
And you really can't blame the insurance companies either since they were largely given the okay by the feds to do what they do. After all, Obama didn't care, he was just using it as a ruse for his dream of nationalized medicine, a dream that progressives have had for over one hundred years. So the promised dream of a red tape oriented and exploding cost system is what the Democrat-only political supported program is what the Democrats gave us.
But what about the Republicans. After all, they promised to repeal and replace when all they've offered is a slight watering down of a bad product and many of their own members won't support it and with good reason. And what's really pathetic about the whole situation is that there are innovative ways to do things better, cheaper and with lasting results. No one should understand that better than Dr. Tom Price, the former Congressman from Georgia and now Secretary of Health and Human Services and also former physician for over twenty years.
Now we know that everyone needs catastrophic coverage for those high ticket situations such as a stroke, heart attack or major accident to name just a few examples. But when you must have a policy which includes those major factors with routine care and requires everyone to carry identical coverage, regardless of age or gender, then you definitely have a "pig in a poke". And as far as the day-to-day medical issues are concerned, things like physicals, broken bones, standard testing and pharmaceuticals, there is a much better way and it can be done affordably without insurance.
In an article in The Objective Standard, Ari Armstrong interviews Dr. Josh Umbehr, founder of AtlasMD, a family practice medical group in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Umbehr has set up a practice where all of the routine medical situations can be handled at a one stop location for a low monthly cost. It's like retaining a doctor like you would a lawyer, and unless it is a condition or serious situation requiring a specialist or hospitalization, AtlasMD staff can handle the problem.
Think what a model like that could do to bring down insurance costs, relegating insurance for the traditional catastrophic situation. And Dr. Umbehr even provides prescription service and routine tests at a wholesale rate; you pay exactly what it costs him since he derives his income from your continuing monthly fee. Big discounts are available for children, and even the elderly get a reasonable rate despite that age group usually having the highest use of medical care.
The interview is fascinating and I hope everyone, liberal or conservative alike, will read it. It offers a new way to deal with healthcare, a way that centers on patient-doctor relationships and saves money. And I guess the only reason the Congress won't consider this is because it takes government out of the power role and gives the individual a much better chance to control his or her own destiny. We must change that, America, or real healthcare will be destroyed.
Here's the link to the story and interview:
https://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2013-fall/dr-josh-umbehr-on-concierge-medicine-revolution/