Perhaps it was the post about redefining social security as a "Federal Benefit payment" instead o f the return of a fraction of the money paid in from our lifetime earnings....But I was sitting around over the holidays and got to thinking about all of the money wasted by me and for me in the name of healthcare and insurance... Probably over $100,000 in premiums and unnecessary bills... Seriously I haven't been to a doctors office in Fifteen years. And all but on or two of the Times educational hat I did go were a waste... The couple of broken bones? they were covered by the driver that hit me. everything else that was necessary, I could of paid for a-la-carte and been much better off financially.. even given a sub-par rate of return on those funds....
what a scam!
Oh, it's a huge scam. We've had to pay thousands in premiums over the decades in insurance we've never used (in early 60's). We are very healthy people and like you have only had broken bones and knee surgery. The last 4 doctors we've went to homeopaths and of course not covered. Doctors are "forced" into networks, in order to take insurance. Those networks then make the rules, decide protocols, price and so forth. Naturally, after oshithead did what he did, you can't opt out. Then wrap big Pharma up in the mess, with meds treating symptoms and not the root cause, bull shit meds, designed to keep everyone "coming back". It's a freaking zoo, where we are forced into funding a small % of people getting rich all while they kill us in the process.
about ten years ago there was an outbreak of drs ditching insurance and going with the concierge dr model where they only took cetain clients who paid cash or had a similar arrangement.. this wa predominantly focused on the wealthy but resulted in a situation where you know your Dr. and he knew you.. in this situation it was like the old country dr. approach where you you might play golf or something with your Dr and that was how he kept up with you rather than ridiculous bi-weekly visits so they can charge your insurance company..
the insurance model is also why your dr is run around like a chicken in the slaughter shoot by his staff that tries to pack as many co-pays as possible into the day..