Why doesn't everyone forget about insurance and just buy medical treatment the way they buy groceries, cars, education, houses, tradesmen, vacations and so on = decide you want something, find a suitable person or company to do the work, ask them if they would like to do it and how much it would cost, hire them if the agreement seems suitable and they have a good reputation?
New Zealand has a "free" hospital system, but the delays are long and treatment not the best though it's pretty good and for emergency work, they have the facilities.
If I need medical treatment, I just get my money out and hire the experts. The medical cartel charges much more for me than they could charge an insurer, but even so, my costs are lower than buying insurance for decades.
Insurance companies have to make lots of money, there's a huge administrative cost, there are taxes to be paid on all the salaries of those involved in managing the insurance, there are crooks doing fake claims, puffing the costs, there are high risk people who are subsidized by low risk people [like me].
People who waste their money instead of scrimping and saving from a young age to get a stash of cash for an emergency [such as sudden need for medical treatment] are looking for trouble. Expecting somebody else to pick up the tab is hazardous to health. Governments generally will, or some charity might, but the treatment will generally be minimalist and not done as urgently as might be desirable.
It's not very pleasant or wise to depend on a government department for medical treatment.
But as pointed out a few posts back, here's the main problem causing the dramas and waste: <
Most importantly, the cost of health care, whether you are uninsured or over 65 has been increased and distorted by the public subsidies to insurance that artificially lower the out of pocket costs for those who are insured either via employer-based coverage or Medicare and Medicaid. This is what makes being uninsured in modern America, no matter your age, so unpleasant. It’s that what you pay when you do need health care is artificially high. >
Mqurice |
