McCain's healthcare plan exposed
The Washington Post covered Sen. John McCain's visit to a cancer research center in Tampa today and report that he rejected calls by his Democratic opponents for universal health coverage, and for his part embraces a market-based solution.
But McCain's so-called market-based solution still relies on insurance companies, which has effectively isolated the market from the providers for generations, causing health care costs to explode.
As an example of the affects of health care greed, in 1960, a typical birth cost an uninsured middle class family about two weeks salary. Today, the expenses associated with child birth can easily soar past six months salary, whether the family has insurance or not.
McCain's web site suggests that the government would make health care insurance innovative, portable and affordable if he's elected President.
Let's focus on the insurance element by itself for a moment. When groups of people pay continual premiums into a fund managed by companies who then pay medical bills on behalf of patients, then the patients are bound by the company's rules. Insurance administrators aren't frugal and aren't as motivated to comparison shop and health care prices subsequently rise.
But when patience pay as they go, they're motivated to find the most reasonable balance between quality of care and cost. When you're paying the bills with your own money, you care about the cost.
Let's be honest. There are no market forces in play when an insurance company insulates patients from poor buying decisions (don't get me started on silly emergency room visits).
And while we're being honest, let's examine the real motivation behind frivolous lawsuits. The key ingredient that creates an environment for litigation is deep insurance company pockets, not bad doctors. Who's bright idea was it to create this litigation funds anyway? The only natural result is higher health care costs that make a few people very rich (mostly lawyers).
Every citizen and every community should be permitted to employ doctors and medical facilities without outside interference. In fact, we should be very cautious about who we permit to get involved in our health care as no outside party will act in your best interest. Not insurance companies and not the government.
If people want to help those who cannot afford essential medical service, then they'll always be free to contribute money and volunteer their time to non-profits, charities and churches.
It should be in extremely rare cases that Uncle Sam pay medical bills out of taxpayer's pockets.
But McCain's so-called market-based solution still relies on insurance companies, which has effectively isolated the market from the providers for generations, causing health care costs to explode.
As an example of the affects of health care greed, in 1960, a typical birth cost an uninsured middle class family about two weeks salary. Today, the expenses associated with child birth can easily soar past six months salary, whether the family has insurance or not.
McCain's web site suggests that the government would make health care insurance innovative, portable and affordable if he's elected President.
Let's focus on the insurance element by itself for a moment. When groups of people pay continual premiums into a fund managed by companies who then pay medical bills on behalf of patients, then the patients are bound by the company's rules. Insurance administrators aren't frugal and aren't as motivated to comparison shop and health care prices subsequently rise.
But when patience pay as they go, they're motivated to find the most reasonable balance between quality of care and cost. When you're paying the bills with your own money, you care about the cost.
Let's be honest. There are no market forces in play when an insurance company insulates patients from poor buying decisions (don't get me started on silly emergency room visits).
And while we're being honest, let's examine the real motivation behind frivolous lawsuits. The key ingredient that creates an environment for litigation is deep insurance company pockets, not bad doctors. Who's bright idea was it to create this litigation funds anyway? The only natural result is higher health care costs that make a few people very rich (mostly lawyers).
Every citizen and every community should be permitted to employ doctors and medical facilities without outside interference. In fact, we should be very cautious about who we permit to get involved in our health care as no outside party will act in your best interest. Not insurance companies and not the government.
If people want to help those who cannot afford essential medical service, then they'll always be free to contribute money and volunteer their time to non-profits, charities and churches.
It should be in extremely rare cases that Uncle Sam pay medical bills out of taxpayer's pockets.
