The Absurdity of Private Health Insurance In The US
February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Small Talk
My family pays approximately $750 per month for Blue Cross health insurance. Yep, that’s as much as a mortgage.
We recently took a trip to the Emergency Room. $900 bill. None of it paid by the health insurance company. We were at the hospital for 2 hours. The majority of the time we were just waiting in one room or another. I would say we were attended to a maximum of 20 minutes.
It’s not that we weren’t fully aware that we are responsible for the first $2500 worth of medical expenses per person per year. It’s just that when you are paying $750 per month already, it seems like an absurdity that when you get a $900 bill you also must foot that bill.
This month, my family essentially has to pay $1650 in medical bills. Thankfully we are well enough off that it doesn’t impact us very much. But there are families out there who are not in the same position as my family. People who are struggling to get by.
Why have we let things get this way? Why? Why was my family charged $900 for about 20 minutes of service? Why does the most prosperous nation in the world not protect its citizens from the excesses of the health industry and the mongering of lawyers? Why isn’t health care deemed a basic duty of government (when government’s primary task is to enable its citizens to enjoy the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness)?
It all seems absurd.
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3 Responses to “The Absurdity of Private Health Insurance In The US”
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Try getting a 25,000 dollar bill for being in the hospital for 4 days. You feel fortunate it could have been more.
I agree. Health care should be a human right, not a “growth industry.”
1. You are sorely mistaken that it is governments primary task is to enable its citizens to enjoy the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. I dont know where you come up with that theory. Those are rights enumerated in the constitution that the Govt may not TAKE AWAY FROM US.
You state in your post that you were aware that you are responsible for the first $2500 of medical expenses per person. So if you dont like your plan, then buy another one. Guess what, when a govt plan is in effect, and they acheive thier goal of putting private healthcare out of business by artificially lowering the costs of healthcare, there will be many consequences.
One will be that the govt wont pay doctors as much for thier services. So the medical profession will suffer. (Do you think people will continue to pay for medical school when they can no longer make a good living?) There will be less doctors in the profession. (Lets not even go into the fact that after years of study and investment into education Drs deserve to be compensated.)
The second thing is that they will ration care even worse than they already do.
The third? Do you really beleive the govt can lower costs that much? How about the reality is they will make up for the lower premiums with higher taxes. So either way you will pay for it.
At least now you can choose which plan you are paying for. Utlimtely the choice is yours.
People who are not “as well off” as your family have access to medicare and medicaid to help them with thier medical expenses.
PS. Where do you live that you pay as much for your health insurance as your mortgage? And doesnt that make sense? Whats more important? Your health or living in a house?