Health and Wealth
There is a lot of talk about health care. If you can fathom it all, you got me beat. This seems, for me anyway, a generational situation that my being on MediCare only exacerbates.
I had a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks back. I got sent for some tests and have another appointment they scheduled short term for follow-up. It is great that it won't cost me a dime. But, there is a cost. Seeing that I have the add-on to Medicare, I haven't had any real medical costs since that started.
What's so bad about that? Well, I'll estimate I'd have used less than 1/3rd of the services that were paid for by the two plans. My (and doctor's) idea is preventive care and that does involve more visits. At my age its probably wise. But, there a substantial cost that get passed along and the attitude of both of us is that isn't a problem.
If I were younger, this would not be my plan. Over the years, I had a major medical with as high a deductible as I could get by with. It yanked my gall bladder and treated me for pneumonia. That cost me but not like it could have been. I was healthy enough that my 'doctoring' was very intermittent.
Yes, aging has changed the picture but the change in how it all happens has been almost as dramatic.
If you look at the article by Whole Foods president in the Wall Street Journal, I think you see a viable alternative. In fact that's pretty close to the title of the article. It is a similar setup for what I was buying as a self-employed individual. The exact cost aren't given but WF cost are likely a fraction of what a complete plan's are. The employees carry some risk but that risk isn't life threatening. But, they also aren't likely to make unneeded doctor visits.
Major Medical packages aren't talked about a lot. It seems cradel to grave coverage of every thing from hangnails to elective surgery is our right. Major medical is a shadow of that. But, it is as good for life altering situations.
If the government wanted to setup up something like the WF setup, I think I could support it. Of course that would be the position of the AMA. Health is a blessing. When you need the medical community, you should have it without destroying your wealth. That can happen without the ideas being put forth by the government.
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I heard on the radio that the people who work at Whole Foods are desperately trying to distance themselves from their owner. NPR was profiling a whole bunch of people who now refuse to shop at Whole Foods because of the article.
-DrC
Yeah, it did set off a firestorm of sorts. The company is taking flack. I think an interesting bit of arrogance was the pronouncement that Whole Foods was created for “our people” and is letting down those who support it which is about as elitist as liberals gets while helping the less privileged. The oppressed today are those looking for pesticide free politics while only those of a liberal persuasion should be welcome at Whole Foods.
“The oppressed today are those looking for pesticide-free politics…”
Love the comment.