The Have Nots

I gotta say, the health care system in this country has got to be overhauled at some point. I mean, a lot of people (myself included) have pointed toward the Canadian free health care system as the way to go. However, the one problem with that is that when it's free you don't have a choice per se. You may need an eye operation, and while you'd like the #1 surgeon to work on your eyes, the system dictates the #5 best is available to treat you. But...it's free. Whereas, in this country, we have to pay for what we get. Now I understand, a lot of Canadians that can afford to opt to come to the States to receive the treatment they need because of that choice...so clearly, the totally free way to go is not working either.

There has to be a comfortable medium. There has to be a better way to provide people with what is essentially the most important thing they need. Because really...what is more important than safeguarding your health? As a cancer patient myself, I know my wife and I are looking at about 13K out of pocket as an expense so far in my treatment. Now, of course, that pales in comparison to the 70K that has been billed in hospital bills so far (so obviously the insurance company is soaking up a lot). But, for people like us of limited means, 13K is HUGE.

I think there needs to be some sort of government regulation set to the price medical providers can be allowed to charge for something, and maybe tier that toward what financial class you fit in to. After all, that's what we do with taxes. The rich pay more in taxes because they can afford to, while the poorer folks are allowed to take more tax breaks and get bigger returns. If you own a home or have children, it's even larger. Why not with health care? Why not have American citizens fit into a class for how much they can be charged for every service out there based upon their income? Sure it's not perfect, I don't believe any system we come up with ever will be. But it's something. Allowing the hospitals to charge an inflated rate so insurance companies can settle it down to a lower amount, then pass on the rest to the consumer is a bit out of control. When a hospital settles for what they can get from an insurance company it's proof they're doing the old practice of asking high and settling closer to what they "need" to get.

Health care is a tricky issue because how do you put a price on the most valuable thing you have? Our health and lives are invaluable and hospitals and insurance companies know this. So, we in turn pay through the nose because we have no other choice. Or, do we?