It is fairly easy to see that health care as an industry and from a consumer's perspective is a complicated game. It started with simple intentions, but over time health insurance added and added layers of "what-if's", "except for that", and "including this" to its web. Consumers, providers, and companies were intended to benefit and they have and they have not. Meaning there are things that have worked well and others that we should be eliminated.
The understanding of risk and the spreading of that risk amongst a large group of people is key to understanding the health industry. This is obviously not that difficult of a concept to grasp, but the problem is that over time consumers have demanded more and more health care services and goods be included in the risk factors and insurance companies have also wanted to sell more and more services and goods as risk elements. This is not necessarily a good strategy for consumers.
In the beginning and in the end health care and health insurance will never ever be free. There is a cost, yet the perception and understanding by consumers over time has changed to really believing that since they have it, everything should be covered and there are no limits to the coverage. The American consumer has come to believe that it should include a limitless supply of goods and services. Obviously, not everyone, but more and more this seems to be the mainstream understanding.
Our health insurance companies have sold us this vision and consumers have demanded it. This must change through consumer oriented approaches to health care. It is important for consumers to be educated and understand their options, the costs thereof, and the limits thereof as well.
In any case, the insurance companies today offer many, many options and plan designs and it is up to consumers to decipher the pro's and con's of their health insurance needs.
Rene Luis is Founder of VitalOne Health and an expert and broker of Affordable Health Insurance and Health Care Products rene@vitalonehealth.com.
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