A Proposed Solution

I have felt rather trapped in my writings by my inability to come up with a solution to the healthcare issue. It is quite easy for conservatives and libertarians to complain, but it is much more difficult to offer up solutions.

The Mises Institute has proposed a 4 step system that would allow the free-market to produce some improvements both in costs and actual care. 1) Eliminate licensing requirements. 2) Eliminate pharmaceutical restrictions. 3) Deregulate the health insurance industry. 4) Stop subsidizing avoidable or inevitable illnesses.

The full article can be found here: http://mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=279.

With this I will end the series, because I feel that Mises can handle it a lot better than me.

Transparency

One problem that many families discover the hard way is that healthcare expenses are difficult to predict and budget for. The most expensive problems in our lives outside of healthcare usually involve our home and our vehicles. However, with those issues, we can pretty easily find out how much a new paint job (on either), radiator (could be for both I guess), siding (for the car of course), or any other major problem might cost us.

However, when I was trying to plan for the delivery of my child, I was blown away how difficult pricing questions were to answer. I wanted to find an average price for an epidural and what to expect in costs for actual delivery. First, the billing agent contacted the anesthesiologist to find out his rates for the epidural, and we found that the rate depended on how long the anesthesiologist had to be present, i.e. $500-$1500. The epidural drug was about $100. So far, I understood the reasons for a variable price.

Now, when I wanted to get a rough estimate on the costs for labor and delivery there was no answer available to me. At no point was a schedule of fees offered (or probably even written). I understand that every patient is different and the needs vary, but is it unreasonable to get a list of costs for the planned portion of such a visit?

My point is not to complain, though I certainly can. My goal is just to tell you what you already know: planning for the costs of healthcare is nearly impossible, even if you know what you'll need to be cared for. Then, when the unexpected occurs, the already-non-existent budget goes out an additional window.

Would you get your car repaired if you had no idea how much it would cost? How can we fix this problem in healthcare in the future?

(P.S. Our horrible insurance has decided to cover the non-elective c-section. Yay!)

(P.P.S. I plan to liveTweet the President's speech tonight on healthcare. You can follow at twitter.com/republicson).

Healthcare costs

Money. Isn't that the problem with everything? Healthcare is certainly no exception. Amid all the debates about current legislation, it is easy to lose sight of the actual problem.

It is basically a two-fold issue. Firstly, those who are uninsured cannot possibly afford to pay for the care of major medical problems, and sometimes even routine exams. Secondly, those who are insured are paying increasingly higher premiums just to maintain similar coverage to what they had before. Now, there are other issues, like how someone with terminal cancer, who has been dropped by his insurance, can possibly afford care when no one else will cover his "pre-existing condition." How can we possibly solve these problems?

I have been thrust headlong into the healthcare issue. After saving some money by switching to an insurance with 1/3 of the premium cost of my previous insurance, I then found out why I was saving so much money. It didn't really cover anything. I am currently fighting tooth-and-nail to even have my wife's non-elective c-section covered. I am finding that though I have insurance on my whole family, we are often known as "uninsured" at the doctor's office.

So, I'm switching back to the more expensive coverage just to have coverage at all. Am I paying a fair price though? I mean, my rent seems expensive, but it's actually quite reasonable.

The first question we have to answer is, "Is healthcare actually more expensive than it has been at other times and other places?"

According to the National Coalition on Healthcare, "In 2008, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent -- two times the rate of inflation." In other words, while the cost of everything else is increasing (a normal process), the cost of healthcare is increasing twice as fast. Additionally, premiums are rising at a similar rate, and employers are covering a smaller percentage of that premium. Labor (your wages) is the highest cost at any company and health insurance is a huge part of that cost. When a business starts to struggle, the business is often faced with cutting insurance coverage or cutting employees. A final consideration that has made this debate very politicized is that the U.S. spends more on healthcare per person than any other industrialized nation. Furthermore, many of those other nations have a universal, government run, health insurance system.

All of this means the answer to the above question is a resounding, "YES!"

So, what do we do about it?

What's Wrong With Healthcare?

As my faithful readers may be aware, I often like to tackle controversial issues by doing a thorough study of them myself. To date, I have dealt with gasoline prices, homosexuality, and the foundations of the legal system. Now, the healthcare debate is floating about the nation, and I would really like to get to the bottom of it all.

What exactly is wrong with healthcare? What caused the current problems? What are the solutions being proposed in Congress and elsewhere? What are some ideal solutions?

I hope to answer some of these questions through my own research. If you share these concerns, join me for the ride!

Consumption

Take this quiz to learn something about your personality.
Choose the best way to complete the statements.

1. I’m depressed; I need a (beer / ice cream sundae).
2. I’m tired; I need a (beer / nap / coffee).
3. I’ve had a hard day; I deserve a (beer / burrito / spa).
4. I’m happy; I need to celebrate with a (beer / cake / quality meal).

Ok, now add up your answers.

If you managed to add up words…I need to learn something from you.

Why do we automatically think that when we experience a certain emotion, we need to consume something? How much credit card debt am I in because of the statement, “I deserve”? Can we enjoy our happiness, push through our sadness, or celebrate without spending money?

Now, how does this specifically apply to the Christian life? There is no Scripture telling people not to spend money. However, could you spend your money better? Have you ever complained that you don’t have enough money? Where could these resources be used otherwise?