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Consumer-Driven HealthCare Plans
Long ago, there was a time when doctors were paid mainly in cash for their
services. Not anymore—now, medical bills can be staggering, accounting for
more bankruptcies than any other cause. Health insurance is a necessity, and
yet, howmuch has health insurance itself—particularly the normof employer-
purchased health insurance—contributed to the very high costs it was meant
tomitigate?After all, car owners protect themselves with comprehensive, full-
coverage insurance plans, but no matter how comprehensive the insurance,
they don’t expect their insurer to pay for oil changes or day-to-day repairs.
Same with homeowners’ insurance—no plan is going to pay to unclog a pipe
or fix a broken heater. So, why do we expect health insurance plans to pay for
similar day-to-day expenses when it comes to our health? And what would
the healthcare scenario look like if we insured ourselves in a similar way to
how we insure our cars and our homes?