The first thing that we have to recognise is that in the US we spend twice as much per capita for health care as the next closest nation. Again, like in the education system, it is not a question of not putting enough money into it. Obviously, there is an inefficiency issue which is going on here. What do you need for good health? You need a patient and a health care provider. Along came a middle man to facilitate the relationship. Now, the middle has become the principal entity with the patient and the health care provider at its beck and call.
The entire thing is completely out of control. The entire concept of for profits for the insurance companies makes absolutely no sense. “I deny that you need care and I will make more money”. This is totally ridiculous. The first thing we need to do is get rid of for profit insurance companies. We have a lack of policies and we need to make the government responsible for catastrophic health care. We have to make the insurance companies responsible only for routine health care. The fact that a fraction of the American population has no health care insurance creates a situation in which some end up in emergency rooms, which results in even greater expenses for the US. If insurance companies are responsible only for routine health care, you are able to predict how much money they are going to need, which facilitates regulations. For instance, if we didn’t regulate utilities nobody could afford electricity or water. You can’t depend on the goodness of people’s hearts, particularly when you’re dealing with something which is essential. The other point is billings and collections, which constitute a huge portion of the cost. This could easily be done electronically.
A Candid Interview With Dr. Ben S. Carson, M.D: An American Icon
