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We pay on our own for car insurance; why not health care?
Date published: 8/19/2007
We pay on our own for car insurance; why not health care?
Why is it that people accept other forms of insurance, such as automobile and homeowners, for what they are, but treat health insurance as a way to pay medical bills at a fraction of their true cost?
Many, like Arthur Garson Jr. ["Roll out a safety net for our people," Aug. 13] believe (1) everyone should have the same insurance, and (2) it should cover everything at low cost. And, if a person can't afford it, everyone else should pay for it.
Insurance is a social contract to spread risk. Based on actuarial data, the sum of all premiums generally pays the sum of all claims.
We require drivers to insure themselves. The premiums a person pays reflect that person's degree of risk. An unmarried young man driving a new sports car pays thousands a year; a middle-aged woman driving her sedan pays hundreds.
Rich or poor--it doesn't matter. If you drive, you must pay insurance premiums. (And by the way, some of that coverage is for medical in the event of an accident, the premium amount also tied to the driver's risk.)
If you own or rent a home, and your mortgage company or landlord allows it, you don't have to have homeowners insurance at all. Your house burns down, it's on you. The house never burns down--well, you saved that insurance money.
Similarly with life insurance. The closer you are, statistically, to being dead, the more it costs.
We have been conditioned by writers like Mr. Garson to expect our personal health care to be delivered at no cost to us. That is unreasonable.
Medical professionals should be explaining how citizens can manage and pay for their health care, and work on a cost-effective and responsive health care system. They should not be touting fiscally irresponsible universal "solutions."
Payne Kilbourn
King George
Date published: 8/19/2007
Most recent reader comments:
At what point do they "total" a person
(posted by
Ron_C
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
I was pondering the car insurance / health insurance analogy on the way home from work today. The biggest flaw in the comparison seems to me to be that if I have an accident with my car they wouldn't spend more than about $4000 on trying to fix the car, it's replacable. People aren't disposable like that (some companies opinions notwithstanding)
Mr. Kilborn and his loved ones must be fortunate
(posted by
travelin_bone
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
to have had good health. Try telling a child with leukemia, a woman with a lump in her breast, or a man having a heart attack "too bad, since your family cannot afford the price of insurance I pay, you're resigned to your fate." He's comparing apples to oranges in a life and death matter. Car insurance is chump change compared to health insurance costs.
To ThinkingOutLoud
(posted by
dicerotops
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
I actually can't afford the cheaper health insurance of $7200 a year, so I had to get off of my insurance plan after Cobra expired. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a genetic problem that has been with me since birth. It is not the result of me not taking care of myself, and in fact, in every other capacity, I am very healthy. People who have cancer and some forms of diabeties also can not help the esculating health bills it takes just so that they are able to live their life.
ThinkinOutLoud - Think Again or Just Think
(posted by
theobc
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
your logic makes no sense. what about people with cancer, AIDS, sickle cell, lupus, heart disease etc.? is it their fault that they have thoses diseases? why are people defending the insurance companies? they are making money hand over fist off sick people. the insurance companies have even gotten to the point that even though you have paid your premiums in good faith - if it cost them too much to treat your disease - they disallow your treatment. there is no defense for their GREED.
Wouldn't you be better off paying the lower cost insurance (at $7200 per year including your deductibles) ? Right now you said you're paying $720 a month in premiums alone. $720 * 12 months = $8640 per year.
The US is known for it's excessiveness so why are we surprised when we overeat & have diabetes & other ills that come along w/it? or when insurance companies make a pretty penny off us? They may not make so much if many took responsibility of their own health w/ things that can be controlled.
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