Healthcare Not a Right

I know that the sentiment I am about to express will be unpopular, but it needs to be said regardless: Healthcare is NOT a right… it is a privilege! And it’s one that I work dang hard to provide for my family. Call me an elitist pig if you like. So be it.

The truth is that many people think that health insurance is like a gym membership. They feel that even the smallest of their healthcare needs should be paid for by the insurance company because they pay their monthly dues. But that’s not what insurance is all about. Insurance is “a contract (policy) in which an individual or entity receives financial protection, or reimbursement, against losses from an insurance company, which pools client's risks to make payments more affordable, in exchange for a premium.” Insurance is something you have just in case something bad happens. It should be something you hope you’ll never need. Insurance should be for things that come up unexpectedly (heart attack, appendicitis, accidents, etc.)

The problem is that insurance companies over the years have expanded coverage to include virtually everything from the common cold to flu shots to birth control. If they cover more, you better expect to pay more. Also, we now have awesome new drugs and sweet medical equipment (CT scans, MRI, lasers, etc.) that are quite costly. Since insurance companies are expected to pay for the best possible technology, why wouldn’t you expect to pay for it in your premium? Why is it that doctors insist on doing all kinds of diagnostic tests? Because they don’t want to get sued! Expect to pay for the side-effect of lawsuits (increased testing, higher doctor fees) in your premium. Another thing, look at the time and effort it takes to get your claim paid… does it ever get done right the first time? Does it ever get done in less than 2 – 8 weeks? Expect to see these inefficiency costs in your premium.

Realistically, several things can be done to reduce the cost of healthcare. First, separate healthcare from health insurance. Insurance should be for things that come up unexpectedly. Healthcare should be for routine maintenance items like checkups, physicals, vaccinations, colds, etc (things for which you would see your family doctor). Let’s create a system where we pay the doctor directly for routine services that we receive, or let doctors create healthcare memberships in which you can participate (like a gym membership). This would reduce costs tremendously by cutting out the middleman insurance companies. I wouldn’t be surprised if companies would choose to offer health insurance and healthcare programs as part of their benefits package. In theory, the lower cost of insurance would allow them more money in the budget to consider health maintenance.

Don’t get me wrong on this next point, but people with chronic health problems (like diabetes, heart problems, etc) should NOT be covered by insurance… they should be uninsurable for items relating to their illness or preexisting condition. You can’t buy homeowner’s insurance after your house burns down. That’s a preexisting condition for your house and you’d be insane to insist otherwise. You can’t go off and buy car insurance after you’ve been in an accident and expect them to pay for it. That’s a preexisting condition for your car. Yet so many people think that you should be able to get health insurance that covers a preexisting health condition. How much sense does that make??? It violates the definition of insurance. You can’t insure something that’s already broken. And Hello! Preexisting conditions tax the system and raise premiums for everyone else! I’m not completely heartless, I just think that there should be an independent system, completely separate from insurance and healthcare maintenance, to assist individuals in paying for their chronic conditions. I understand that the financial burden for these conditions is tremendous and requires assistance, but please let’s stop lumping it in with insurance. Rather, let’s start a new program to address this issue directly. I don’t want people to go bankrupt because of an unpreventable medical condition; however, I don’t think that it’s right for the rest of us to pay for it with our insurance premiums. Let’s come up with a new system.

Finally, where does the Federal government come off trying to implement National Healthcare? It’s downright unconstitutional! The tenth amendment states:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

I defy you to tell where in the constitution it gives the Federal government the power to create a national healthcare system! The power lies with the states, period. There shouldn’t even be a debate in Congress right now because it’s none of their business!