[Ron61]

Originally Posted by Dan40

You want an unpopular fix that WILL work? Switch to catastrophic coverage only. No more first dollar coverage for anyone. It is really basic, if you want an insurer to pay for an ordinary visit to a Doctor, or you want them to pay for a simple procedure like stitching up a cut finger. YOU HAVE TO PAY THE INSURER MORE THAN THEY PAY FOR THOSE LITTLE THINGS. That removes consumerism from the health CARE equation. Put the consumer back into play where they pay for the first $4000. to $8000. of their medical care each year and they will shop and they will demand reasonable prices. Right now MD's and hospitals have jacked up prices because every year insurers come along and say, "$x.xx this is how much we will pay for y treatment. Say that treatment is $100. And the insurer pays 45% or $45.00. The UNINSURED today is charged $100 and pays $100.00. The INSURED pays $20.00 in most cases and the insurer pays $45.00, for a total of $65.00. Take away the insurer, AND the premiums they collect and the price pressure on the MD's and hospitals would be downwards from $65.00 instead of $100. [the amount they actually receive using artificially inflated prices] Would they come down to $50.00 for that same procedure/visit? Absolutely, because with no insurer involved, they actually get the whole $50.00. With no claims to file or follow.
People want first dollar coverage but now they're balking at paying the COST of first dollar coverage. Taking away what they want wouldn't be popular. But it would cut their insurance premiums in HALF. That could make catastrophic coverage a little more palatable.

This is one of the best ideas I have seen along with some of the following posts and is mostly the way I do it. All of my medical bills under $10K I pay and don't use my insurance.That is for a catastophic parts failure.

Ron