The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked…

[mscuedawg]

…right? Okay, so because I respect the opinion of a majority of the DU’ers, I'm asking here…

Concerning health care, shouldn’t the first task be to reform the health insurance companies? From what I understand, insurance companies refuse to pay a portion of the charges coming from the medical providers, so the cost of the treatment is hiked by the providers to get more money from the insurance company.

Wouldn’t doing away with that “pissing contest” (for lack of a better term) between the health care providers and the insurance companies be the sensible first step? And wouldn't it make sense for our government to first be able to regulate that?

Thoughts?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Your "stupid" question is a major one - Why does no one regulate a regulated industry?

It would have been simple a long time ago for the individual states to ban practices like prior condition exclusions, rescission, after the fact denials, cherry picking, etc.

We would have never gottento the point we are at if these regulators at the state level had performed their duties. But regulatory boards and commissions in most states are dominated by industry insiders, so that is the answer to the obvious question. They did not regulate them because they were probably employed by them.

[On the Road]

2. It's Not an Unreasonable Question

There are many types of regulation that should make a private system more effective than it is today. It works for utilities.

Having said that, health insurance is more complicated and subject to interpretation and judgement than electricity. It's a hard thing to force on unwilling participants.

But in the case of health insurance, single-payer systems have already been shown to be effective in this country for retirees and elsewhere for everyone. The government is not good at building cars or developing commercial software, so those industries are best left private. Health insurance is provided just as efficiently, probably more so, than the private sector.

[harun]

3. Part of the plan is to make them stop the most egregious infractions

like "previously existing conditions", "experimental procedure", etc. The Insurance Companies complained they can't afford that so the response by Congress has been to mandate everyone buys insurance, sending them thousands of new paying customers and a giant river of more cash.

[mscuedawg]

4. So it seems there is no easy answer...

...but I appreciate all of your insight!

:hi:

[valerief]

5. Why the middle man at all? nt