Sunday, June 24, 2007

Michael Moore v Insurance Industry

Next to the war(s), health INSURANCE, is the second biggest concern of Americans polled. Insurance companies are part of the problem. Michael Moore's movie will point out a fact known to most of us in "business" already knew: there are caps and exclusions in most health plans.

In this debate about coverage, why do doctors get a free pass?

They are critical players in this expensive nightmare. Docs prescribe physical therapy, MRIs, x-rays, etc. Who owns these facilities?

Why do docs have to charge so much? They immediately blame the administrative costs associated with collecting money from insurance companies. Or malpractice insurance. Sounds like a vicious cycle to me.

I remember attending a forum on the Malpractice Crisis. The panel consisted of an insurance exec, two docs and a trial lawyer. The auditorium was packed with docs and little old ladies. The parking lot was filled with Audi, BMWs and Mercedes. They were ALL crying poor. Funny how that works.

We have Starbucks on every corner. Why do we have find doctors? Folks in the urban AND rural communities face the same challenges. Lack of affordable health care. Emergency room costs are skyrocketing. How about a storefront clinic that SERVES those who need non-emergency care?

How about dental care? Your mouth is not part of your body? Isn't dental care health care? Or vision? If you can't see how are you going to read the directions on the medicine your doc prescribed?

Not to include all health care providers in the "universal health care" discussion is irresponsible.

Newsflash folks, we have universal health coverage. It's called Medicare. Insurance companies are players in this arena. If folks what to pay for more services, so be it.

In the meantime, we have a real problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

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