- Tort reform
- Remove government regulations on the insurance industry so we can have real competition.
- And I'm adding - get the employer out of the health care business. How many people are afraid to leave a job they hate because of the "benefits?" Your insurance should belong to you, not your employer.
A big H/T Catholics Against ObamaCare
4 comments:
Adrienne, I agree with you on most of these points, but I need to point out that some people , likes yours truly, can't get coverage at an affordable rate save through an employer's plan. i have been rejected for life insurance 2x in the last year, and when I was last buying my own health insurance it was costing me $400/month for minimal (high deductible) rates. I suspect that insurance companies are actually in cahoots (like the gas companies) to maintain high rates. When officers of companies are making 8 digit and more salaries+bonuses something is grossly wrong.
AA - actually you just proved my point.
Example: Employer pays say 8 - 10 k per year for your insurance (which I might add is not portable)
How about the employer drops this concept and instead pays you an additional 7K per year. If you remove the government regs that hinder true competition in the health insurance industry rates would drop. You could purchase catastrophic insurance for say 5K per year (which is a really high figure), pay out of pocket for your doctor visits, and still be a couple thousand ahead.
Your employer gains and you gain not only $$$ but can make your own health care decisions. Hate your job? Leave....you own your insurance.
You're assuming the employer would pass on the savings, most will not, and a lot don't offer coverage (ask your local 7-11 employee). Most companies offer it as an incentive to employment candidates. In my experience the only peope guaranteed insurance are those in unions (not an option in my field of work) but most "professional" positions have it as an option (not a guarantee). It has been a Godsend several times in my life, and allows me to medical technology I couldn't otherwise afford. The insurance companies are the villains with regards to its cost. I'm against national healthcare because of its looking a lot like HMOs,which have become the biggest healthcare businesses in the world, and the biggest rationers of healthcare (as evidenced by the growth of Kaiser-Permanente here in CA, where ER waiting times are commonly hours, and in busy locals have extended a day or more).
AA - I loathe HMO's and completely agree with you that they ration care and make stupid and ultimately costly decisions.
Insurance providers are bound by economics. They work with a pool. States are imposing a gazillion mandates on the companies. Idaho is one of the lowest with 13 or so mandates. Minnesota is one of the highest with 67 or 68.
I agree that insurance companies share some of the blame. But once again, it's a business. With no real competition from other insurance companies and burdened by government mandates and other regulations, the prices are always going to go up.
And let's place a bit of the blame on consumers who, having employee coverage, run to the doctor for every little hangnail. They pay their co-pay and rejoice that it's "free." Ah, no it's not....someone has to pay for that.
A high risk person like you would be able to buy lower cost insurance if we weren't all picking up the tab for hangnails and the uninsured using the emergency room for a free clinic (including illegals)
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