Right. I know. It's been beat to death. The "Pros" say we need to do something to care for the millions of uninsured. The "Cons" say "not out of my pocket." And never the twain shall meet, no? What I'm about to tell you will probably boggle your mind for a moment, until you stop and say to yourself "oh...my...GOD!" Screw "public options"...screw "single payer"...screw "compassion for your fellow man". There is one simple fact that both sides (incredulously, in my opinion, when it comes to the "Pro" side) seem to completely ignore...and it is the single, sole reason why every American should stand up and demand that our so-called "Health Care System" be reformed. And that reason is this:
You are paying for it anyway!
How this irrefutable, undeniable fact has been largely left out of this entire debate just defies all logic of any sort. And to top it off, not only are you paying for it...you are paying for it in a way that is completely and totally unaccountable. The hospitals, the doctors, the big pharmacy companies...every sector of the Health Care Industry tells you "well the reason your bill is so high is because others aren't paying their bills, so we have to recoup our costs somehow." Hell the government forces (thankfully) hospitals to care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.
So who gets stuck with that unpaid "bill", compadre? YOU DO! Except here's the deal: You have no way of knowing if these people are being truthful with you about how much they actually "lose" to non-paying patients, and in turn pad onto your bill in order "make up" for said non-payment. Is it 1000 dollars they need to add to your bill? Or 10,000? Or 100,000? or TEN CENTS??? Guess what my friends...they're going to bid HIGH...bilking every possible dime they can out of you, because you don't have a freakin' clue what their true costs are, do you? Of course not. And in recent decades, the American Mantra has become "screw unto others before they screw unto you."
So, true healthcare reform would bring with it (hopefully) a full accounting of what costs are incurred by any health care provider when a customer does not pay their bill. And this in turn would, almost without a shadow of a doubt, drive prices down. Because now they can't charge you 30 dollars for a baby aspirin in the hospital when the accountants show that they only need to charge you 2. And guess what? When the prices are driven down, more and more people are capable of actually paying their bills, so the Providers incur less and less loss due to non-payment. Which in turn does what? Drive the cost down even more. Pretty soon, you've got prices to the point where even the guy pan-handling on the street can afford to go to a doctor and pay CASH to have a yearly check-up. Oh...my...GOODNESS...I've just put the insurance industry out of business!
And lest you think what I'm talking about is "not possible"...let me relate a true story to you. I traveled to India on business a few years back. Speaking of back, I threw the hell out of mine while I was there. I called the hotel doctor and he paid a visit to my room, referring me to a local doctor who specialized in back problems. That doctor charged me the equivalent of 4 dollars US per office visit. (And lest you think he was an "inferior" doctor, his diploma was hanging on the wall of his office. Cambridge University. With Honors.) He sent me to get an MRI done on my back. Total cost: 100 U.S. dollars. And I was given a CD with the MRI on it. It wasn't transferred to the doctor...it was handed...to me...my property. Now, I'm sure you're thinking 4 dollars and 100 dollars is a lot of money to an Indian. You're right. But it's not so out of reach for the average Indian that the doctor's office wasn't packed with patients every time I went there, and that there weren't several Indians at the MRI clinic. And trust me...I watched...somewhat fascinated...as virtually 99% of the patients paid cash for their medical care. To shorten my story somewhat, I made at least 1/2 a dozen visits to the doctor, had 4 weeks of physical therapy, and an MRI, for a total cost of right at 300 US dollars. Oh and the hotel doctor checked on me several times. I never did see a charge for it on my hotel bill.
Shortly thereafter I returned to the US and went to my doctor to continue my recovery. He refused to accept the CD of my MRI in India, stating that my insurance company would not accept it for "diagnostic purposes." So I had to go to a local MRI clinic to have another one taken. To the tune of nearly 3000 US dollars. Oh and by the way...yes...I did notice. The MRI machine in India and in the US were the exact same make/model.
So, when you tell me that it's "not possible" for the "greatest nation on earth" to have a health care system where everyone can afford to pay cash on the spot for their healthcare, I will tell you that I would be remiss in my duty as a human being if I did not laugh in your face.
In Summary:
Dear "Cons": You're paying for "them" anyway. I would think your penny-pinching "compassionate" selves would at least want a full accounting of what it's costing you. Engage your brain and demand Health Care Reform now. It's your duty. To yourself.
