The needed fix in Health care is not any of the "options" on the table of our esteemed status quo protecting statesmen in Washington DC. So what gives, what are they fighting over? Let me break it down for you. First, you have a group of Insurance lobbyists who want to get the Government out of health care by cutting Medicare and Medicaid but then expect Government to make having health Insurance a mandated requirement. Thus funneling all the money into Insurance coffers and under insurance control.
Second you have a group that wants the Government to create a single payer system that will cut out Private Health Insurance corporations and give us a universal looking system of fairness and justice. But what this group really wants is to expand Government control, bureaucracy and union membership, not actually save Americans any money while getting Medical treatment. So what we have in the Health care debate is a debate between two wrong headed notions about Health care.
Funny though, the real Peoples solution lies in some of the pieces of rhetoric we hear coming from the debate. Things just aren't getting framed properly. Let me help there, first, Medicare and Medicaid are the two main culprits in escalating Health Care costs. Why? Because with Government as a cash cow, Institutional Medicine has no incentive what so ever to contain costs with moderate profits. And they haven't. But Private Insurance doesn't mind the Government caused escalating costs either, because they have simply joined in with their own price escalations in Health Premiums and made not too shabby a buck in the process.
So what's the solution no one is proffering? OK, first, make refusal of any needed medical procedure a crime. You need it, they must do it regardless of any financial considerations. Second, end Medicare and Medicaid and any other Medical Industry price support systems and there by force Medicine back into a genuine free market circumstance with, the rest of us in our economy. What you will see is an industry forced back into a competitive business model. You will see falling reasonable prices again and with real competition, quality will again be a selling point.
You say, but no one will pay. But that's just not true. Americans are proud to pay their legal and FAIR debt obligations. Besides, all the usual debt collection services would remain open to Medicine, but including a Court Of Law who may find a Medical Bill for services excessive and adjust accordingly. But for the most part, with Government out of the Medical business, and the Medical business denied their Government cash cow price support guarantees, that a whole new relationship will develop or perhaps return between Doctor and Patient.
Or are you saying you would only be willing to pay an Insurance premium and not be willing to pay directly for a fairer priced Medical procedure?