Health Insurance & Capitalism

[JCsPlumbing]

Radical question. But really think before replying.

The health care/insurance industry is about the only one that does not participate in the Capitalism system of the U.S. The free market of supply/demand has not been allowed to work at all.

What do you think would happen if health insurance was done away with?

J.C.

[cpw]

Radical question. But really think before replying.

The health care/insurance industry is about the only one that does not participate in the Capitalism system of the U.S. The free market of supply/demand has not been allowed to work at all.

What do you think would happen if health insurance was done away with?

J.C.
I think routine medical care would become cheaper, because people would have an incentive to price shop.

I assume most people would have high deductible policies. That would mean big stuff wouldn't be affected too much, because it would be over the deductible for a high limit policy. If an accident requires more than $1000 of body work on my car, I am no longer price sensitive. Less than $1000, I'm going to shop around for the best value (not necessarily the lowest price; but the best combination of who I think can fix the car well for the agreed price).

[HouseOfAtlas]

Radical question. But really think before replying.

The health care/insurance industry is about the only one that does not participate in the Capitalism system of the U.S. The free market of supply/demand has not been allowed to work at all.

What do you think would happen if health insurance was done away with?

J.C.

Do you mean if there was some national health care system?

If so, people would be going to the doctor for getting a scrap on their knee. Places would be more crowded and quality would suffer.

Just think if a guy did drain cleaning for $20/drain. How much work he would get yet how good do you think the quality would be? Plus, you'd probably have a three week wait to get your drain cleaned, also.

[Tyman]

If health insurance were done away with, the medical field would have to change the way they do business. Unfortunately, the insurance company's have scared the public to death with horror stories of bad care with months of wait time for a surgery.

The only people that pay for medical insurance are the people bustin their tail everyday paying taxes. The poor get insurance, the old get insurance, children get insurance. Why shouldn't every one have medical insurance?

[JCsPlumbing]

Do you mean if there was some national health care system?

If so, people would be going to the doctor for getting a scrap on their knee. Places would be more crowded and quality would suffer.

Just think if a guy did drain cleaning for $20/drain. How much work he would get yet how good do you think the quality would be? Plus, you'd probably have a three week wait to get your drain cleaned, also.

No. Not national health care. No insurance. The health care industry is forced to participate in Capitalism with supply, demand, quality, price, competition etc.

J.C.

[Service Guy]

No. Not national health care. No insurance. The health care industry is forced to participate in Capitalism with supply, demand, quality, price, competition etc.

J.C.

Yeah, I get what you are saying....no insurance. Just pay the total bill like any other service. The only problem is, people would be forced to 'self-insure' meaning they would have to put away a couple hundred grand in case of an emergency. Unfortunately not many people can do that.

I think that the playing field needs to be leveled somehow, though. Right now the healthcare system is a gigantic mess in this country. I don't have the answers.

[plumberscrack]

It's called a Health Savings Account or HSA. I have one

[HouseOfAtlas]

No. Not national health care. No insurance. The health care industry is forced to participate in Capitalism with supply, demand, quality, price, competition etc.

J.C.

I see what you mean now. My bad.

I guess it depends on how much the prices would drop. People who work for a good company and get great benefits probably wouldn't like it too much. Then again, there are millions of people who are uninsured.

Plus, if prices dropped, wages would drop in the medical field. In my area, the need for nurses is really high yet I don't think there would be many people going for RNs if the pay was cut. Just a thought.

[gear junkie]

I'm sorry I'm so ignorant about this but how does health insurance work? I've never had to deal with it(military).

[BHD]

do to factors (sue happy and insurance on there end, and inflated costs for ever piece of equipment do to liability concerns) the cost of health care, has gotten out of hand

in our small town there is a public hospital struggling to keep it doors open, and it is my understanding that the insurance rates on the DR's is more than there salary, and if my understanding is that is just for the Dr, not the clinic or the hospital district, so when one goes in a large portion of the bill is to pay the liability insurance, and then the bill get passed with all the non pays as well, to make up for medicare under payments, so if your a paying customer, your bill is inflated twice to 5 times the cost of the service, to pay for the illegal immigrant that uses the service for free, and for the low income person that has no intention of paying,

so in a since free enterprise is alive and well in the health care industry, the problem is similar to the emergency call on plumbing or what ever,

you need the service now not next week or next year, if your laying on the table and your heart is messing up, you do not have time to shop for the best care or cost, you go where they send you and pray for the best. and Hope the insurance (if you have it was all it was sold to be), and if you don't have it, you hope when you see the bill that it does not cause another heart attack,

I do wonder if there was some true tort reform and limits were set so liability costs cold be under control, I think that would be a fist good step,

If one has an elective procedures done one can do some shopping for price and services,
but if it not a chosen procedure, your DR is calling the shots normally, and since they do not even see the bill for the most part, they have no idea what a test costs or a procedure cost, they jsut say take it, and many times it to CYA, for them, we will run ever test in the book so we don't get sued if it is some thing we missed.

so you get $2000 of tests for a common cold, instead go home and take two aspirin and call in the morning if your worst.

Example of this, the at the time new Dr, had moved in by my folks in town, and I had gone to him for the carpal tunnel problems I had been having, the sent me for some tests, and went and had the tests done and I saw him in the yard, (I had helped him and his wife move in), any way I went over and was talking to him, and told him what the test had cost me he jsut looked stunned, and thought I was teasing him, and I said no that one test was $XXX.XX, and he really had no idea what it was costing.

I really wonder if your bill was actually for the cost incurred if we normally would even need insurance. as I would guess in most cases most could pay for there own care,

15+ years ago, I blew out my knee, spent less than 22 hr in the hospital and got next to 0 care by the nursing staff, if it was not for a student nurse (paying for the job in school), I would not have seen a nurse in the recovery time. they did surgery on my knee, and that was at that time over $1200 an hr for the stay, they charged me over $25 for a 30 cent quart of saline, and I know the bill was padded as I brought some items i had been given, to same some money, and those time had been billed to me any way, even tho they used the thing I brought in, when I brought the know items to there attention they crossed it off the bill, but it really made me wonder how may extras were on that bill that I never used.
$28,000 for less than on day in the building jsut seems a little on the high side, I would have not idea what it would cost to day. When one days cost is or was more than your yearly net income some thing is definitely out of balance,

but I do think capitalism is alive and well in the care health industry. from there point of view. but the view of capitalism for the consumer is not there in the same way, partly because of the way you many times use the industry,

but if you have time you can DR shop, you can shop for drugs, and even at home supplies,
but in an emergency you do not shop, you call 911, and the ambulance service that serves the area comes, you do not have a choice, you jsut use, even the hospital you probly have not a choice in, and if they chose to Air ambulance you, normally that is not your choice, you just hope you make it, and then, worry about the bills later.

I am sure if you could plan out an emergence one could save thousands by shopping around for the services, needed and the DR to treat you.

[BHD]

I'm sorry I'm so ignorant about this but how does health insurance work? I've never had to deal with it(military).


you pay monthly, unreasonable sums of money to some company that claims they will pay all the bills if you get hurt or ill,

In reality do to deductibles and co pays and 20/80 pays, you will soon discover that when you have had some covered medical needs, you will find out it will still cost you nearly $5000+ a year, to pay what they did not cover, with there formulas and things they say are not covered,

and even years later, you will get letters saying you own the company because 4 years ago, they played some bills and now they think they over payed, there part.

Also there is so much paper work you will nearly need to hire a office staff just to figure out what it all is and is for.

That is how Medical insurance works,

[JCsPlumbing]

Good post BHD. What's getting more interesting in the Healthcare industry to me is "Global Surgery." They are doing procedures in India and other places for a fraction of costs here. I know what alot of people are thinking, but the stories I've read and the televised reports showed BETTER statistics for recovery, infection etc. The person had their own personal nurse, not just one for the floor per shift. And some of the doctors they interviewed graduated from places like Duke University.

This was the most interesting to me. They did a local story on someone that needed a procedure and the U.S. Health Insurance provider offered to PAY THE POLICY HOLDER to go overseas to get the procedure done. I don't remember the exact amount but it wasn't change, and the Insurance company still came out way ahead.

Better care, equal doctors, personal nurse, longer recovery time, paid to get it done. Not bad. Don't know what kind of malpractice rights you would have though. Probably not many.

The program (Dateline? Primetime? Can't remember) also showed them building more hospitals near airports to get ready for more of this.

J.C.