Comments on: Excessive Health Care Profits http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/ Politics and Culture from a Catholic perspective. Thu, 24 May 2012 02:41:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Robert http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12561 Robert Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:26:10 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12561 Certainly this is a highly volital and charged topic with highly motivated champions on both sides. I would like to withhold my opinions but be allowed to ask some questions. First. Is health care really a business or a social necessity? Is it moraly and ethically the correct thing to profit on something that is essential to life and if so who should determine the profit margin? If American health care, as it now exists, offers the best advances, treatments and options of any nation why are americans not healthier and recieving better treatment than people in other nations? Is it in the best interest, for the health and welfare of americans, to allow a business to determine what should be treated or denied and how much to pay for such treatments based on the cost and profit margins of that treatment? When the options are pay the price or die, who should watch over and regulate the costs, expenses and salaries associated with health care? Is this an industry where being competitive is really our best choise? Or perhaps one in which being united and working as a collective is more effective? Do you get the best care from the ambulance chaser or the concerned and caring family Dr? Should profits or the well being of americans be the driving factor? And should the equality of those americans and uniformity of health care, not based on the individual wealth of each american, be the driving factor? In a nation with the ideology, of the people, by the people and for the people, is being competitive or united the more effective approach? Should the quality of life or the quest for wealth be the deciding factors in heath care? Certainly this is a highly volital and charged topic with highly motivated champions on both sides.

I would like to withhold my opinions but be allowed to ask some questions.

First. Is health care really a business or a social necessity?

Is it moraly and ethically the correct thing to profit on something that is essential to life and if so who should determine the profit margin?

If American health care, as it now exists, offers the best advances, treatments and options of any nation why are americans not healthier and recieving better treatment than people in other nations?

Is it in the best interest, for the health and welfare of americans, to allow a business to determine what should be treated or denied and how much to pay for such treatments based on the cost and profit margins of that treatment?

When the options are pay the price or die, who should watch over and regulate the costs, expenses and salaries associated with health care?

Is this an industry where being competitive is really our best choise? Or perhaps one in which being united and working as a collective is more effective?

Do you get the best care from the ambulance chaser or the concerned and caring family Dr?

Should profits or the well being of americans be the driving factor? And should the equality of those americans and uniformity of health care, not based on the individual wealth of each american, be the driving factor?

In a nation with the ideology, of the people, by the people and for the people, is being competitive or united the more effective approach?

Should the quality of life or the quest for wealth be the deciding factors in heath care?

]]> By: Sept 23: key changes to health insurance take effect - Page 4 - FlyerTalk Forums http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12560 Sept 23: key changes to health insurance take effect - Page 4 - FlyerTalk Forums Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:28:29 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12560 [...] making obscene profits by denying care to sick subscribers. Let me help you all along with a link. This page has a summary of the rates of return for Wellpoint, Humana, and Aetna with pretax [...] [...] making obscene profits by denying care to sick subscribers. Let me help you all along with a link. This page has a summary of the rates of return for Wellpoint, Humana, and Aetna with pretax [...]

]]> By: FreeMarketMasquerade http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12559 FreeMarketMasquerade Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:48:13 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12559 Color me confused but in a free market you have buyers PAYING for goods or services from sellers. But in US healthcare the seller has to sell even if the buyer cant pay. If you get sick in this country you do not have to pay for healthcare. You show up to the ER when sick and then get admitted for treatment if required. I personally know 2 people in their mid 20's who showed up sick at the ER without health insurance: one required 2 emergency surgeries for undiagnosed Krones Disease and the other was diagnosed and underwent extensive treatment for Leukemia. They both spent over a month in the hospital. Who exactly is paying for their massive healthcare bills which collectively totaled over 550k dollars for 2 people? I presume that the state payed a portion and then I presume all those who are responsible and carry health insurance paid the rest thru premium increases. I would enjoy some insight. Color me confused but in a free market you have buyers PAYING for goods or services from sellers. But in US healthcare the seller has to sell even if the buyer cant pay. If you get sick in this country you do not have to pay for healthcare. You show up to the ER when sick and then get admitted for treatment if required. I personally know 2 people in their mid 20′s who showed up sick at the ER without health insurance: one required 2 emergency surgeries for undiagnosed Krones Disease and the other was diagnosed and underwent extensive treatment for Leukemia. They both spent over a month in the hospital. Who exactly is paying for their massive healthcare bills which collectively totaled over 550k dollars for 2 people? I presume that the state payed a portion and then I presume all those who are responsible and carry health insurance paid the rest thru premium increases. I would enjoy some insight.

]]> By: Health Care Reform… Insurance Company Profits « The Jefferson Tree… http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12558 Health Care Reform… Insurance Company Profits « The Jefferson Tree… Wed, 12 May 2010 16:22:46 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12558 [...] In the health care reform debate, we often hear about how huge amounts of money that could be going ... [...] [...] In the health care reform debate, we often hear about how huge amounts of money that could be going … [...]

]]> By: DarwinCatholic http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12557 DarwinCatholic Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:43:26 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12557 Bozzie, 1) It's been quite well documented that the differences between Cuba's infant mortality statistics and those of the US have to do with how extremely premature births are counted. 2) Your characterization of Singapore's health care system leaves much to be desired. Though it is certainly not a libertarian paradise, it is arguably one of the most market-driven health care systems in the world, and delivers some of the best outcomes at the lowest cost. (Single payer is, by comparison, far less efficient.) 3) There actually have been a number of non-profit health insurance companies in the US, but their rates have not been measurably lower than for-profit ones. 4) While people like to call executive compensation "outrageous", it honestly makes up a very small portion of a company's expense line, and health insurance companies are no different from others in this regard. While these compensation packages may look (or indeed be) excessive, they are not excessive in comparison to other companies, and they pale in comparison to the costs to a company of having bad leadership. Bozzie,

1) It’s been quite well documented that the differences between Cuba’s infant mortality statistics and those of the US have to do with how extremely premature births are counted.

2) Your characterization of Singapore’s health care system leaves much to be desired. Though it is certainly not a libertarian paradise, it is arguably one of the most market-driven health care systems in the world, and delivers some of the best outcomes at the lowest cost. (Single payer is, by comparison, far less efficient.)

3) There actually have been a number of non-profit health insurance companies in the US, but their rates have not been measurably lower than for-profit ones.

4) While people like to call executive compensation “outrageous”, it honestly makes up a very small portion of a company’s expense line, and health insurance companies are no different from others in this regard. While these compensation packages may look (or indeed be) excessive, they are not excessive in comparison to other companies, and they pale in comparison to the costs to a company of having bad leadership.

]]> By: bozzie http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/08/03/excessive-health-care-profits/#comment-12556 bozzie Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:13:34 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=11289#comment-12556 You wonder why no one has established a non profit health insurance company. That is a good question. Apparently is is done in Canada and other countries and it is has also been done in several states. They are called cooperatives. Puget Sound Health Alliance seems to be a successful example. Medicare is an example as well. You are right about the profit margins of insurance companies not being outrageous but look the executive compensation for the top 5 individuals at Aetna. It is approximately $43,000,000 for 2008 alone. These expenses will reduce the profit margin for the year and these are only for the top 5 earners. You wonder why no one has established a non profit health insurance company. That is a good question. Apparently is is done in Canada and other countries and it is has also been done in several states. They are called cooperatives. Puget Sound Health Alliance seems to be a successful example. Medicare is an example as well.
You are right about the profit margins of insurance companies not being outrageous but look the executive compensation for the top 5 individuals at Aetna. It is approximately $43,000,000 for 2008 alone. These expenses will reduce the profit margin for the year and these are only for the top 5 earners.

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