DISQUS

kadjette · 1 year ago

I absolutely don't understand how you can blame the free market for the failure of the health insurance industry to live up to its promises. Government intervention through over regulation and internal insurance company policies have taken away freedom. The ever present pressure of the insurance companies to make money for its stock holders removes freedom. It's much easier to blame free markets and capitalism instead of the inherent flaws of the existing system.

Freedom in health care exists. I can bypass the insurance companies all together and pay directly for my own health care. I am free to negotiate payment. I am free to go to any provider I choose. Under most insurance plans I lose control of any money I have paid into the system. I have to have referrals to specialists. I have fewer choices in providers. Insurance is a socialist philosophy - surrendering control of one's choices and resources. A single payer or universal plan will take all of that away.

You blame regulation for the ever increasing premium costs on one hand and on the other you blame too little. Frankly I am confused by your arguments.

Louise · 1 year ago

@forHealth: Thanks for your comment, and we're always glad to get your feedback. You mentioned that

"Freedom in health care exists. I can bypass the insurance companies all together and pay directly for my own health care"

but I'm curious about what the upper dollar limit would be? Most health insurance policies will pay up to several million dollars for a person's care - and if you switch from one group policy to another, you can effectively reset that limit (not so with individual health insurance, since it would be hard to get approved for a policy with medical underwriting if a person had maxxed out another policy). Some people truly do have enough money to pay for all of their own medical care (people like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates come to mind). But for most of us, a multi-million dollar medical bill would be impossible to self pay.

I don't mean for my articles to be confusing. I think that health care reform is a very complex topic, and one that is constantly evolving. I feel that in some instances there has been too much government regulation in health care (for example, states that require all health insurance companies to offer policies with no medical underwriting, but with no system in place to keep health insurance premiums in those states from skyrocketing because of the huge claims being paid). On the other hand, there hasn't been enough regulation on the profit end of the health care system (the whole system, not just health insurance), and that has put upward pressure on prices. It's not just a matter of more regulation versus less regulation. Instead, I think it's a case of getting the right regulations in place. And I think that health care is too important to be a fully self-regulated, free market entity. Because if it is, the people without money end up getting the short end of the stick. And while there are lots of things that we can go our whole lives without if we can't afford them, for most people, health care isn't one of those things.

Jay · 1 year ago

@forHealth:
I am confused by your arguments:
"I absolutely don’t understand how you can blame the free market for the failure of the health insurance industry to live up to its promises.... The ever present pressure of the insurance companies to make money for its stock holders removes freedom."

We may disagree with some regulations (HB 1355 and HB 1389 come to mind), but we do think that the majority of consumer protections in place are necessary.

Also, you have the false sense that you have taken control of your own health care needs. I've read your plan. When we speak of health care, we're not talking about small things like doctors visits or the dentist. We're talking about managing the risk of catastrophic, unpredictable events. I respect the fact that you have a different philosophy about the role of government than I do. But I don't think it is acceptable for a government to leave its citizens with the same plan you have:

I have no plan to cover expensive treatments like kidney dialysis, chemotherapy or cancer surgery. I intend on accepting my fate and dying with dignity. I have made this choice knowing I have no way to pay for treatment. My husband has medical power of attorney and knows that I do not wish him to go into bankruptcy to keep me alive.

Another question I have about your plan, you say:

Even if I had gone ahead with the state high risk pool, I would have been unable to pay the monthly premiums and it would have provided no financial protection in case of a catastrophe. A $20,000 hospital bill would bankrupt me regardless of the plan.

But then you also say:

In case of a medical emergency or other expensive procedures, I have 2 credit cards with a total of $20,000 in available credit. While this is not an optimal plan, it will at least get me in the door of a hospital. At which time I will beg for a reasonable payment plan and/or discounts.

If a $20,000 hospital bill would bankrupt you, how would you go about paying off a $40,000 credit card bill while also dealing with a serious medical condition?

Jay · 1 year ago

@forHealth:
I just checked out the risk pool for your state. They have an HSA qualified plan with a $3,000 deductible. Once you meet the deductible, the plan pays 60% (you pay 40%) until you pay another $5,000, then the plan pays 100% with a $1,000,000 lifetime maximum. I don't know how old you are, but for a 50 year old female, the plan is $377/month.

kadjette · 1 year ago

Jay, that quote does not include underwriting. $377/mo is something I simply can't afford. My quote from them wasn't that high, but it became a choice of paying for my mortgage or paying for health insurance. And I would never have had enough money to put into the HSA after paying the monthly premium. There was no point in going forward with it.

And your right. How would I pay a $20,000 credit card bill if I am too ill to work? I don't know. The point is that it would get me into the door of a hospital. It would be like waiving free money in front of the check-in agent. Maybe you haven't experienced signing your life away for every hospital visit regardless of its in or out patient. They all want proof of payment.

Rozz · 1 year ago

Forget the credit card... just rob a bank.

America has quickly become a third world country.

Jay · 1 year ago

@forHealth:
Risk Pool = No underwriting

Also, getting an HSA qualified plan only qualifies you to setup an HSA along with the health insurance plan if you choose to do so. Most of our clients that purchase HSA qualified health insurance plans don't setup the savings account along with it. An HSA qualified plan is just the smartest way to spend insurance premiums because it fits the definition of insurance.