🚀 go-pugleaf

Bill Campbell (bill@Celestial.COM) wrote:

: One problem is that our medial ``insurance'' has evolved so that
: it isn't insurance at all, but a method to pay regular medical
: expenses (sort of like buying food insurance to pay your bills at
: the grocery store).  When I sold health insurance in (1965-1966)
: there were Major Medical policies that were designed to cover
: unexpected medical expenses.  The whole idea of insurance is to
: cover unusual events, not the day-to-day normal expenses.  This
: way the cost of the unusual events is spread out over a larger
: group of people so the cost is lower per person.  Using medical
: ``insurance'' to pay normal bills is ridiculous since it costs at
: least $40 to process every claim (that's why there are
: deductibles on auto insurance -- to elimnate the small claims).

Can't argue here.  The current "insurance" structure just doesn't work
if we attempt to pay regular bills.  That is what is wrong with it.

It seems there are two approaches:
  1. Decide health care is a right (as they did in Canada) and
     implement an efficient system that makes it available much
     like other government insured services such as police
     protection
  2. Decide that health care is something that people need to
     get for themselves and treat all persons attempting to
     secure health care in an equitable manner (Note I don't mean
     equally -- someone in a high risk of injury job should expect
     to pay more for health care but such a person should have
     equal access to health care as opposed to the group plan
     approaches and cost benefits that employers benefit from)

Personally I think health care should be a right and think we need to
implement a system that insures that it is.  But, if we elect not to I
agree completely with Bill's point and would like to see Major Medical
plans be offered again as the standard "insurance plan".
-- 
Phil Hughes - FYL - 8315 Lk City Wy NE - Suite 207 - Seattle, WA 98115 
Phone: 206-526-2919 x74      Fax: 526-0803
E-mail: fyl@fylz.com or nwnexus!fylz!fyl