Rationing health care in the US
The rationing of health care is the only way to significantly reduce health-care costs in the United States. President Clinton knows this but will never admit it publicly, as it would be political suicide. In the US health-care system, we try to do everything for everyone every time. If, as in other countries, we stopped performing the very expensive, ineffective, and unnecessary procedures, medical costs would be greatly reduced.
The best way to cause a dramatic reduction in costs through covert rationing is simply to put the health providers on lower salaries.
The German system, so favored by Mr. Clinton, has affected rationing by putting their government-employed physicians on a $40,000 per year salary.
These German doctors are kept in line by the creation of an artificial over-supply - 20 percent of them are unemployed. Those doctors who do work keep regular hours.
Do this in the US, and most doctors will retire or leave the profession. Therefore, the cost of medical care will be greatly reduced since the amount of medical care will be greatly reduced. Richard C. Carson, Laurel, Md.
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