Bush Plan to Control Health Care Costs

This popped up on Yahoo about an hour ago. Here's the message I just sent to editor.reuters@reuters.com


Dear Editor:

This 'plan' of Bush's comes directly from John Kerry's website:

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/healthcare/


A New Approach to Control Spiraling Health Care Costs

Lowering Costs with New Technology

The annual cost of health care in America is $1.4 trillion. About 25 percent, or $350 billion, is spent on non-medical items, principally paperwork such as billing and record-keeping. No other industry is so inefficient. This expensive drain on the system can be cut in half with modern technology. Kerry's program will offer a "technology bonus" as an incentive to health care providers and insurers to update their procedures and switch to electronic records.


"By Caren Bohan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites), taking on Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) over health issues, pitched a plan on Thursday to expand the use of technology in medicine -- including a cure for doctors' illegible handwriting.

Bush touted a goal of storing most Americans' medical records in electronic form within 10 years, saying that would reduce paperwork costs and cut down on medical errors."

I never thought I would see the words "Bush", "Control" and "Costs" in the same sentence in that order!

Anyone think he will actually DO anything?

For a rainy day in Iraq.

Then tens of millions for a "pilot". Then hundreds of millions for tech that doesn't work.

If BushCo has time to do it, that is.