Opinion: Is our world-class health system coming to an end?

Will financial decisions made by bureaucrats in Washington rather than medical decisions made by our doctor send us to an early grave?

Is there any alternative to our health system that is overflowing with paperwork, rules and regulations, money wasting test after test solely to protect the doctor from predatory lawsuits?

The Leisure World GOP club was introduced to an alternative to the current practice by doctors, one which is commonly called “Choice Care,” by Dr. Marcy Zwelling, practicing in Los Alamitos, where doctors are paid directly by patients who are then reimbursed by their insurance carrier.

Overhead, that is the cost of conducting the medical business other than the all important doctor-patient relationship, currently runs around 60 percent.

It is estimated that with the addition of Washington bureaucrats telling doctors how and who to treat, this burden will expand to perhaps 80 percent.

What this means is ObamaCare will be used to support additional non-medical-related government paper-pushers having little or nothing to do with the purpose of medicine, the healing of the infirm.

Government medicine is all about expanding the government payroll, making more citizens dependent upon the government.

We know that Obamacare will add some 30 million people into the system with no additional doctors, reduce doctors’ payments for their service, perhaps even discourage bright young people from entering the profession, and add some 16,000 to 17,000 more IRS agents to “guarantee” all citizens buy government mandated health insurance.

How much better would it be to simply visit your doctor, pay your bill right there, and then be reimbursed by your insurance company?

We have all heard of the threat by many doctors, and already started by a few, to no longer accept new Medicare patients. Choice Care is the obvious alternative. We who are insured will no longer be overcharged for caring for the uninsured. With our own insurance we are covered for the catastrophic expenses, doctor visits are reimbursable, and knowing your doctor is available 24/7 is very comforting.

The key to the success of such a plan is accepting personable responsibility.

Too many Americans seek a single-payer system so others can pay for them, so they think, and this mentality is collapsing our great medical system with untold wasted expenditures. Choice Care works well for both seniors and under 65ers. In addition to all the regular health insurance, a Health Savings Accounts, HSA, is available and is a proven way for the individual to save money on medical services. We must expand this kind of insurance and Choice Care fits in perfectly.

Choice Care medical practices are designed to reinvent our traditional doctor-patient relationship by offering a more personal service at lower costs. Dr. Zwelling emphasized that her practice, and that of all Choice Care physicians, is for anyone, rich and poor alike, who seeks better health care by investing in himself. In the long run, taking personal responsibility over our health will build a better and less expensive health system and we will all benefit. This is our choice, rather than to allow some unseen bureaucrat in Washington control over our life and death.”

John Harper is a resident of Seal Beach Leisure World.