he realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use itWhere is Health Care in America heading?
During the past few years we have heard many people talking about Universal Healthcare and how this would help everyone get the medical care they need. In the coming months with elections drawing near we will hear politicians talk about it more and more.

What does it mean to have Universal Healthcare?

For the answer to that we should look at a few of the countries that have put this system in place. Canada and Europe have been providing healthcare for their residents for over 30 years now and both countries are beginning to feel the financial strain on the countries' economies and the tax-paying citizens.

In 2005, the Supreme Court in Canada voted to allow for private insurance in Quebec because their healthcare system is failing to provide adequate care. They have a waiting list in hospitals and for doctors and many Canadians come to the United States to get the healthcare they need. This does not sound, to me at least, like a good healthcare model for the United States to follow.

In Europe, they are cutting benefits, while the costs of healthcare are rising -- due mainly to their citizens not realizing the cost involved in the care they are requesting.

I, as many of my colleges, feel that the best way to reform healthcare in America is to increase public awareness and make the consumer take responsibility in learning for what and where their money is going. One example of the consumer NOT taking responsibility is in this brief story that I am going to tell you.

A very enlightening experience:
While I was out visiting clients one day about 2 years ago, I took time out for lunch and went to a local restaurant. While I was sitting in the dining room eating lunch, I overheard a conversation that really upset me. There were two ladies there having lunch also, and one of them said to the other that her husband had a little scratch on his hand. The other lady asked if it was bad, and the first lady said "No, but I told him to go to the doctor anyway since it only cost $20."

The overlooked factors:
Many people look at the cost of going to the doctor only as the amount of their co-pay and never think about the realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use it

and both countries are beginning to feel the financial strain on the countries' economies and the tax-paying citizens.

In 2005, the Supreme Court in Canada voted to allow for private insurance in Quebec because their healthcare system is failing to provide adequate care. They have a waiting list in hospitals and for doctors and many Canadians come to the United States to get the healthcare they need. This does not sound, to me at least, like a good healthcare model for the United States to follow.

In Europe, they are cutting benefits, while the costs of healthcare are rising -- due mainly to their citizens not realizing the cost involved in the care they are requesting.

I, as many of my colleges, feel that the best way to reform healthcare in America is to increase public awareness and make the consumer take responsibility in learning for what and where their money is going. One example of the consumer NOT taking responsibility is in this brief story that I am going to tell you.

A very enlightening experience:
While I was out visiting clients one day about 2 years ago, I took time out for lunch and went to a local restaurant. While I was sitting in the dining room eating lunch, I overheard a conversation that really upset me. There were two ladies there having lunch also, and one of them said to the other that her husband had a little scratch on his hand. The other lady asked if it was bad, and the first lady said "No, but I told him to go to the doctor anyway since it only cost $20."

The overlooked factors:
Many people look at the cost of going to the doctor only as the amount of their co-pay and never think about the realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use it

s of healthcare are rising -- due mainly to their citizens not realizing the cost involved in the care they are requesting.

I, as many of my colleges, feel that the best way to reform healthcare in America is to increase public awareness and make the consumer take responsibility in learning for what and where their money is going. One example of the consumer NOT taking responsibility is in this brief story that I am going to tell you.

A very enlightening experience:
While I was out visiting clients one day about 2 years ago, I took time out for lunch and went to a local restaurant. While I was sitting in the dining room eating lunch, I overheard a conversation that really upset me. There were two ladies there having lunch also, and one of them said to the other that her husband had a little scratch on his hand. The other lady asked if it was bad, and the first lady said "No, but I told him to go to the doctor anyway since it only cost $20."

The overlooked factors:
Many people look at the cost of going to the doctor only as the amount of their co-pay and never think about the realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use it

e out for lunch and went to a local restaurant. While I was sitting in the dining room eating lunch, I overheard a conversation that really upset me. There were two ladies there having lunch also, and one of them said to the other that her husband had a little scratch on his hand. The other lady asked if it was bad, and the first lady said "No, but I told him to go to the doctor anyway since it only cost $20."

The overlooked factors:
Many people look at the cost of going to the doctor only as the amount of their co-pay and never think about the realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use it

he realistic costs. It is the consumer who uses the product or service who should take the time to learn what they are purchasing. In the above story, the first lady never considered that the more she paid her $20 to visit the doctor, the more the insurance company had to pay to fill in the rest of the costs. The result of that can be increased insurance premiums for everyone, including her family, for the next year and for many years after. It is those people who are guilty of over-utilization of their health insurance benefits, who hurt the ones who use it only when it is really necessary.

The Good Ol' Days...
Back in the day, don’t you just love that term "back in the day", before HMO’s & PPO’s, people would go to the doctor, pay the costs and then submit the claim to the insurance company for reimbursement. Then, they knew the actual costs of healthcare, prescription drugs and specialized medicine. The cost for medical insurance was reasonable and almost every employer could afford to help their employees with some benefits and many paid all of the insurance costs.

Meanwhile, Back to reality...
Today we are spoiled and do not know the actual costs of healthcare, which includes the part the insurance companies pay. Also, if the insurance company does not cover something then the consumer gets mad at the insurance company when it is the consumer who should know what all the costs are in the first place!

We also hear about how employers should be forced to provide medical insurance for their employees, but with the rising costs, even some of the largest employers cannot afford it. I have noticed in the years that I have been in the insurance business that many employees do not know how much the company pays toward their insurance coverage. They only know that they have to pay too much-- once again, the need to know the costs involved there, also.

In summary:
I know this sounds like I am all for the "Big Bad Insurance companies", but I am not. I am for the consumer taking some responsibility in knowing what the costs are and using that knowledge to help with the healthcare crisis in America. You need to ask yourself, before our politicians take away our right to have a say so in our healthcare, "How can I be more responsible?" Regardless of what you think about the condition of our Healthcare System today, if "those politicians" lead us down the road to socialized medicine--That will be the REAL CATASTROPHE.