[Jaysun]

I still say that insurance companies should give "kickbacks" to their customers when they keep cost down. A hypocomdriatic housewife would be much less likely to run to the hospital once a month if it meant getting some money at Christmas time. If she's been costing the insurer $8,000 per year on average and cuts it to $6,000 this year maybe she gets $500, for example.

Patients could also choose to forgo test and procedures done to guard against lawsuits. If someone comes in with a sprained ankle and the doctor ask if they want a CAT scan they can say no, thus releasing the doctor from lawsuit liability and saving money at the same time.

Something like that would dramatically reduce the cost of health care and insurance. As it is the consumer is playing with someone else's chips and isn't concerned with cost.

[neverdem]

The AMA wants guaranteed payment. If they want to try mandatory coverage, I think it should just be for catastrophic medical insurance. Health Savings Accounts and out of pocket cost should go for routine medical care.

IIRC, they passed a law requiring catastrophic medical insurance for Medicare recipients in the late 1980s. The geezers howled, and the law was repealed before it went into effect. That's almost about as rare as repealing an amendment to the Constitution.