Is this the future of Health Care?

[rubondfan2]

The entire healthcare/health insurance debate has it's roots from a false premise in the first place; which drives us all to endless debate madness. Health insurance was only ever designed to cover catastrophic stuff (major injuries, dismemberment, etc.). It was NOT designed to cover every little trip to the Doctor or every little prescription. Health insurance is the root of all spiraling-medical-cost-evils, in my opinion.

Ron Paul has some good ideas on this subject... and speaks from a good bit of authority; he's been a congressman for the better part of 25 years, has been a senior member of the House Finance Committee (this guy knows money) AND has been a physician for nearly 50 years.

We should not be debating about who will cover the cost of Health insurance or how Health insurance should be administered. We should be debating about how to return to a system of health that promotes preventative care, alternative/holistic medicine, and a free market system free from (federal) government intervention (the states can weigh in all they want, since that is how it is supposed to work under our system of government; too bad so many of us have lost touch with that reality).

Folks... Rupert Murdoch and his brainless news readers don't have the answers... they're not even posing the right questions. They are spoon feeding you what they want you to believe. It furthers their agenda. Turn off your TV's, cancel your "news"paper subscription, study history, do some of your own research and derive your own intelligent and informed opinion. If you feel passionately enough about your opinion, let it be known and even fight for it if need be. But for goodness sake, stop parroting what you hear on the evening news or read in the Wall Street Journal.

[Guest]

Okay so working for the healthcare insurance companies pays a lot of people's bills, true. Paychecks also derive from many other industries. The problem as i understand it is that the price of care is kept artificially high by generating a shortage of care, thus increasing demand. The extortionate gains -at the expense of the insured- are mostly paid out as dividend to shareholders (who could be anyone in the world), and only partly return to the American economy through wages and taxes.

Dravin, im not entirely understanding what you are saying?

I realise a lot of people feel that self-reliance is a great good and people need motivation to participate in the economic process. I can agree to that much, but im appalled that Doctors Without Borders have to send medical teams to the USA to treat people (with jobs)that cant get the care they need under the current system.

I don't work for a healthcare insurance company. I work for an engineering company. My company does not pay for my healthcare. Not a single cent. I'm a contractor so I opted out of healthcare benefits in exchange for higher pay rate. I buy an individual high deductible "Emergency medical and hospitalization" plan for $150 per month for my entire family (husband, wife, and 2 kids), and put $350/month into a Health Savings Account that is invested in safe stocks/bonds/mutual funds/etc. (I can manage it myself or let a financial company or bank manage it for me, FDIC insured, etc. etc.). The insurance only covers surgeries, hospitalization, and the like. It doesn't cover doctor visits outside of the hospital. I get a cheap rate for non-smoker, non-drinker, with zero maternity coverage (I don't need it).

My son broke his arm a few years ago and had to go to surgery, it was fully covered by the insurance. My other son had to have stitches on his eyebrow. Fully covered. I use the Health Savings Account for the yearly trip to the doctor, the optometrist, and 2 visits to the dentist per year.

The Health Savings Account is getting fat. If I don't like the healthcare service available in the USA, I can take that money and buy healthcare somewhere better. If I get cancer, the insurance covers it. If I stay healthy with good diet and exercise, I could have the Health Savings Account still fat by the time I get old and the body would start to need spare parts. If I die in a car accident tomorrow, my kids/grandkids can inherit the Health Savings Account and use it.

If the government starts to gain a brain and make the corporate environment healthy again, I can hit my company up for a raise so I can put more money into my Health Savings Account. If the government starts to gain more brains and stops demonizing Wall Street, my Health Savings Account stocks would gain more dividends and grow faster! No need for universal health insurance whatever! And no, I'm not rich. I'm smack dab in the middle of middle-class.

Get it?

Edited December 3, 2010 by anatess