicate coverage! He really gets it! He really, really gets it! I kid you not… This is from the text of the bill: “It is unlawful for a private health insurer to sell health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act.”
6. Allows patients to choose their own doctors/care providers/etc… “Freedom of Choice- Patients shall have free choice of participating physicians and other clinicians, hospitals, and inpatient care facilities.”
7. Provides vision care (not cosmetic).
8. Provides dental care (not cosmetic).
9. Converts the entire health care system into a not-for-profit one. This may seem strange/unfair, but there are provisions to pay private owners (and shareholders) the cost. Why this is being done is explained in the next item…

1. Gets rid of copayments and other pointless Ponzi schemes: “No deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing shall be imposed with respect to covered benefits.”

   Now to explain that last item since it may not be obvious: Everyone knows that copayments only exist to offset the cost to the insurance company. They’re a not-so-hidden fee that punishes the sick and their only purpose is to save money for the insurer (not patients). They are also destined to expand ad infinitum since they are the quickest and easiest way to cut costs (and increase profits). When the insurance companies started the whole copayment system (in the 1980s I believe), it was like an alarm bell signaling the eventual doom of private health insurance (as it is unsustainable).

   Copayments at doctor’s offices are extremely inefficient anyway: The cost to maintain private billing systems (that comply with HIPAA) plus the added time to take and process the payments is about the same (may be more) than the actual cost of the copay. It is like you’re spending that $30 just to pay 4 different middlemen: The credit card company, the financial institution, the care provider is using, an accountant to process the payment, and the accounting systems that manage the whole thing. Under the Kucinich bill, all that would go away (well, you’d still need some accounting software and some accountants depending on how big you are =) which would lead to much more streamlined office visits, less paperwork, and a hell of a lot less money coming out of the pockets of Americans.

   The bill is rather large and I’m still digesting it. Here’s some things I’m investigating:

2. What does it do about malpractice? If doctors don’t have to pay for malpractice insurance anymore, that alone would significantly reduce the cost of care (something like 30-70% of a doctor’s office budget goes into insurance depending on the type of doctor—dermatologists pay the least).
3. Does it do anything about drug marketing (currently 80% of pharmaceutical company spending)?
4. Does it fund or require any R&D into curing diseases (drug companies have a greater financial incentive in treating diseases and “conditions” than they do in curing them)?
5. What provisions does it have for drug abuse?

1. What provisions does it have regarding disease prevention and creating public awareness?

   I’ll report back once I’ve answered these questions.

   I’m definitely rooting for Kucinich at this point. I hope he can fight his way past the financial powerhouses that are Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.