Healthcare and the Middlemen

[SnoopDog]

That is what Healthcare Insurance Companies are. They are simply and only middlemen. They don't improve the heathcare system in America - they actually are detrimental to healthcare in America.

They make a profit by charging more in premiums than it costs to pay actual healthcare providers. To 'reduce' their costs, they do everything possible to DENY coverage. They don't even really provide 'full coverage'. "Insured' people go bankrupt in our current healthcare system everyday.

Every insurance company has a Board of Directors, CEO, President, and other executives all making multi million or even Billion dollar 'salaries'. They have stockholders who get dividends. They have full business operations infrastructure - accounting, advertising, customer support, sales, etc. It is wasted money when the ultimate civilized goal is to to keep Americans healthy.

The most disgusting aspect of Insurance companies is that those executives make multimillion/billion dollar salaries off the backs of Americans - and they do everything possible to reduce their costs which always fall back on us. They continue to raise our premiums and we really do not get much better health care for the increase cost. Their 'profit' is based on the *monopoly* that every human requires healthcare.

Healthcare is not a 'right'. It is actually goes beyond that. It is one of the most fundamental Human and humane instincts - to care for the sick and injured. And remember - we all get sick or injured throughout our lifetime. No one is entitled to PROFIT because WE GET SICK or INJURED.

It is, of course, obvious to all decent, moral, ethical, and civilized people that universal healthcare is the only way to implement our healthcare system. We must utilize a single payer not for profit healthcare system that we all fund just like Social Security. We must remove the healthcare 'burden' from businesses and thus simplifying their business structure.

It is ludicrous to think that 'our' implemented universal healthcare would be like Canada's or France's -some thinking that we could not make their implementation better. We can make it better and then the best.

But remember, governmental programs FAIL not because of the cliche 'government is the problem', rather it is WHO in government is managing the program. Want a program to fail?... mismanage it on purpose. Want a program to succeed - manage it to succeed. Social Security, for example, has been around for what 70 plus years - and is the most successful program ever implemented. Workers and employers pay for it and get it back when they retire.

I suggest calling America's healthcare implementation The Health Security Administration.

[midnight]

1. Remove the middleman -Insurance Co.

Want a program to fail?... mismanage it on purpose. Can you imagine the delivery system that could be created when those middleman are removed?"Every insurance company has a Board of Directors, CEO, President, and other executives all making multi million or even Billion dollar 'salaries'. They have stockholders who get dividends. They have full business operations infrastructure - accounting, advertising, customer support, sales, etc. It is wasted money when the ultimate civilized goal is to to keep Americans healthy."

[FreakinDJ]

11. Just like Oil - they are manipulating the price

[burythehatchet]

2. It is a reality that I have been trying to bring attention to for 20 years. It's now in the open

and being discussed. Even the statement form the insurance industry today was very muted. It is time. This is the year.

In regard to your comment, the insurer has one primary function and a set of support operations. The main purpose is marketing and sales. The rest is the claim processing system. The medicine is not really part of their business plan. In short, they serve no useful purpose except for creating a lot of jobs which would have to transfer to the govt side, in far fewer numbers.

[SnoopDog]

4. Economic changes like this will eliminate some jobs -

That is the price we will have to pay. I am thinking that this workforce can be absorbed elsewhere.

[burythehatchet]

5. No it won't be absorbed elsewhere. That is the social cost.

The economic struggle has been in deciding who pays the price. The weakest among us always end up paying the highest price for change. Social upheaval occurs when groups pay the price have never had to pay before. This is the contraction of the middle class, the tell-tale sign of a collapsing society. A healthy society shows a growing middle class, which when taken to its logical end means most everyone has equal power.

[SnoopDog]

10. I disagree...

It is always the wealthy - the CEOs, Presidents, executives who are fighting this. They are making a
mint on the backs of you and me. They are the ones who will ONLY lose.

And this will grow the middleclass - the price we ALL pay for healthcare will provide the care at an affordable price and
thus make everyone life better... except for the swine executives who profited off our illnesses.

[virgogal]

3. I'm on Medicare and receive Social Security and they are

extraordinarily well run.

The few times I had questions or problems they were handled immediately.

I agree,the government can handle the health insurance.

[OHdem10]

6. You are correct but there is a reality in this country. The Real

Power lies in the Business Community. This is why we cannot
go to single payer.

Pres Obama is trying to do his best to look out for the American
Middle Class but he will be permitted to only do so much. The
Business Groups have a say and they will not cross Insurance
companies so that they get hurt.

When Hillary was doing HealthCare in the 90s, the AutoOmdistru
had bought in and were supposed to help HRC. The Insurance
and other Companies intervened and the Auto Industry bailed
out on HRC.

The Democrats will have to remain in power for a long period
before real change occurs. I am sure Obama will push the best
that he can. Look at the stimulus bill and Democrats who
voted with GOP.

[Kellen RN]

7. Nail on the head.

Had a baby (well my wife had it) last year and I can barely afford well baby check ups and vaccines. I'm a pediatric nurse and my daughter is healthy so I'm ready to ditch the pediatrician and go to the health department for vaccines. My daughter does have eczema but I can get the docs I work with to write a scrip for her cream. Meanwhile I just sacrifice the health of my wife and myself because every time I go to the doc I get bills six months down the line because my insurance said no to some sort of routine care you would expect to be paid for.

[bluethruandthru]

8. Happy to be the 5th rec.

Excellent post!

[havocmom]

9. K&R

[SnoopDog]

12. From another DU post: http://www.healthreform.gov/

I most solidly desire a 'single payer not for profit American healthcare system' - I like to call it the Health Security Administration.

The Contact Us screen is simple - enter your thoughts and desires.

[eridani]

13. If you have a bathtub in which the water level is always getting lower--

--despite the fact that the taps are on nearly full blast. Maybe you'd eventually come to the conclusion that you have to put in the plug?

Having private insurance is like hiring somebody to put a junction between your power meter and your house and siphon of as much as they possibly can.