Since we are discussing health care now, I guess I will chime in.
I just did some thinking and realized that my monthly tv/internet cost is higher than my health insurance. To me, maybe health insurance costs aren't too high... when put in perspective.
Also, here is another tidbit of opinion from your friendly mad bovine: We, as a society, seem to have no trouble supporting sports "stars" and other celebrities (and some politicians) in their $10 million + a year incomes, but think of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies as evil, money-hungry, ba$tard$.
I, for one, am eternally grateful to the makers of my acid reflux medication and the medications that allow my wife to lead a normal life.
Priorities, people. Priorities.
Two things come to mind:
1) We have the best health care in the world for about 60 percent of our population, the rest are just well...screwed, and so is the rest of us who use the medical services. Look at the bill the next time you use a hospital $14 for two tylenol, ever wonder why. It is because 25% of the people who use the medical services never pay, therefore the rest of us pick up the slack. Just like with credit cards, people don't pay and we who do pay a higher interest rate if we choose to use them.
2) As someone who just needed a routing test involving a camera and a bunch of laxatives I think our health care insurance companies have a deal that is hard to beat. The test cost at least $1500.00 . I say that is fair and the reason I pay monthly health care premiums to BCBS. However, since the doc found a polyop that had to be removed and tested BCBS pays zip, nota, nothing and I absorb the cost. I still have no problem with it if there was some competition where I could switch to another provider since I don't like the service, the problem is I have to quit my job and go elsewhere to get a new insurance company, not quite free enterprise. The problem to me is not the quality, or even the cost, the problem is the system is set up to protect the bottom line of the insurance company. Now if BCBS was going broke I could understand, but they are not.
It is true that in a country that pays CEO's Sports people and entertainers the amount we do, health care companies should seem to be in line with their cost, however I think like a lot of people do, we pay all of those folks way to much while under paying, fireman, police officers, soldiers, etc.
