tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550222691875074441.post4408441685886475522..comments2024-01-30T05:25:56.085-07:00Comments on A Teacher's View: Health Care Debaclemmazenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06602797515366983639noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550222691875074441.post-61130381737664508582009-03-02T20:06:00.000-07:002009-03-02T20:06:00.000-07:00I agree with you up to a point. Clearly, the low ...I agree with you up to a point. Clearly, the low co-pays for office visits and prescriptions is a problem. Realistically, people should carry insurance for the catastrophic - accidents, disease, chronic conditions. That's how I remember it growing up.<BR/><BR/>However, I am opposed to the idea of individuals shopping for their own care as the de facto system. The reason for this is two-fold:<BR/><BR/>One - larger pools help lower costs by spreading the risk. That is why a pool of 300 million payers is preferable.<BR/><BR/>Two - individuals can be dropped at any time, and that means when unhealthy people file a claim, they risk losing coverage.<BR/><BR/>I cover my family individually and keep costs down, but I am covered by my employer because my asthma and allergies prohibits me from finding affordable coverage (even though I file almost no claims for a condition which is well controlled.<BR/><BR/>Ultimately, the Healthy Americans Act or the extension of FEHBP to all Americans are the best and only reasonable options.mmazenkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06602797515366983639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550222691875074441.post-55467789263640054002009-03-02T14:09:00.000-07:002009-03-02T14:09:00.000-07:00The best way to reduce the cost of health care is ...The best way to reduce the cost of health care is to put the consumer in the driver seat. First, insurance should be just that - insurance. Do you expect your home insurance to cover having your house cleaned, changing light bulbs, painting, maintenance and minor repairs? Do you expect your car insurance to include limitless trips to the gas pump? Of course not, because that is not what insurance is.<BR/>Unfortunately Americans have become accustomed, even entitled, to this concept of health insurance that covers everything with low/no deductible and then they wonder why the premiums are so high! The "all you can eat buffet" of "free" healthcare" sounds good (don't all "free" things?). But it will only drive up demand, reduce quality and run up costs. People get this when it comes to buying things, but we've been so cut off from the practice of direct participation in the consumption of health care (thanks to HMOs and employee sponsored helath plans) that it never occurs to ask what something actually costs. <BR/><BR/>I personally have benefitted by a low premium ($391.00/moonth for family of 4)/ high ($2,000.00) annual deductible plan. Even if I use up my annual deductable, I still pay less annually in health insurance premiums than I would have with a "pre-paid" high premium/no deductible plan with identical coverage. How did I disvcover this? I shopped for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com