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Emergency situations are exactly what insurance is for. Emergencies account for a minority (<15% IIRC) of health care spending. Nobody advocating for free mark
by pitaj 8y ago
Emergency situations are exactly what insurance is for. Emergencies account for a minority (<15% IIRC) of health care spending.
Nobody advocating for free market healthcare is expecting people to shop around in emergencies. People are expected to shop around for good insurance plans which will cover emergency situations to their satisfaction. That is why many free market healthcare supporters also support removing the incentives for employer-provided insurance plans:
- remove the tax exemption for employer-provided insurance
- add a tax exemption for individual/family insurance, including a rebate for the amount of money payroll (social security and medicare) taxes would affect the amount of money available for that insurance
This way, people don't lose their insurance when they lose their job, and people have more insurance options. This would also likely have a beneficial affect on insurance competition.
- ncallaway 8y agoBut, as described in the article that system does not function. Acquiring insurance does nothing to ensure that the facility you visit will accept that insurance. Further, even if the facility you visit does accept the insurance, that's no guarantee that all doctors within that facility accept that insurance. Even further, there's no guarantee you'll be conscious to validate that you go to a facility that accepts your insurance. The insurance system needs to be fundamentally repaired before it can be used to support a "free market" healthcare system.
- krupan 8y ago"That system" as described by parent has not been tried, at least not in recent memory. What we see happening now are thousands of unintended consequences from government meddling with the free market.
- TheOtherHobbes 8y agoI think you mean from the "free market" - which is neither free, nor genuinely a market - usurping the good-citizen responsibilities of mature and sane government.
- tshanmu 8y agoPlease read above as to why free market fails for emergency services
- darawk 8y ago> Acquiring insurance does nothing to ensure that the facility you visit will accept that insurance. Does acquiring a credit card ensure that businesses will accept it? When you select your insurance plan, check who accepts it. Problem solved.
- tclancy 8y agoAnd only have emergencies around there and don't lose consciousness! It's simple math people!
- darawk 8y agoBuy insurance that has good coverage for the places you are likely to be. Why is that a problem?
- hiokuer 8y agoMove to Europe or mostly any place outside the US and be able to forget about this idiocy.
- nogrammer 8y ago...because even if you end up at a hospital where your coverage is great, they often have doctors or providers that won't accept your insurance, and there's just about no way to know this beforehand.
- 8y ago
- ams6110 8y agoProper insurance pays you for insured losses you incur. When my car is damaged in an accident, I take it wherever I want to have it repaired. I don't have to think about whether the shop is "in network" or not. My insurance pays for the cost of the repair, up to the limits of my coverage. Simple.
- liveoneggs 8y agoin real life your car insurance company will tell you where to take it
- spullara 8y agoI'm not sure if you have ever done this but there are a lot of caveats to that. Many car insurers will have you shop around for a good price, have you pick one of their preferred repair providers or may decide that damage you claim happened in the accident was preexisting. The job is called "claims adjuster" and I'd be surprised if no one from the insurance company visited you when you filed a claim.
- krupan 8y agoThis! We have totally forgotten the definition and purpose of insurance.
- jmulho 8y agoThe purpose of insurance is to pre-pay for a new roof every fifteen years and a teeth cleaning every six months.
- Wowfunhappy 8y ago> That is why many free market healthcare supporters also support removing the incentives for employer-provided insurance plans Among people who support "free market healthcare", who specifically is seriously pushing a plan like this? It is not something I've seen before.
- bluGill 8y agoI'm doing it, and a few other libertarian type people. I agree with your statement though: we are a minority. Most who call themselves free market do not see how employer provided plans make things worse.
- ams6110 8y agoWell I don't have any legislation on the docket anywhere, but I would fully support the complete separation of health insurance from employment compensation. It's just another layer of obfuscation between the consumer and provider in the marketplace.
- conanbatt 8y agoThis was famously denounced by Milton Friedman a long time ago.