Comments on: Reducing Demand For Health Care http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2009/10/12/reducing-demand-for-health-care/ Research and discussion of the Colorado health insurance industry and the healthcare crisis in America. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:14:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Don Levit http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/2009/10/12/reducing-demand-for-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-14115 Don Levit Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:52:59 +0000 http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net/blog1/?p=1362#comment-14115 Louise: Thanks for providing your ideas. What many on the left seem to fail to understand is that premiums are increasing commensurate with increased utilization of medical services. Premiums will not start decreasing until poeople start using less services, when they individually ration their care. Asking a patient to forego treatment, especially if a covered expense, is like asking an employee to forego a raise. If the game is considered to be zero sum, why should I lose so another can win? We need to start thinking more realistically about the context in which we live. We are not here solely so we can win, whatever that means. We are part of a comnmunity, wheher we realize it or not. As Rabbi Hillel said "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I?" Don Levit Louise:
Thanks for providing your ideas.
What many on the left seem to fail to understand is that premiums are increasing commensurate with increased utilization of medical services.

Premiums will not start decreasing until poeople start using less services, when they individually ration their care.

Asking a patient to forego treatment, especially if a covered expense, is like asking an employee to forego a raise.

If the game is considered to be zero sum, why should I lose so another can win?

We need to start thinking more realistically about the context in which we live.
We are not here solely so we can win, whatever that means.
We are part of a comnmunity, wheher we realize it or not.

As Rabbi Hillel said “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?”
Don Levit

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