What do you think: Public or Private Health Care and Why?

What do you guys think about these statements regarding health care reform?

• The Health Care System absolutely needs fixing -- starting with the exorbitant cost of health care. I just do not believe that the government taking charge of it is going to fix it. To answer your question about the insurance company, I agree, they also care about the bottom line -- but at least there are companies to choose from. If you are ... Read More unhappy with one, then you should be able to change to another. Granted, that is hard when you can't afford many of them and your employer doesn't offer much choice because of what?? Cost!! How can an employer offer better health care choices to their employees? 1. Lower the cost of health care and/or 2. Decrease the amount of Tax employers must pay so they have more money to spend on benefits for employees. Choice, Competition, Free Market -- that is the answer to our health care problems. Just think, if the government takes over -- then there is no competition to force them to keep costs down. Then what will we do? Im under the impression that if you like your health care then you are good to go. No need to switch it up. What we are trying to fix is getting all the people that don't have health care or are going bankrupt because of hospital bills. I never want anyone to be hurting but just don't go see a doctor because they are afraid it will lead to endless bills and a life full of medical debt. I know a lot of government ran programs have a lot of issues but at the same time don't a lot of them run pretty well?

• Answer:

  You're right about bringing costs down - first and foremost. Insurance companies base their policy prices on Health Care costs. Bring health care costs down and you bring insurance policy rates down. You're not right about the Government's ability to control costs -- prices will still be determined by the free-market. However, Government sets their reimbursement rates to hospitals -- so they won't be held liable to market costs. They just won't pay hospitals in full. No? Medicare pays 64% of its obligation -- that means hospitals EAT 36 cents on every dollar used through Medicare. Who do you think really eats that cost? You and me -- every time we pay our premiums. So if costs aren't addressed, and they keep rising, expect your premium to go up as the Government reimbursement rates stay static. The losses at the hospital level will continue to increase -- eventually pushing private insurance to a level unaffordable and all people wishing to be insured will be sucking off of the government's teet. Hospitals in crisis -- Private insurance in crisis...Government to the rescue --> single-payer. I find it strange that people look to the Government for help in bringing costs down when they're a primary problem in the system. Oh, one more thing -- Medicare just announced that it will cut reimbursement rates again by up to 21% by the end of the year. My g/f works at a cardiologists office --21% is the number they're expecting -- laying off personnel and cutting wages/hours/ and restructuring benefits to compensate. They're also talking about refusing to treat medicare patients...can't stay in business when the reimbursement is less than the cost for the services.