I heard on a local radio show last week of a Libertarian candidate running in the midwest last year who likened auto insurance to medical insurance. He said in so many words: Why do people not use medical inurance like auto insurance? If you need an oil change you don't make an insurance claim, yet people make medical insurance claims for a check-up. Auto insurance is for a catastrophic accident or break down, shouldn't medical insurance be the same?
I for one, pay an extra cost on my auto premium for towing. My "hooptie" has been towed four times in the last year, yet I never made a claim for fear my premium would increase. Surely the population takes more care of their cars than their own body, so the cost of a five year check-up would be saved up over time. Not so.
Which came first? The insurance or the expensive doctor? More to the point; which came first, the government payout or the sniveling person wanting a hand out?
Health care is NOT the same as health insurance. Health care is the doctors, clinics, and hospitals which provide this service. Health insurance is the means to pay for it. The cost of health insurance and the cost of health care have both increased exponentially. Why? I feel the cause is two fold.
- First, everyone needing an "oil change" files an insurance claim. Insurance pays the bill. But seeing how a bill gets paid, the doctor/clinic/hospital charges more since a corporation is paying for it and not the individual. Thus costs and premiums increase with each other.
- Second, we have become such a petty society that we sue for the least of offences. Citizens that do not take responsibility for their own actions, a doctor/clinic/hospital that makes a mistake or miscalculation. Ambulance chasers are right there to take their 60-70% take on their "victim" clients behalf. (a certain presidential candidate from North Carolina got rich that way)
There is corruption everywhere.
I'm sure some doctor/clinic/hospital somewhere tried to "squeeze blood from a turnip" and order some unnecessary procedure just to make a buck on a poor person that the government was funding. (hey, it's just taxpayer dollars) On the other hand, legal counselors convince people how they are wronged. Shouldn't they be entitled to some of the insurance company's big bucks? (remember their big cut?)
While standing ovations at the State of the Union Address may look like they care, the ultimate responsiblity rests with us. As doctors/clinics/hospitals and yes... citizens.
1 comment:
I agree, we need more Tort Reform. We are so obsessed with the cost of health care and at the same time fail to see a huge reason the cost is so high to begin with. Doctors have to charge more due to frivolous lawsuits driving premiums up. The insurance they need to stay in business and cover lawsuits from stupid people who sue for anything has become seriously expensive. If we want to help drive the cost of health care down, lets put some reform on these lawsuits. America has nobody to blame but themselves for this problem.
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