will76 |
01-03-2011 10:48 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmeliaG
(Post 17817926)
Anyone who thinks healthcare would ever be wholly free is either (a) a leech or (b) very very bad at basic math or (c) believes in magic and unicorns.
However, the problem is clearly that insurance is a for-profit business. If you add a middleman to any business endeavor, the cost goes up for the end user. This is one of the most basic principles of business.
If someone like Hank is being gouged for $18k a year, what would his medical costs be for a lifetime versus his insurance costs? Most of the time, the answer is that insurance costs more than healthcare. Some people may appreciate the peace of mind, knowing (or thinking they know) they will be covered, if catastrophe strikes. But that peace of mind comes at a price.
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You are actually wrong. There are health insurance companies that are mutual, non profit, the premiums are based on the amount of claims / class of risk you fall into. If the company does well (has low claims) they would reduce premiums.
Here is just one example of that:
Arkansas Blue Cross differs from commercial insurers in several ways. Arkansas Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, mutual insurance company. That means that nearly all the money we collect as premium is paid out in benefits for customers on the average, nearly 85 cents of every dollar. The remainder - about 15 cents of every dollar - is used for operating expenses and reserve funds, which we are required by law to maintain.
As a not-for-profit, mutual insurance company, Arkansas Blue Cross is owned by its policyholders, not by stockholders. This means that premium dollars are used solely to pay claims and administrative costs, not to pay stock dividends. Any excess funds are held in reserve for payment of future claims. Arkansas Blue Cross must maintain a fiscal balance between premium income and benefits paid to ensure that we have the ability to continue to offer these products and to pay policyholder claims in the future.
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/heal...bcbs-arkansas/
mutual company = policy holders | for profit company = shareholders.
What makes insurance expensive... mostly people who neglect their health. People who over eat and are obese, people who smoke 3 packs a day and get cancer, people who don't do preventive things like get a mammogram and catch something early (and cheaply). People using their insurance run up the costs for everyone else. Other part of the problem is hospitals charging you an arm and leg for everything, running you threw more tests than you need but that has a lot to do with them covering their ass for lawsuits and charging a lot to cover their malpractice ins. because we are such a sue happy country.
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