Urgent Care by Minda Wilson: Why is solving the healthcare crisis so hard

What the Heck is Going On?

It looks like the Senate has decided to stay in town while they try to put together a healthcare bill. I am sure their efforts are appreciated; but, it still seems that the focus of their efforts is not on helping American’s procure affordable health insurance.

Cutting entitlement program reimbursements to the states and providing money and tax incentives for insurance companies and their high net worth, high earning executives seems to be the Senate Republican’s solution to the healthcare problem.

Even if they maintain the capital gains taxes enacted under the Affordable Care Act, the current plan will still call for money and tax benefits specifically for insurance companies and their employees who earn more than $500,000.

This makes no sense. The promise, first by the Obama administration and now by the Trump administration, was affordability. The solution is simple. Catastrophic coverage coupled with the ability to put money away for future care in Health Savings Accounts.

Why can Christian Gifting Programs provide catastrophic coverage for their participants, which include more than a million Americans for less than $200 per month per person? Under these plans, 100% of the cost of care for a catastrophic illness is paid after the first $500 is paid out of pocket. If this coverage can be provided for approximately 1 million Americans at this cost, why can’t our government do the same?

In California, a Bronze HMO plan, the cheapest plan offered in California, costs $289.56 per month and has a $6300 deductible. After you play your deductible, co-pays are $75 for your primary care doctor, $105 to see a specialist. In addition, you have a co-pays for tests, diagnostic exams, etc. You are fully responsible for all bills if you go out of network and, if for some reason you become ill while you are not in California, only the initial ER care will be covered. You will be fully responsible for any follow up or any other type of care. This also does not include any co-insurance payments you might be responsible for.

When you compare, if you have a catastrophic event, you will have paid almost $100 more for your insurance, you will have paid out of pocket $6300 vs. $500 AND, you will be on the hook for any co-pays and co-insurance payments required. Affordable?

Also, if we look at the difference in cost to the taxpayers between providing the HMO plan or the catastrophic plan for the 23 million people who are about to lose their insurance,

In addition to the more than $6000 each individual would save, we are also looking at a savings of about $27 billion dollars in savings in premium costs.

Enacting such a plan will result in no new taxes, will save the government billions of dollars in subsidies, will result in broader coverage and broader networks, and make healthcare affordable.

So ask yourself this,

"Why is solving the healthcare crisis so hard?"

Minda Wilson

Author of Urgent Care