Just Suppose

Let’s role play; just for fun. Let’s say you are a good friend of mine. Let’s say I recently found out I have diabetes and lung cancer. Now, let’s say I need $650,000 worth of medical care to live past next year. Well, I have no money. So I call you up. I remind you that we are friends and tell you that I need help. If you would just cover 90% of my medical expenses for the next year, I will agree to pay you $200.00 a month for the next year. What’s that you say? You can’t afford to do that? You say you would go broke yourself if you do that? Well . . .wait just a minute, “friend”! Our federal government says because I live in America, the greatest nation on earth, I deserve to use your money for my medical expenses (even though it is a guaranteed loss to you since I’m already sick) What’s that? Why do I deserve it you ask? Because you have a lot more money than I do and that’s not fair. You are a lot more fortunate than I am so I deserve your money. Oh really? You don’t want to role play anymore? Well, just damn.

As ridiculous as that scenario sounds, that is exactly what the insurance companies in the United States are being asked to do. Like so many other bills that get passed in Washington by people who do not even understand the economics of running a paper route, the offer of goods and services through the use of supply and demand, doesn’t make sense to them when they have the power to plunder. Amazingly, they seem to be scratching their heads as to how the companies that were given millions or billions of dollars in the stimulus program are already going out of business. As they continue to demonize the concept of profits, they don’t understand that a business has to grow, or die. Breaking even is not an option. I sometimes feel that the bunch of idiots with their Ivy League degrees need to take 9^th grade econ. 101. It is all there.

Insurance companies are not the bad guys as so many progressives want to imply. All they do is make an offer for individuals to enter into a contract; this for that. If you agree with the terms of the contract, sign it and pay your premiums. If you do not agree, do not sign it and that’s that. Yes, premiums are very high. Gee, I wonder why that is. Is it because insurance companies are greedy and want you to die? Probably not. If an insurance company could charge the lowest premium in the country, they would be on cloud nine since they found a way to beat their competitors. Their sales would rocket up and they would grow. If you die, there’s no more growth for the insurance company. So what in the world (or in America) could it be? What about the strangling regulations handed down by an overzealous government? What about the horrendously exorbitant lawsuits which are encouraged because congress and the Administration will not even consider tort reform? Oh, and maybe it would be nice to allow all “national” insurance companies to do business in every state in the “Nation”. Nope, there are way too many lawyers in congress for that one.

OK, those are just three, but that is enough. Open up state borders to all insurance companies, cut the bureaucratic red tape significantly and implement tort reform (all three things would not hurt one citizen of the United States or cost a dime) and you would see health insurance premiums plummet. It would save individuals on their monthly bills, give business the ability to offer higher salaries through insurance savings and save countless lives by opening up new private funds for medical research and cheaper drugs.

But . . .

I’m Just Saying

Tell me what you think.

cdrake1@hotmail.com