Comments on: The Impact Of Medical Underwriting On Premiums

By: robert binford

robert binford — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:42:36 +0000

Three cheers for Olaf. Sadly in the U.S. the notion of individual rights and profit seem to rule the day, dispite the impact. I believe we are becoming a nation of sociopaths.

By: Olaf Gundersen

Olaf Gundersen — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:17:47 +0000

I find it unbelievable that Americans in general does not seem to understand that the private market system is the root of the whole problem with the American health care system. The only way you are going to fix your broken health care system is by getting rid of the private market insurance system altogether, and let the government take over where the market clearly does not deliver.

The numbers speaks for themselves. The US spends by far the largest proportion of their economy on health care than any other country in the entire world. All other developed countries have a government run universal health care program, and these countries only spend a fraction of what the US spends on health care relative to the size of their economy.

But by all means, just keep on being the world example of how not to organize a health care system. At least you give the rest of us all the political ammunition we need to keep our privatization horny rightists off our health care systems. Though I must say it is funny it does not seem to work like that the other way around.

By: Holly Knapp

Holly Knapp — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:17:12 +0000

When you compare the costs of care in Costa Rica, it is about 1/5 of the United States. This has to do with the cost of care, which has less to do with insurance companies than people might think. The charges from physicians and hospitals and the costs of drugs is dramatically higher in the US, and this is something that needs to be addressed. Also, if hospitals & doctors were required to furnish a basic price list of common procedures, it would allow those who are uninsured, or under-insured to price shop, and would introduce the concept of competition into a market that currently does not have this element.

By: Don Levit

Don Levit — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:32:47 +0000

Louise:
Your last statement about costs is right on the mark.
I find it ironic that people think if we can just get the for-profit motivation from private insurers out of the equation, we will be on our way to fixing health care.

Whether for-profit or not for profit, the players need to be paid reasonably.
Even not-for profit organizations are allowed to pay their employees reasonably, and still maintain thie tax-exempt status.
Don Levit