10 Steps to Affordable Health Care Overhaul: NCPA Proposes Reforms to Protect Choices,...

10 Steps to Affordable Health Care Overhaul: NCPA Proposes Reforms to Protect
Choices, Control Costs and Preserve Access

DALLAS, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To confront and resolve America's
health care crisis, the most effective solution for Americans' well-being and
budgets is to arm patients with more information and options, not increase
spending, regulations and bureaucracy, according to the National Center for
Policy Analysis research.

The NCPA today released a 10 point proposal to health care reform, based on
two and a half decades of research on health care systems in virtually every
developed country. "10 Steps to Free Our Health Care System" at
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba669.

"We need to liberate every American, including every doctor and every patient,
to use their intelligence, creativity and innovative abilities to make the
changes needed to create access to low-cost, high-quality health care," said
NCPA President John C. Goodman.

"We are all trapped in a dysfunctional health care system," said Goodman.
"Doctors and patients are powerless to change the daily waste and inefficiency
that cripples this system."

Goodman noted that the way doctors relate to patients has not changed
significantly in 100 years. "Doctors don't talk to their patients by
telephone or email; nor do they teach patients how to manage their own care or
help them become better consumers in the market for drugs," he said. "The
reason? Medicare doesn't pay for these services. And because Medicare does
not pay, neither does Blue Cross or most employer plans."

To educate the public on health reform options, the NCPA launched the "Free
Our Health Care Now" petition drive. The number of petition signers is
rapidly approaching one million
people opposed to a government nationalization of our health care system. The
petition will be delivered to Congressional leaders and the White House.
http://freeourhealthcarenow.com/

Editor's note: Dr. Goodman can speak to the impact and costs of the new health
care reform legislation, as well as patient-centered reform alternatives.

The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
public policy research organization established to develop alternatives to
government regulation by relying on the private sector.

SOURCE National Center for Policy Analysis

Catherine Daniell of NCPA, +1-972-308-6479, Cell: +1-817-991-1041,
catherine.daniell@ncpa.org