Monday, May 25, 2009

CONTROLLING THE COST OF HEALTH CARE

Can the Private, Free Market, Business Enterprise System keep the cost of Healh Care in the range of all citizens in the society? The Private, Free Market Business Enterprise System in simple terms it is only a system to determine price/cost based upon supply and demand with a little manipulation from business and the government, but, it is the foundation for the entire economy. This system has worked near perfection in distributing the Nation's wealth in a peaceful, equitable manner with the exception of a few recessions and a couple of depressions, but can it work to control a necessity of life like Health Care where the common place side effect of bankruptcy is not an acceptable condition?

The government and some business leaders inspired by the American Dream of finding a pot of gold came up with a solution to the problem with a number of agencies under the heading of "Health Care Insurance." This "solution" has not been as successful as hoped for and has not only failed to control the health care costs, it has conflicted with the Health Care Provider's practice of administering health care. Providers claim that this system of health care insurance takes health care decisions out of the hands of the doctors and places these decisions on a profit and loss basis. It also leaves a large portion of the popultion without any health care protection. The cost of the management of this current health care system appears to be nearly as high as the cost of providing the actual health care.

Government "Medicare" for all citizens appears to be the best solution to keep health care affordable for all and to keep the actual health care system in the private, free market, business enterprise system. Health care decisions would be in the hands of the doctors and their patients, and payments would be made to private, free market, business enterprises.

AN ADDED BONUS! Under a national medicare system; private, free market business enterprises (both small businesses and corporations) would no longer be burdened with employee health care costs and this would give them a fair field to compete with foreign enterprises that do not have this cost. For example, Foreign autos have outsold domestic autos due mainly to their lower prices which were helped by not having to pay health costs for their employees. This of course would also allow domestic small businesses to offer lower prices and increase their own profit as well.

It should be noted that many skilled and caring workers in the current health insurance agencies could conveniently transfer into the expanded government universal health care plan. The only loosers would appear to be the politicians who would no longer receive their generus campaign gifts from the Insurance Agencies, (which, incidentally, have added to the cost of health care)
and of course the executive officers in the health insurance agencies would loose their "bonuses."

The "Change" to government reform and control from the "out of control" Health Care Insurance System could be the key to our economic recovery and may even make us a healthier and more caring society.

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