There are 3 big problems with health care that are causing all this mess:
1. Everybody expects someone else to pay for their health care. It might be your employer, your insurer, the local or state gov't, Medicare, etc. This removes the market incentive for people to shop for price and alternatives, like they do for every other product or service they purchase.
2. Tort Reform. There needs to be serious nationwide tort reform for malpractice. People like John Edwards make millions off of the healthcare industry on trumped up charges, and then crusade about how the little guy can't afford health care. Lawsuits drive up prices, malpractice insurance, and add additional tests as defensive medicine.
3. Who says a doctor is the only person that can treat you for everything? There are a great many routine things that can be treated by people with far less training, at far lower cost. Those providers can send on the more difficult cases to the doctor they work with.
The sad thing is, you won't see any politicians proposal's to solve the health care problem, address any of these issues. All will try and shift the cost on to someone else.
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