Americans want the best health care for free or for their employers to pay for it. But NOTHING is free. Someone has to pay for it. As the nation’s demographics shift toward older Americans, as lifespans lengthen (partly due to the available health care and pharmaceuticals keeping people alive longer) and the variety of expensive technology involved approaches the infinite, and the obvious truth that government run Medicare and Medicaid are going bankrupt, it’s clear this can’t go on. But what to do?
Rationing already exists. Both the government and private insurers deny claims all the time or limit what they’ll pay. It’s the only way to contain costs. The difference right now is the government is in denial and has politicians who must be re-elected so they lie about the real cost. The insurance companies are making vast profits by cleverly packaging care options to avoid expensive claims in many cases. Neither is ideal.
Some truths:
- Insurers must make a profit to exist
- Government cannot run anything efficiently
- Patients don’t care about the cost of care when they don’t see the bill
- Many children today are much less active than in times past, spending time texting and playing video games instead of being outside riding a bicycle or playing sports
- A bad economy means more people eat poorly or maybe drink more alcohol.
Infinite Competition says:
- There must be vigorous private competition, but it must be highly monitored and regulated
- The government must provide a health care plan of LAST RESORT for the poor only, and catastrophic care ONLY so it doesn’t compete with private plans
- The elderly may have to give up a round of golf a week or a trip to the casino to pay MORE for health care
What do you think?