A Healthcare Insurance Solution

Recently Thomas A.Tabback proposed a "We The People Healthcare" concept based on volume membership and buying power. Many people have already registered approval of this Free Market Solution. The larger the membership, the better coverage at lower cost would be the benefit. Sounds good, but it set me to thinking about some other aspects of health care insurance.

On Monday (Labor Day) September 7, 2009 , I understand that Cardinal Mahony in his homily, talked about the need for health care to cover everyone in the United States regardless of legality. The congregation was predominantly Hispanic with a sprinkling of other ethnicities. It was blatant political rhetoric.

There are approximately 68 million American Catholics. If buying power is the tool to affordable healthcare, why doesn't the Catholic Church offer what would be the single most affordable healthcare policy to all of its congregation? Is it because a large proportion of its congregation could not, or would not be willing to pay the premium? After all, everyone regardless of ability to pay must be offered medical attention according to the law. Why pay for something you can get for free?

This is not an anti-Catholic diatribe. I use them as an example of something very wrong in America . Just like our corrupt government, it's obvious that dishonesty is so widespread we haven't yet got a handle on it.

AARP offers healthcare insurance to it multimillion membership. They are not in the insurance business. They are merely shills for insurance companies. They get a commission on every signup. The insurance they offer is most assuredly not in the best interests of its gullible membership. They are really in the business of raking in millions from membership fees. There is a top layer, a hierarchy, who live on the fat of the land at the AARP and similarly in the unions, the Automobile Clubs, the National Geographic, universities, many "non-profit" foundations, the TV evangelists, and the so-called black religious movements with tax exempt status et al. America has a corrupt elite stratum which ordinary people cannot comprehend. Morality and decency has long been absent from our society. Why? Because our sick government, our obscenely greedy business and banking industries, the bloated bureaucracy at every level, has a stranglehold on the country, has dumbed down education, destroyed family life, and created a malleable society of self pampering nitwits and pathetic entitlement freaks. However, back to health care.

Why doesn't the National Rifle Association barter for coverage for their four million membership? Instead of convincing its members to buy insurance policies with varying premiums and benefits, why doesn't the AARP negotiate a healthcare program for its entire forty million members? Lower costs and better benefits! Because they don't give a damn about what's best for the members - it's what's best for them and their buddies...the insurance companies. The Catholic Church at 68 million is 22% of the population, although that's a fluid demographic because of the massive continuing influx of illegals. Do they not have the best interests of their nationwide congregation at heart? Do they not have staggering buying power? They could provide a tiered plan for the different needs of their people with better benefits and at much lower cost than most of their congregation are paying now.

The Black American population is around 38 million. I identify them as a group because they constantly demand to be seen as a different from everyone else. Why haven't their "leaders" offered them a wonderful opportunity to avail themselves of their special buying power? Where are Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. They want the best for their downtrodden tribe don't they? The answer is obvious, isn't it? They want something for nothing - and the argument that goes with it.

When businesses are mandated by law to offer health care insurance, volume buying reaps better benefits at lower cost. The smaller company is penalized for having a smaller number of employees. Here's the big question - why? Your answer will be that it's free market enterprise at work. The Fortune 500 company with its buying power will get a better deal than a Mom and Pop operation. I ask again - why?

Let's look at it a different way. Let's say that the Red Shield insurance company offers a five tier level of insurance to suit its subscribers, but premiums and benefits are based on the number of employees. Let's also say that for the last ten years their aggregate number of policy holders has been around 900,000. Why can't all subscribers be offered the buying power of 900,000 policy holders? Red Shield is insuring 900,000 people, not ten, or fifty, or five hundred at different premiums and benefit levels. Do you think it's because of excessive profits "earned" by exploiting one group against another? Of course it is - that's the American way.

It's obvious that we could have a national health care insurance package with a tier structure to suit the needs of all families and individuals. Yes, we could insure a nation of 300 million with absolutely no problem at all. Much lower cost and much larger benefits. Most knowledgeable people have heard of a famous insurance company called Lloyd's of London, but perhaps aren't aware that Lloyd's is not an insurance company but a society of members, both corporate and individual who underwrite in syndicates on whose behalf professional underwriters accept risk. American health care insurers can form a national guild to manage our program. This is a simplistic statement but very doable with the right approach and the proper motivation.

One thing is glaringly apparent. Health care can be affordable if properly managed by private enterprise and free of government interference. Just look at education since the federal government took control. Standards have sunk to an abysmal low and costs have skyrocketed. Since the Energy Department was created, we have advanced not one step toward a genuine plan to become energy independent; in fact, there is a relentlessly insidious effort to prevent us from developing our own resources.

Wonder why? Oh, by the way every year the budget is increased to not achieve these ends but this year is special. As part of the recent $789 billion economic stimulus package, Congress has provided Energy with $38.3 billion for the next two years, adding about 75 percent to Energy's annual budgets. Government as we know it today is our enemy. The "affordable" Obama healthcare package is an "obomanation."

- Will