From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Tue Dec 24 2002 - 09:12:14 MST
In a message dated 12/24/2002 3:39:17 AM Central Standard Time,
bradbury@aeiveos.com writes: Ok, I'm open to that -- but it seems to only
reduce private health care costs by something like 20-40%.
Robert,
I haven't calculated that effect and won't so lets accept your number.
But, having accepted your calculation lets look a little further. I have
read serious contention that health care rises at roughly 15% per year and
that a major reason for that is that no one has an immediate interest in
keeping the costs in line. It was for that reason that I quoted Dr. Timothy
Johnson, "He said that there were five components to our health care system
-- the patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and I
believe the attorneys. He said that Hillary's system was designed to provide
the funding for all five components." I cannot pull up the quotation
verbatim but somehow he left the distinct impression that it was intended to
remove the rationing restraints on all five components
The contention is that if you were to pay all your health care costs
directly you would be very concerned with cost and costs would soon rise not
15% per year but would equal the rest of the cost of living increase. For
years we had no government health insurance and cost increases stayed much
lower -- they took off as soon as government assistance was available.
Let me give an example. Did you notice I weasel worded what I said
before in the last email? I said, "First, that we will not pay for any
health care as a nation, state or municipality except where there is an
existing contractual obligation to do
so." Once upon a time this country held a war and I volunteered in exchange
of their promise for a GI bill. For four and a half years I did what they
told me and in turn they have delivered on their promise inre the GI bill. I
take full advantage of the medical services they promised. However that
system is set up as a co-pay system and it has just enough bite to make us
treat the system as if everything was on our nickel.
BTW, also when I was younger I found out a way to guarentee a
retirement home for me and my wife -- I don't have one. I used to do charity
work in retirement homes every Sunday and I am astounded how good this one
is. I have my own home and prefer living here but it is nice to know I have
the other as a safety net.
My point is this: look around while you are still young, a little
planning goes a long way.
Ron h.
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