Health Care

Rule #1:  Never trust a politician;
Rule #2:  Insurance companies don't do anything unless there's profit in it for them.  Sure, they will give the intermittent public relations commercials wanting you to think they care about you.  They don't.  What they spend on one patient they "save" and parade in front of cameras, they cut off care behind the scenes to another to satisfy their bottom dollar - which is usually you - the shareholder;
Rule #3:  It is estimated that 1/3 of all spending for medical care in this country is wasted.

Let's go into rule #3.

This last week I attended a seminar on health care and where it's going in this country.  The image of a toilet came to mind.  For starters, nobody really knows for certain what's going to happen.  It is anticipated that health care premiums will continue to rise at a rate well above inflation.  Prescription drugs now outpace spending for medical care. 

Fraud, abuse, and misdiagnosis is so common by the medical field these days some insurers are now using a tool called Best Doctors to give second opinions.  The idea is to save the insurance company money and to prevent unnecessary procedures on patients.  Since implementation of Best Doctors there have been SEVERAL instances where patients were diagnosed with diseases they did not have.  People are told they have cancer when they really don't.  Surgeries are suggested when a less intrusive option is available.  There are now made-up diseases just so doctors can prescribe medications. 

Most medical fraud happens in your community by doctors everybody loves.  Politicians are beholden to big pharma and insurance companies.  Big pharma and insurance companies are beholden to shareholders.  Shareholders consist of YOU.  There's a reason the Hippocratic Oath exists.  We don't heed it.  Huge, gross profits on health care is just obnoxious.  As long as there is a fat profit to be made, don't expect health care premiums and prescription drug prices to go down. 

Both republicans and democrats will dance around this issue until the cows come home each side pointing the finger at the other.  Neither side really wants to be responsible for it despite what they are saying on camera because it's a no-win, complicated issue.  Both sides have their hands out for political donations as they tisk-tisk and wag their fingers at the medical and pharma industry.  Nothing will really change. 

I can't make this stuff up, people.