:: cough ::

From a press release from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, dated December 12.

San Francisco (U.S. Newswire) - A report released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change found that as a result of unregulated cost increases and higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles patients are making fewer doctor visits and deciding to pass up needed care.... Meanwhile HMO profits are increasing dramatically - the independent market analyst, Weiss Ratings Inc., released data this week showing that Blue Cross of California increased profits by 38 percent in 2002 while nationally HMO profits increased $5.5 billion.

The Center for Studying Health System Change found that health care spending by insured Americans is decreasing as employers require consumers to pay more out-of-pocket for medical services.

"Breathtaking profit increases are fueling rising premiums and as a result many consumers have been forced to skip doctors visits and cut back on medical care," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Patients are spending less because they are unable to afford basic health care." ...

According to the California Medical Association, health insurers divert as much as 25 percent of every health care dollar to cover profit, salaries, overhead and advertising. As a result of profiteering and disregard for efficiency in the non-competitive health insurance market, in 2002 insurance premiums increased 250 percent more than medical costs (Kaiser Family Foundation, California Health Benefits Survey, 2002, February 2003).

Footnote: Something I suspect most folks don't know is that the Medicare deform bill recently passed bans "Medigap" supplemental insurance plans for prescription drugs as of 2006. The argument for this was that insurance shields people from the "real cost" of health care, so we use too much, driving up costs.

Right. "Hey, whadda ya wanna do today?" "I dunno, how about we go get a physical exam?" "Nah, did that last week. Oh, hey, I know! Let's have heart attacks, then we can really go to town!"