pjinca

Your point breaks down when you realize people will not "run out" and break a leg or get cancer because healthcare is free now - would they? C'mon, let's be real. Insurance companies are there to make profits, not care for the insured. Having a national health insurance or subsidized insurance will not create a "run" on hospitals. I have health insurance and I don't go running to the hospital every time I need to blow my nose.

Gene

That is the actual issue here, time and effort should be spent regulating these insurance companies, not competing with them...

DRANGED

It is market based fact and holds true whether it is an iPod or health care. You are wrong, people will run to use health care that they previously could not afford. People won't run out and break a leg, but they will go in for minor issues they could not afford previously. Port wine stains, mole removal, erectile disfunction(C's Bimmer), hair loss, you name it.

Insurance companies are forced to cover pretty much everything, things that most of will never use. This is part of the high cost. We are not allowed to shop individual insurance policies across state lines, this is part of the high cost. Malpractice suits are a part of high cost. Illegal immigrants are part of the high cost. Ignorant people going to the hospital for a cold are part of the high cost. Non-paying customers are part of the high cost.

We should be allowed to buy insurance ala carte. Pay for what we need, not for what we don't.

Competition is not the problem, there are over 380 different health insurance companies in the US.

You know who keeps us from these cheaper alternatives? It's not the insurance companies, it is GOV'T.

325/528

1) I was responding to your quote about a broken leg. You don't receive your medical bills for quite a while after that. If you were truly critical, I would hope that you would have family or friends that would look after your matters. Seriously.

2) See above response. You're not on pain medicines forever and at some point you have to either look at it yourself, have a friend or family member look at it or if things are really that bad, you would need to hire a lawyer (perhaps nationalized legal care) to look into the matters for you. Seriously.

Brit_in_NJ

I argued a case for privatizing government in a high school class many years ago no one agreed with me then. You are totally right, if you take everything away from the government the country would be much more efficiently run, they said I was crazy to suggest that defense also be privatized using private security companies like Blackwater. We have a budget of $515.4 billion on defense..that could be slimmed down going private? More money goes into social security $644billion just think what we would save if we scrap that ponzi scheme? $408billion medicare, $360billion Unemployment/Welfare if you too sick or lazy to work then why do we have to support you?

I used to have free healthcare and went to the doctors every day..it was free after all. Now I have to pay for it myself I save my $10 copay and don't go. I am much healthier survival of the fittest I say! If I am sick or hungry I am sure I can knock on my neighbours door and get by supporting my wife and child.

pjinca

I doubt there will be the ridiculous "run" on healthcare that you foresee. Remember it would still involve time off work and a lot of workers don;t get paid if they don't work - McD's doesn't offer "sick days".
How, exactly, are insurance companies "forced" to cover things? Have you SEEN the movie "Sicko"? Case after case of valid claims denied by insurers because they cost too much - result? Dead people.
Uninsured people don't go to the hospital for a cold as you say. It would cost too much so there goes that argument.

BTW, points 1, 2, and 3 I can completely agree with.

Brit_in_NJ

We should really scrap insurance companies because by nature you pay for something you don't need and they only pay for the things you do need...sometimes after you met your deductible. where is the sense in that? We should just pay for treatment when we need it, it would save us all a lot of money! I always thought bald, red, flaccid mole covered immigrants (C's Bimmer) were the source of this countries problems too.

pjinca

+1 - besides ala carte makes sense only for insurance companies. Do you really think you'll be able to add cancer treatment coverage AFTER you get diagnosed? Be realistic please.

Gene

Gotta love how even after your deductible is met some/most plans won't cover you @ 100%...so you are still going to come out of pocket some

Brit_in_NJ

Of course otherwise everyone would be out getting kidney transplants!