I briefly alluded to this, but health care costs should take precedence over the uninsured. Maggie Mahar seems to agree:
Rather than focusing on the uninsured ““or the fact that insurance companies sometimes deny care to the insured”” we should focus on those who are insured, and remind them that as the economy slides (while the nation’s health care bill continues to rise), their employers are going to find it harder to continue paying such a hefty chunk of their health care bill.
However, cutting costs means denial of services, which is much less politically appetizing than covering the uninsured. The wrong issue is being emphasized on the political trail.
Related posts:
- Costs first, then the uninsured
- Many uninsured choose to stay that way
- Rationing care is inevitable to control health care costs
- Costs, not the uninsured
- Costs or the uninsured?
- Why price transparency won’t affect health care costs
- The uninsured: A "Trojan Horse" of the health care debate
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I wish there was some way that employers could charge more for health insurance to their employees who smoke or are overweight. With the increased monthly premium money, they could then put it into an account for a year’s membership to a health club or a smoking cessation class. I am tired of seeing the same old patients who have a BMI >35 and still gobble down all the Big Macs and smoke 2ppd and have COPD. These type patients are on at least 5 or 6 different meds and must cost most of the percentage pie for their employer’s health insurance costs.
why can’t they? our employer mandates blood work, health risk assessment forms every year.
Any employer could if he had the guts. Maybe they are afraid that some of their best employees insist on being free men with dignity (productive people tend to think that way) and will tell him to stay out of their personal affairs or look for another employee.
In fact he can stop buying them insurance altogether and let them root on the individual market where they will get individually rated without the employer being the nanny.
Meanwhile, if you don’t want to see unhealthy people, why don’t find something more to your liking than practicing medicine. It sounds like you are tired of practicing medicine.
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