Get health insurance companies out of our lives.

[boston bean]

They collude with hospitals and doctors groups.

You think doctors/doctors groups and hospitals wants single payer... no they don't. They benefit from the inflated costs.

This entire scheme needs to be done away with and America needs to move into the 21st century. Where profit isn't the first consideration placed above the healthcare and health of its citizens. The way we think about and discuss this makes me sick.

[Nye Bevan]

1. I'm one of the biggest defenders of capitalism on this board.

Because most of the time, capitalism works well. A corporation markets a good product, people like it, they buy more of it, the customers are happy, the corporation makes money, everybody wins. Obviously regulations are needed to prevent abuses but overall it's a good system.

However, this model sometimes breaks down and fails, and one example of this is in the case of health insurers. Their whole business model for profitability is to deny as much care as possible. Their incentives are not to make their customers happy. If, at the end of a year of being insured, every single policyholder of a particular health insurer is absolutely delighted with them, that insurer has probably had a terrible year financially. Because they don't make money keeping people happy, they make money nitpicking, questioning claims, forgetting to send reimbursements, and so on. People like me know how to play the game and persist with sending appeals, getting third-party reviews, complaining to the state and so on, but plenty of people just give up, resulting in higher profits for the insurer.

Capitalism usually works well, but this is one of the examples where it doesn't.

[dchill]

2. The government (such as it is) can do a better job...

at anything that requires a modicum of heart and fairness. Capitalism is NOTHING but opportunism.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. Unrec

Capitalism usually works well

Citation please. Name one instance where capitalism has improved a society for anyone but capitalists.

[Nye Bevan]

6. I'm holding an iPhone in my hand.

There's my example. But this thread is not about defending capitalism.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. who's life did the iPhone improve?

The Chinese workers? The college kids paying huge money for them with student loan money? The environment and future generations with the e-waste? Tell me who's life it improved?

And, this thread may not be about defending capitalism. If so, why was that the gist of your response? Stay on topic please.

[Nye Bevan]

8. Again, this is not what this thread is about. (nt)

[PowerToThePeople]

9. do as I say, not as I do. n/t

[Scuba]

3. I was going to rec this, but ...

I spent 32 years working in administration at not-for-profit hospitals. None were colluding with insurance companies. Quite to the contrary, they were at the mercy of insurance companies (accept our rates, or we'll drop you from our network).

[Nye Bevan]

5. Yes, I think the insurance co.s are just as eager to squeeze the dr.s and hospitals

as the policy holders.

The way my doctor friends talk about the insurers, I'm pretty sure that they are not "colluding".

[magical thyme]

10. thank you. I take exception to the claim that doctors are in collusion with insurance companies.

My own doctor is not in collusion and would prefer not to have to deal with insurance companies at all.
I don't know of any doctors that I work with who prefer the system as it is set up.

Furthermore, people should not have to take out loans that rival large mortgages in order to become doctors. It's grueling enough as it is, without burdening people with a lifetime of massive debt.

Other countries pay for their doctor's educations. Why can't we do the same?

[pangaia]

11. Because that would be..SOCIALISM !!!

[Myrina]

14. ^^ This ^^

Insurance companies will screw anyone and everyone for that extra dollar, and that includes doctors and hospitals.

[Bluenorthwest]

12. My life is currently in Insurance hell

It gets old dealing with such inefficient and greedy people.
Even my car insurance life is a nightmare.
Fuck Insurance Companies and those who sell them to us.

[cbdo2007]

13. In the mental health industry, you need insurance to protect the

patients from doctors who would take advantage them. You'd be surprised how many mental health providers string out their members for months and years without helping them find solutions to living with their mental health issues, because they rely on the weekly or bi-weekly paycheck from their patients so when they lose patients they lose money. I see it every day.