The race to the White House: Spine surgeons weigh in on candidates' healthcare strategy

Spine

Here two spine surgeons discussing the 2016 presidential race.

Ask a Spine Surgeon is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.


    
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Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. CST.

 

Question: In your opinion, which presidential candidate has the best healthcare plan?

 

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Unfortunately, they all seem to miss the mark. A single-payer system seems to have everyone salivating, but I think that will really break the system in its entirety. If you regulate insurance companies tightly, standardize medical review, payer contracts and establish mandatory peer reviews, you will force them into line. I think this 'Ayn Rand' approach to dealing with these insurance companies is dangerous and frankly irresponsible. If they want to stay in the game, they have to play by a standard set of rules. Any candidate who can realize that, implement it and enforce it, has my vote.  

 

Richard Kube, MD, Founder, CEO, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute (Peoria, Ill.): I am a free market guy, so in that respect, none of them. Certainly we have seen costs of insurance rise since Obamacare. Anything that moves away from that model towards a more free market and competition approach without the imposition of price controls, which has failed throughout history in every economic model, would be more favorable.

 

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