Hillary Clinton Asks: Based on your own family's experience, what do you think we should do to improve health care in America?

Interesting question....how do you deal with Kafka-esque beauracracies, horrible insurance companies, litigious patients and a shortage of nurses? Is it possible to make health care affordable for everyone? I don't know. If I had the answer, instead of a "What Would Natalie Do?" blog, I'd have a "Natalie for President" blog.

But I do have some suggestions for Hillary based on my personal experiences with my own health care and that of my parents:

1. Stop fragmented payment. Hospital stays, lab work, x-rays, physical therapy and prescriptions are all paid separately. I'd like to think that I'm an intelligent person but trying to keep track of my parents health care is like a second job. I'm often left confused and frustrated. 100 days of skilled nursing will be paid for only after a hospital stay and only if you have not been in the hospital within 90 days of the current stay. Do Not Pass GO, Do Not Collect $200. What ever happened to preventative care?

2. Put the patient in control. How am I supposed to manage my own health care if I can't access my own medical records, let alone get information on a potential doctor or hospital? I don't know how many HIPA forms I've signed but I don't ever remember reading that I was prohibited from reading my own records!

3. Computerize medical records. This could be a shaky proposition but imagine a world where one doctor could automatically access your medical records from another? How many times have I had to run from one doctor's office to another carrying a folder of information? After HIPA went into effect, I wasn't allowed to do that anymore. See 2 above.

4. Take advantage of technology. I don't know about you but my dry cleaner and grocery store run more efficiently than my doctor's office or local hospital. Would it be possible to use the technology to make health care more efficient, safe and practical?

5. We need more nurses. My father is in the hospital as of this writing. While I was sitting in the emergency room, I saw more doctors than nurses. What's that about? Of course, the doctor will not talk to you and the few nurses that were there were overworked and stressed. Did you know that the average age of the American nurse is over 47 years?

6. Stop loaning/sending money to other countries. What about keeping those billions here and taking care of American citizens? Americans spend $1.4 trillion a year on health care yet more than 40 million are without health insurance.

7. Stop the reliance on generic drugs. Generics do indeed save consumers and purchasers money when a drug has been in use so long that its patent has expired. But generic drugs -- by their very definition -- are not innovations. As of now, there is no generic drug that stops Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases. There is no generic drug that shuts off root biological processes leading to diabetes or cancer. We need breakthroughs!!

It's my hope that the candidates will get past the heated rhetoric and make an attempt for a positive change in the US health care system.