Re: [Winona] Re: Health Insurance costs

[Kathy Seifert]

Paul:   Can you clarify what you mean by "non-profit providers"?   I'm glad you mentioned Medicharge which is, if I understand correctly, a way of dealing with healthcare outside of the third party payor system.  Are individuals able to contribute pre-tax dollars to a health care "account" in this system?  Do providers agree to a usual and customary-type fee schedule?   I know of many in my field (mental health clinicians) that have been successful in by-passing the third parties and setting up simple fee-for-service practices that are very successful and relatively hassle-free.  I've heard that MDs have also been successful in this regard.  It is definately "out of the box" and if clients are able to use pre-tax dollars set aside for medical expenses, it is a win-win situation for clients and providers.  Of course the insurance company execs miss out on their cut which is the crux of the problem with health care as I see it.   How does a system like Medicharge work for an individual or family with catastrophic medical bills?   Kathy Seifert ----- Original Message ----- From: Paul Double To: Online Democracy Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 8:00 PM Subject: FW: [Winona] Re: Health Insurance costs Cherisa,  Maybe we should start posting all the premium charges employer and private plans for the plans we can get our hands on.  We will be very surprised to see the huge disparity between higher cost group plans, lower cost individual plans as well as MCHA and COBRA premiums.  The public and employers are getting a bad deal and hopefully the facts will lead to the source of the problem.  �Insurance�   Dean, The first private single payer system was started in Winona two years ago.  It is called �Medicharge�  It is not insurance.   Now if we can get the �non profit providers� back under the controls of Robinson-Patman Act and the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department  to enforce existing law we could all save money.   Paul Double