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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Carragher who wrote (934)	9/27/2000 4:00:07 PM
From: Cage Rattler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10042

Perhaps I am missing your point. The insurance you describe was typical prior to HMO domination. However, I think you may be deluding yourself if you think optimal-type programs are independent of HMO influence. Such indemnity programs, as you note, are significantly more expensive than PPO or HMO programs offered by the same underwriters. Without getting into specifics, suffice it to say self-paying patients and optimal health-and-accident policy holders help compensate for the financial shortfalls due to Medicare, ADC, Medicaid, and heavily-discounted reimbursement by HMO and PPO organizations. Yes the market may eventually adjusting to today's financial reality - physicians are retiring early, the better students are choosing other professions, and hospitals are cutting back on personnel, equipment inventory, and therefore service to all patients. The point is the good plan you have is simply not an affordable option for a majority of folks. A hard working, tax-paying, middle-class family that does not qualify for ADC, Medicaid, or Social Security is in a very real financial bind when it comes to healthcare. Again I say, Gore is on target regarding healthcare and his proposals seem to protect those forgotten folks.