36. Lizard in a White Coat

36.  Lizard in a White Coat

 

So last week we talked about how the Accountable Care Organizations are going to incentivize your doctor to withhold potentially necessary tests and treatments, or at least limit your options.  We’ve talked about how the Medical Loss Ratio requirement of insurance companies will put insurance agents and brokers out of business, and how the Obama Administration is once again playing favorites with your healthcare.  And we talked about how the State Healthcare Exchanges will limit your choices in insurance coverage and cost you as a taxpayer lots more money…money that you could be spending on your child’s education, or saving for your retirement.  In fact, in Colorado, 85% of the residents probably will never actually USE the exchange—but we’ll be the ones paying for it.

 

What if we took a lesson from Louisianna and used an internet portal for our healthcare insurance?  They have access to over 150 different insurance plan options from companies all over the country.  They get to shop around for the policy that best suits their needs AND their pocketbook.  We wouldn’t need to spend tens of millions of dollars to start and run yet another giant government bureaucracy—one that still won’t meet our needs, and that many of us will never even use.

 

What if we get rid of the long list of required insurance coverages—coverages that most of us will never use, but that we’ll have to pay for so others can use it—and allow us to purchase insurance from any company in the country.  That will further decrease our insurance costs by allowing nationwide competition.  Imagine getting your health insurance from the same company that provides you auto, home and life insurance.  You could get discounts for multiple policies and healthy lifestyle choices.  If you don’t smoke, have a healthclub membership, keep your weight under control and manage your diabetes, you get a discount.  You could join a huge risk pool with others throughout the country—not just those in your small business or state.  That alone would make health insurance so much more affordable for everyone.  We don’t need an Accountable Care Organization that will limit our choices to doctors and services.  We want MORE choice, MORE flexibility, MORE competition, MORE service, LESS government involvement and LESS cost.  Obamacare gives us exactly the opposite.

(Note: This commentary is by Dr. Jill Vecchio.)