[grania]

The most appalling way to look at that is 50% of the population only uses 3% of the expense of health care! When everyone is insured for everything, that 50% will gradually give up being responsible for their medical decisions, and they'll increase their expenses, too. That's an unaffordable spiral, We're already seeing some of that with the numbers of seniors who get hips and knees replaced, rather than live with limitations. Another aspect we're seeing is the heroin epidemic caused to a great degree by getting hooked on prescription meds.

Back in a college Philosophy class in the 1960s, one of our classes was an ethical discussion about this. What happens when there are expensive cures for diseases, but not the means to provide them for everyone? If I remember, the conclusion was that for every high-priced medical solution, there had to be a low cost option available.

What I would favor is a policy that covered catastrophic situations and diseases....nothing else. For those who chose that option and nothing else (or not even that), there should be first-aid/self-healing clinics for those who choose that. I don't see how else the problem can be solved.

[sheana]

Every policy should be like car insurance. You pay for all the routine maintenance and the policy pays for the big stuff.
The price for regular, routine medical care would become competitive and plummet.
If someone can’t afford the routine stuff charity, free clinics, etc would take care of it.

[gattaca]

I think some doctors are already going to cash only. Someone here posted a link to a surgery center in Oklahoma I think, that posts prices and only takes cash.