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How do you explain away these problems, keeping in mind that costs have exploded during a time when the insurers faced very little regulation?


A lot of it has to do with this notion that EVERYTHING must be paid for by insurance. It's something that has evolved over time and it basically removes any incentive for the health care consumer to control costs. What does it matter if they run 5 tests or 10, if I go to the doctor everytime I have a hangnail, etc, etc? Routine stuff should be out of pocket, period. There's also the rising fraud in the industry and new technologies which happen to cost money. And of course there is defensive medicine and the staggering cost of malpractice insurance. I realize you like to marginalize this and low ball the hell out it but I've seen figures as high as 34% of expeditures go towards defensive medicine. Cost of Defensive Medicine.


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I would not *expect* a corporation to have my health as its primary concern when there are profits to be had. As Krugman alludes to above, it's not as simple as "if an insurer screws over its customers to make money, people will go find another insurer." We have very few choices from our employers, and even on the individual market, one or two players dominate each region, and they're all just about as stingy when it comes to paying claims. I recognize those exclusions and limits are there to ensure they make money -- I just don't think that should be my primary concern when I have just had an expensive life-saving medical procedure and then they deny my claims because I didn't "shop around."


I might be okay with some government safety net to cover those that slip through the cracks but this premise that bodies pile up in the street for lack of treatment is blown way out of proportion by those trying to sell this. If it really was just a safety net that's one thing but the bill is structured to put the insurance companies out of business so that those paying for all this (that's you and me) will be forced into the government plan- no thanks.

Stu
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