I am no expert on the subject, but my gut tells me the fundamental problem in the health care insurance business is the coverage for ordinary preventive health care. It does not fit into the basic of mission of insurance, which is to cover the risk of catastrophic loss. It is this fundamental difference in philosophy that motivated me to change from a PPO to a high-deductible health plan. I don’t want the government or the insurance provider to pay for ordinary medical services. Let me do that, and I will pay them a premium to assume the risk that I might someday obtain a bed in the ICU.

And as long as we are discussing the proposals before Congress, let’s not be unclear about what they are. They are a government takeover of the entire healthcare industry. Maybe not on Day 1, or even over the course of a year or a decade. But when the government inserts itself into the health insurance eventually, unless it props up certain “competitors” to maintain a charade (which doesn’t seem so far-fetched given recent interventionist shenanigans), the government will one day be the only player in the market.

Thanks again.