What Is Wrong With Health Care Being "For Profit"?

I hear all sorts of condemnation of having health care and health care insurance in the United States being provided "for profit" by insurance companies?

What is the big deal?

Food is a necessity for life. It is provided almost totally "for profit" in the U.S.

Clothing is a necessity for life (in most areas most of the time). It is provided almost totally "for profit".

Housing or some kind of shelter in the U.S. is a necessity for life. It is provided almost totally "for profit"

For that matter, gasoline, propane/natural gas and electricity is necessary for life in the United States yet it is provided "for profit".

So why do so many get all up in arms about the idea of health care insurance being "for profit"?

 

'Cause there are very few things in life that are more frustrating than either being a sick person, or having a sick loved one, that can't be treated until some rich person can make money off of it.

 

The problem NOW is that the health-profiteers are using the long arm of the law to provide their profit, which is much worse than competition. This isn't even socialist healthcare, it's fascist healthcare.

This is the concept that never seems to reach the brains of "progressives". In their minds, their chosen representatives work for them. If the corporate profiteers didn't take over both parties and try to mold both sides of the debate, then they are absolute morons.

Guess what? They're not. Obamacare is uber-cronyism.

 

The problem with "profit" is that politicians don't feel they're getting their fair share.

 

Uhhh for one thing the healthcare industry, pharma included do not set their prices based on competition, they pay government to eliminate competition so they can gouge us. Fascism rules the healthcare industry.

 

There's is nothing wrong with the health care industry being for profit at all. The problem is that there are too many people that can not afford healthcare in our system. So you either have to figure out how they can get the healthcare they need or let them die and rot in the streets because insurance companies can't profit off them.

And then you have children, the elderly, the disabled, etc, etc that incur billions of dollars of healthcare that they or anyone around them can't afford. Someone has to pay for it.

So the problem is figuring how to spread the cost around the system so that people can get healthcare that can't afford it and those that can afford it don't have too pay outrageous costs because of those that can't.

 

Primarily I believe because it enables rent seeking as those "in the know" can exploit the asymmetry of information regarding health care. The total costs of providing care are difficult to capture as well, for instance what is the social and societal benefit to everyone being vaccinated? We know it's a lot but how exactly do you capture this?

It really comes down to whether or not you think health care and access to it are a public good, if you do then it'll exhibit market failure, if you don't then it'll be best allocated by the market. So does it meet the criteria?

 

What about food, clothing, or housing?

Agreed.

 

Let insurances companies sell across state lines to increase competition and improve prices and services. The insurance companies make less and the government is not involved. Both sides should be able to agree to this.

 

for those like us that can afford it... nothing

but I have no issue with single payer health coverage either... many would be helped by it

 

I'll agree with that.

 

can you not buy blue cross there? united health care, ect... are those Iowa only? I thought everyone had those same options as we do...

 

That is because they have registered in every state they sell in. This costs money and time which limits the capability of many companies from being able to do it.

 

so they can sell insurances across state lines... you just want the process changed so it is cheaper and easier for the insurance companies

 

Yes...
...........

 

Profit is not a dirty word. What's wrong with healthcare for any the government deems worthy?

 

The largest share of the health care problem resides in two key aspects of our health care system.

Radiology and Drug Costs

It costs tons and tons of money to operate an MRI scanner, or a PET machine, or CAT scan. These machines cost millions and require lots of maintanence. In fact, it is a very in demand skill right now to be a radiology engineer reparing these machines.

One of the first things that will be rationed will be most radiology services except simple X-rays.

The other driver is drug costs. I mean we have a pill, shot, elixir, or suppository for every conceivable medical eventuality but these drugs are expensive as hell and it cracks me up when I hear about gouging, as if a drug that cost tens of millions of dollars and 10 years to develop should just be given away for free out of goodness to humanity. What a crock.

I see the March of Dimes posters with the quarter slots filled up all the time everywhere I go. How much does Jerry's Kids bring in every year? What about Breast Cancer Pink Campaigns? Shriner's Hospitals for Children?

Don't act like Americans can't get low cost health care. They can, it just takes a little work.

 

Not to mention crazy moms who will take their annoying brats to a doctor and burn boo (*)(*)(*)(*)ing coos of money for it just to raise the chances of their annoying brats' survival/health by insanely tiny amounts.

 

Silicon "fake" is like one of those Israelis who were dancing on 9/11.

You should pay for the surgery of my bionic arm to smack your stupid face.

 

I don't really want to take this side of the argument, I'm not a supporter of Obamacare. But the flaw in what you're pointing out is that all of the things you're listing that are for profit, have a public safety net under them. Food, clothing, shelter, even heating oil... if you can't afford the basic necessities there is a public option that the fed provides to be sure you have the basic requirements for life anyway. At least originally, that was the what Obamacare was supposed to be.

Even after it got out of control, Barry never said he wanted to eliminate for profit health care -- remember his horrible post office and UPS analogy?

I think the point is supply and demand can control the cost of most things in our economy, but when the demand is for life itself -- it can't. So we should pool our resources and provide a basic level of coverage that insures no one is ever held hostage just to stay alive. Whether that basic safety net is food stamps, public housing, or a bare bones public health care system -- the idea isn't bad. Obamacare was just a horrible implementation of it.​

 

There are WAYYYYY too many CT and other radiology tests ordered anyhow. Over 90% are unnecessary. Same for drugs. WAYYYY too many pills being prescribed. Doctors get beau coup referral fees and kickbacks on drug prescriptions. Then they charge the insurance company 300.00+ for each visit which average 3.7 minutes each.

Doctors are greedy (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s, just like drug company CEO's.

 

The insurance companies asked and paid for the way it is now, they don't want intrastate competition because they know it would benefit the end user, and hurt the CEO's of their companies.

They'll fight against it tooth and nail, trust me.

Doctors and insurance companies don't want anything to upset their ability to monopolize and control the price of services.

That's fascist by every rule.

 

Nobody forces a person to get medical tests that a doctor recommends or to get prescriptions filled.

I've declined many medical tests over the years and said the heck with a number of prescription medications.

 

Cuz it would just be profitcare.

 

Why do "non profit" hospitals profit? The phrase is obscene at best.


5k for a minute's time for a doctor. Sound ludicrous? Perhaps...but it's true. Remember that next time you check into a hospital and generate 5k plus per day in billing to have them serve you sh*tty food and take your temperature via some green, cheap non nurse.