Monitoring the doctors and hospitals charges is a tough row to hoe. I know when I was in the hospital for a day and a half, the bill was $15,000. Try and figure that one out will drive you nuts. My question is, for those that don’t like SSI and Medicare, isn’t buying health insurance the same thing? You pay a little now, along with everyone else. That money goes into an account, supposedly, and picks up the tab if you have a problem. Insurance companies count on this. Granted, health insurance is voluntary but it works the same way. The main difference is that personal health insurance costs a lot more. Just thinking out of the box here.
The main difference is that personal health insurance costs a lot more
No, it's not the same thing...or it wouldn't be if Gov't got out of it.
The reason is that if private competition got into it (which would happen if Gov't got out) costs would be lowered. Yes, strictly private insurance companies save up the money, but they are MUCH more careful of your money overall because, as a business they need to watch their dollars. They need to provide quality care for less because their customers could leave if someone provided better service for less. Kind of like your local service station...if they are charging too much for changing your car battery, and the other guy down the street is charging 50% less, guess where the customers are going to go?
Now if Gov't is in it (and it is now with Medicare dollars flooding in to insurance companies with not nearly enough accountability) companies don't have to be so careful to either provide quality service OR low prices because they know they are getting paid regardless. Why? Because Congress has voted them their funds so they can get as much as the policians give them...and that's a lot if politicians are going into debt to do so (it has nothing to do with relations between the company and customer) and a law is WAAAAY harder to rescind than a customer paying out of pocket.
Gov't being in something ALWAYS makes it more expensive.
My wife is only 31 and pays 40% more now since Obama Care passed. She pays $700 a month.
Chew on that number and you see how individuals are screwed compared to group rates.