By way of illustration, Joe Whiney Butt wrenches his back while moving the recliner to get a better angle on the WWF cage match. Since Joe is maxed out on his credit cards and the payments on the big screen TV, he can't cover what would otherwise be a $100 office visit, a chart of home exercises, and a handful of muscle relaxants left with the doctor by a drug company rep.
Joe screams, "There oughta be a law!" and sure enough, Congress passes the HMO Act. Joe pays S10 for an office visit and $5 for the latest from Pfizer. Cheap, right? Joe has five office visits, three prescription refills, and free physical therapy.
People wrench their backs all the time; it is a risk which amounts to a virtual certainty. Unfortunately, Joe, descendant of Revolutionary War guerillas and frontiersmen, is too stupid to realize that the only way to profitably insure against a certainty is to, in effect, post a surety bond. Thus, Joe thinks he is getting "free" health care while paying over $4,000 - $5,000 in premiums. When the premiums hit $6,000 a year as the doctors, drug companies and medical device makers charge more to take advantage of all the third-party dollars floating around, Joe calls his Congressman again....