Is this really a totally bad thing? Not necessarily. The move to make individuals more responsible for how they spend their health care dollars is a good thing. HSA’s (Health Savings Accounts) are a very good option that has not been utilized as fully as it could or should have been to deal with rising insurance costs. Of course, this site has shown clearly that insurance reform would go a long way to solving many of the so call “health care problems” that are claimed to exist within the system, while still preserving a semblance of a private system free of the bureaucratic meddling in personal medical decisions that so many fear . . . obi jo
Employers increasing healthcare premiums in 2009 to help deal with economic turmoil, surveys indicate
A growing number of workers in 2009 will pay more for health benefits — and in some cases receive less coverage — as their employers grapple with the financial fallout of rising medical expenses and diminished revenue and profits, recent surveys of human resource officials show. According to the Corporate Executive Board, 30% of the employers surveyed said they expected to raise deductibles an average of 14% in 2009, while Mercer, a global benefits consulting firm, discovered that of the nearly 2,000 large corporations surveyed, 44% planned to increase employee-paid portion of premiums in 2009. Additionally, in order to cut costs, employers increasingly are introducing high-deductible health savings accounts (HSA) and focusing on wellness programs. The article went on to discuss specific examples of employers that are increasing employee premiums or adding the option of HSAs in 2009.
Read more @
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012400181.html
http://www.executiveboard.com/
As I have previously stated, the first place to start health care reform is to make all hospitals for profit. This would stop the corporate welfare of conglomerate hospital chains, and would save the government more than enough money to buy the 47 million uninsured Americans insurance. I have suggested this in my previous blog on health care reform. This current health care crisis is caused by 60 years of government meddling in what should be a consumer driven industry. The cure for this debacle is capitalism, it could easily be accomplished, one small methodical step at a time; however, government feels compeled, to desrtoy it all first.
Raveler, thanks for the comment. Agree with some of your thoughts. However, in the end, all hospitals (and all health care providers, institutions, companies, schools, foundations, etc.) are really FOR PROFIT.
If the lose money, for too long, they cease to exist (at least in the real Adam Smith world). In this “social-fiction” world we tax producers of wealth to prop up individuals and entities that are failures and consumers of wealth.
To be sure, the health insurance problem is quite easily solvable by any number of means – just see some of the ideas outlined in this blog under “details on the plan” – but is being used as in excuse by a number of groups to have government grab and control this large economic engine. In the end, the Feds want some of the action and they are determined to get it.
Thanks for commenting and come back!
Nice post! Keep it real.I have looked over your blog a few times and I love it.
Thank you.