My Marine Corps father used to say, "people in hell want ice water."
"Beyond that, some form of very basic universal healthcare is inevitable at this point."
I hope it's not inevitable. Insurance costs will go up, mandatory coverage will go up. Some people will never pay for insurance, so you will still have to deal with those who are uninsured. Everyone will be paying a ton for insurance. One sure way to make certain something goes up is to make sure everyone must have it.
The best way to insure prices go down is to eliminate insurance completely and make everyone pay for services out of pocket. I have a orthodontist in my area who refuses to take insurance from any provider. He has the lowest costs of any of them. He has fewer office workers -- no need to deal with insurers and his prices are fair. We had dental insurance but we chose to go with him -- he's a very good dentist, smart too.
But I'm not naive enough to think insurance will be eliminated. I just hope that we can continue to have a choice and don't get forced into one of these one size fits all systems that never reduces anyone's cost and ultimately doesn't work for anyone except those wealthy enough to avoid it.
One of the fastest growing segments in medicine is boutique or concierge medicine. It’s all out of pocket and very, very pricey — but no waiting (ever) and the doctors make house and office calls.
The way I see it shaking out is that medicaid/medicare etc. etc. go away. Everyone that wants can sign up for basic care. Private insurers and the boutique doctors pick up the slack with private coverage that supplements the basic care.
“The best way to insure prices go down is to eliminate insurance completely and make everyone pay for services out of pocket. I have a orthodontist in my area who refuses to take insurance from any provider. He has the lowest costs of any of them.”
Exactly! The only reason costs are so high is because some people do have corporate health insurance plans. The hospitals and doctors know they can charge more and will get more. I think the only insurance anyone should be required to carry is catastrophic insurance, that would cover a major accident or hospital stay and treatment. All the rest should be paid out of pocket. The costs for doctors’ visits would then have to come down.