Heath Care Promises: Can You Really Keep Your Dr.?
(AP )
Really? What happens if your employer decides to change health plans? Isn't this akin to a company switching 401 (k) providers? There are countless instances of firms dumping one retirement plan sponsor for another, often less attractive plan. Sure, you, the retirement plan participant could opt not to use the company's plan, but the more likely scenario is that you would continue contributing to a plan that is not quite as good. My guess is that this is exactly what would happen in health care.
I'm not commenting about whether this is good or bad, rather that Americans deserve to know what the real cost of reforming health care will be–and make no mistake, there will be costs. How could it be otherwise? In order to overhaul the current messy and inefficient system, lots of people who are wealthy or currently have coverage, are going to pay a price. The price may be increased taxes, extra expenses for small business owners (which may affect their employees) or changes in care.
Instead of talking in absolutes, we deserve to hear the truth, something that rarely occurs in politics. I think that it's some version of this: the current system is obviously broken and we need to create a way to provide access to affordable health care for all Americans, but the price of doing so will be real and significant.
This post originally appeared The Financial Decoder blog on CBS MoneyWatch.com. Jill Schlesinger is the Editor-at-Large for CBS MoneyWatch.com. Prior to the launch of MoneyWatch, she was the Chief Investment Officer for an independent investment advisory firm. In her infancy, she was an options trader on the Commodities Exchange of New York.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
Unlike other businesses that need to provide you with their product in order to make any money, health insurance companies actually make more money for themselves when they restrict and do not pay claims.
In other words, they make more money when they do NOT provide the product that you have paid them for.
Read the 50 to 70 pages of your health insurance contract.
Pay particular attention to the section entitled ?limitations and exclusions?.
People?s health is not a product that needs to be left to the whims of money motivated CEO?s and stockholders.
If that is your thinking, you might as well have your police and fire department protection based on insurance premiums you pay.
Then you can go to the police and fire protection insurance page for ?limitations and exclusions? on whether or not the police or fire department would come out to your house in the event of an emergency.
The point is, you would never think of discriminating against another citizen if he was the victim of a fire or crime.
So why would you be ok with health insurance companies discriminating against fellow citizens who have pre-existing medical conditions?
;
Isn?t that the whole point of the plan? To give the health care companies some competition? I have worked for the same company for the last 10 years and our health care coverage has changed every few years and steadily declined in quality. I am part of the ?lucky? percentage of Americans that has employer backed health care and I think it is sub-standard. The idea that health care will get worse seems ironic when we have a health care system that is full of dope dealers. All of just trying to get you hooked on their drug so they can slowly suck the life out of you along with your life savings.
What in the world happened to the War on Drugs? Where is the scrutiny of the DRUG companies and the DRUGstores?
The current health care system is a joke and anyone who gotten wealthy in the process needs a real gut check.
- by Fatcatman July 20, 2009 3:58 PM EDT
- We need to contain health care costs including the drug industies' appetite for more dangerous and potent formulations likely to cause many more problems than they are "designed to" cure. Health insurance companies, The AMA, The ANA, and most of the other health professions support the passage of universal health care legislation. This article by Jill Schlesinger appears to be late grade-school caliber---How did this draft get by the editors/reviewers at CBS?
- Reply to this comment
See all 18 Comments