Healthcare
Let's make doctors and health insurers part of the free market, too.
Healthcare in this country is a contradiction. On the one hand, as Michael Moore pointed out in his movie Sicko, the system currently insures a quarter of a billion people, so it works for a lot of us.
On the other hand, it doesn't work for everybody, either because they cannot get access to the system or because it doesn't deliver the care they require.
The overall, big-picture problem is this:
Neither the doctors who provide medical care, nor the insurers that pay for it, are answerable to the free market.
This is wrong. Having one of the largest segments of our economy not subject to a free market goes against everything a free market stands for.
Currently, when you go to a doctor you don't pay for the visit, your insurance company does. And it's insurance you probably didn't pay for, either, it was insurance provided by your employer. So, neither the doctor you saw, nor the insurer that provided the insurance that paid for your visit, was answerable to you.
Let's contrast this with laser eye surgery, a medical procedure that is answerable to a free market of consumers. Here, doctors have to drum up trade in the same way any other enterprise battles for you business: by delivering a useful service at a fair price. Because the market is not controlled by the government, innovation flourishes so technology is continually advancing while costs continue to come down. Why? Because those are the demands of a free market: innovation and good service at a fair price.
Our current system, heavily regulated by our government, cares about none of those factors.
Doctors and insurers answerable to a free market of consumers would produce innovation, more so than now, and the quality of care in this country is the best in the world, and fair pricing for both medical services and insurance. They'd have to, otherwise they would go out of business. It's the nature of a free economy.
Health insurance should be treated the same way as any other form of insurance you purchase. When you insure your car, you are free to shop around for the policy that best suits your needs and pocketbook, and there are certainly no shortage of companies fighting for your business. Your employer is not providing it for you, so you are free to shop around and get the best deal for your needs.
Another problem with healthcare in this country is we require an awful lot of it. Let's be honest friends, the very best health insurance policy is a healthy body. If you do not get your rest, or sufficient exercise, or you eat poorly or drink too much or smoke at all, you are probably going to need more medical attention than you would if you did lead a healthy life.
These two things, a healthcare industry that answers to a free market and a healthy America, will not solve every healthcare problem we face, but it will go a long towards solving many of them and those that remain can than be identified and dealt with later.
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