Mr. D'Aguilar was interviewed by The Tribune Business on Monday past.
In his usual no holds barred style he made some very interesting points about private health insurance:
- "The current system is unsustainable".
- "More and more companies can't afford it".
- "They (insurance companies) don't make much money (on health insurance)".
- "Claims are horrendous".
So what's his answer? He's quoted as saying that "It is a vexing problem, and most countries have a form of socialised medicine".
It perplexing that an entrepreneur like Mr. D'Aguilar would see that as a viable alternative.
Sure it may help businesses that offer this expensive benefit, but that will only transfer the expense to the taxpayer.
As more and more advances are made in medicine anyone with an illness wants to take advantage of the treatment and who can blame them? But we, the insurance policy buyers, don't "see or feel" the costs when a third party deals with settlement.
Obviously we just can't keep punting the bills down the road to future generations, and insurers resources are not endless either.
So what's a possible alternative?
How about Health Savings Accounts?
The National Center for Policy Analysis has done loads of research on this subject and this link… provides a brief history of the subject.
It's disappointing that the fall back position is only socialised medicine and different options are not being considered.
Surely the over burdened public system can't take any more. If so, they'll end up like the picture above. "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning."
I'm hoping I've misinterpreted Mr. D'Aguilar on this one.
Whatever you do or propose please don’t use the Ontario health system as a model for 2013 we will spend over $48.9 billion for a population of 13.5 million, it’s increasing annually over 10%
I usually land on the side of Mr.D’Aguilar but on this one I do not.I do agree the health Insurance rates are out of control but national Health Insurance will cost Mr D’Aguilar & the rest of us one hell-of-a-lot more than what we pay in Insurance now.They will all drop us like hot potatoes soon anyway.We need less in governments hands,not more Mr.D’Aguilar.
Two Points,
I am always astounded when otherwise seemingly intelligent people revert to the “Government is the answer” position.
Point two is spiraling medical costs because it is a three party arrangement, one hoping for wellness and two others for profit at minimal cost!
nothing unethical about profit, or minimizing costs, but when it comes at the expense of a persons health care contracted and provided for, we have a problem.
Not to mention that all healthcare costs the private sector, private or corporate.
Via taxes, or billing to cover “unpaid care” at the practitioners level.
Government cannot find its own backside with the help of a mirror, two friends and a flashlight!
Thanks guys.
Check this out: http://bit.ly/YuMRPx
Listened to Dr. Walker yesterday & he makes so much sense,well worth the listen. Can we get a copy of that to Gomez & Christie !!!
Once again we learn that we are living in a fools paradise only this paradise is financially broke.. To propose a national health program is sheer folly and the result of absolute stupidity.. Where the hell is the government going to get the necessary funding for this foolhardy scheme which has NEVER financially worked where ever it has been established.. The public is left with only higher costs (taxes) and inferior health care services..
Take a page from Obamacare and see all the promises that will never be kept.. The promise of falling health premiums have more than doubled in costs since the Bill became law and it does not even start until next year as the downtrodden American taxpayers will have to start paying premiums for health services which will eventually take months to get an appointment similar to what has been the experience in the United Kingdom and Canada.. Under Obamacare, States were supposed to organize individual insurance exchanges by the end of this year.. So far none of the States have organized an exchange as the States are unable to fund the additional costs.. With about 30 million people soon to be added to the Obamacare insurance rolls and over 10 thousand doctors taking early retirement every year, there will be an acute shortage of competent physicians (particularly in Florida) to care for this massive increase..
Corporations, State government employees and unions are lining up and applying daily for an exemption from Obamacare.. Even the United States Congress and their staff are automatically exempt along with the Executive and Judicial branches of the federal government.. Guess they know something the masses don’t know until its to late..
What a tragedy as the world’s finest health care system will in a decade become a third world system costing the United States tens of trillions of dollars along the way to health care and economic failure.. It hard to understand how this could happen but sadly it did..
Obama,now that’s another mess altogether.This man has got to be Intentionally messing with the US economy,there is just no other explanation for it.Its like the Benghazi terrorist attack cover up by him,they say oh that was a long time ago(7 months),yet they are still blaming Bush for stuff 5 years later.The dude just gets a free pass,left,right & center by the press.The same thing with obamacare.The mess that has created & continues to create is devastating to the economy.If Christie & Gomez continue down that path,I predict he will go down in Bahamian history as the worst prime minister ever & he’s well on the way to that now.
I am no fan of socialised medicine, but don’t we already have “a form of socialised medicine” in The Bahamas? In fact, I think we have a fairly decent balance of providing free/low cost health care to those that need it and an open private market for health care for those that can afford it.
You can have your baby at a public hospital for very little/no money or you can have your baby at a private hospital/clinic. There are pros and cons for both options but neither is forced upon you and you can move between the two as your immediate situation demands. My family has used both at various times in our lives and have experienced first hand the benefits and limitations.
Perhaps the problems have more to do with insurance companies and less to do with health care…?
When you have health Insurance your bill is say $20,000.00-No Insurance its now $3,000.00 !!! I wonder why,maybe because the doctors are making out like bandits.
Think about the idea of national health insurance for a moment.. The new player on the world stage is Obamacare in the United States.. From the very start this imposed program was actuarial unsound and would probably cost the American tax payers tens of trillions of dollars to maintain.. It has been described as a bureaucratic nightmare under the administration of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).. That is the branch of the Federal government that is presently forcing our financial services industry to comply with recently implemented disclosure regulations (FATCA).. What ever happened to our national sovereignty and our banking laws and regulations?? Guess Bahamian sovereignty really doesn’t matter any more when it comes to the will of the IRS..
Americans are now applying as required by threat of law and financial penlites to sign up and be covered under Obamacare.. Are they in for a big surprise as the application form is sixty pages in length and ask many personal questions that are none of the IRS’s business..Question such as how many people are pregnant in your household and how much inheritance did you receive from Auntie Yvette??
This is just another example of the government extending it control over the people through this unworkable program.. Perhaps it is worth repeating again that in reality Obamacare has little to do with the provision of better health care but is a mechanism for extending greater control over the American people.. If the American people are fooled that is their fault, but for the Bahamas it is plain and simple we cannot afford the massive costs of a bureaucratic health insurance system which as history has shown will not work..