When Government got their hands in it.
When lawyers started advertising on TV.
1968-Medicare.
I recall the same thing you do. I believe the government started mandating insurance companies cover more and more things which drove up the cost. I can’t say when that happened but I am pretty sure that’s why it happened.
With the advent of AIDS.
MRI, Cat Scan, Arthroscopic Surgury, Heart and Organ transplants, New drugs, Chemo and Radiation Therapy, Viagra...ETC> ETC> ETC>
Let’s see, when government managed health care options came into being, and when signing a release form stating that a procedure is only 68% likely to help you was no longer binding or protection from malpractice.
These days, people sign a slip saying they uinderstand that a procedure is only ‘x’ percentage likely to help them, may hurt them worse, etc, and when it fails they sue.
When Democrats killed RICO and Tort reform laws became such that Lawyers could advertise to find doctors to sue for things that medicine could not, never has been able to, and may not ever be able to cure. There is NO 100% successful treatment in Medicine other than death. It is not a perfect science. Until we get the Lawyers out of the business of suing otherwise good doctors, and mandate caps on awards and force insurance companies to lower Malpractice insurance... well these things would all work to drastically lower the costs.
HUGE Malpractice Awards ...
WHERE IS THE TORT REFORM IN THIS HEALTH CARE DEBACLE?
The human condition is such that fears regarding health drive us to extremes. The vocation of physician pays relatively well (at least for the time being) because 1.) the human body is remarkably worth treating well, 2.) it takes a significant amount of skill to train and treat the various illnesses that effect us, and 3.) we are desperate to cling to this life, and so pay dearly - sometimes to the point of bankruptcy - to keep ourselves alive.
I did not hear the words “out of control expenses” in connection with health care until about two decades ago. Others will be able to attest to what causes high prices. Bottom line is, we need to get government our of the health business, the education business, and many other businesses.
Also....the TAXES will be used to COVER MEDICARE which OFTEN fails to PAY the doctors so many doctors REFUSE to see MEDICARE PATIENTS...you see...MEDICARE IS GOVERNMENT RUN AND THE MONEY, well, it has a WAY of DISAPPEARING, don't you know.
I think it really took off shortly after the inception of Medicare.
I’m guessing is whenever the Govt started to regulate the insurance industry. As someone who takes care of himself, maintains a proper weight, eats fairly decently why shouldn’t I be able to get an insurance policy that caters specifically to people that have healthy habits?
We have the internet where all sorts of insurance companies could compete for my business. This shouldn’t be too much different than buying car insurance.
For those people that have diabetes or some other chronic condition, I can’t see why insurance companies that specialize in this sort of thing outline conditions by which the diabetic can follow which will then reduce their rates after time.
The insurance company can also cover the family at a reduced rate because generally good habits are passed onto the insured children.
The govt can then work with the insurance companies and perhaps match dollar for dollar for only certain catastrophic conditions like, say if a piano falls on you and causes paralysis. Or for Alzheimers, or something that will require long-term care.
People that are high risk can get high risk insurance.
The problem would then lie with the people that cannot afford and aren’t willing to get insurance. For those people, insurance companies can provide limited insurance, or catastrophic insurance. Bottom line, is that if health care is important to an individual, you must pay the appropriate cost. If your health is important, then you must take care of yourself. Health care should not be free for anyone.
If you don’t care enough to get insurance, then you get billed by the hospital, bottom line. You don’t care, then the taxpayers shouldn’t care either.
When the unions invented health and welfare programs and introduced them into their labor agreements in the early 60s!
When lawyers decided to start suing every doctor for minor problems!
Lawyers are the problem!
The only health care reform I would like to see is an itemized list of charges, all consolidated in 1 spot. I have good health coverage, but it is frustrating getting 5 different bills for a single visit, and you don’t know exactly what it is for without some serious leg-work on your part.