Last summer, Bob made the excellent point that your health insurance may be making you sick. He noted that, because folks spend so little of their own money on actual health care (as opposed to health insurance), they were much more likely to avail themselves of medical services.
Now along comes Dr David Gratzer (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute), who underscores Bob's thesis with some statistics:
"(F)or every dollar spent on health care in the United States, just 12 cents comes out of the individuals' pockets."
That's so important that it bears repeating:
"(F)or every dollar spent on health care in the United States, just 12 cents comes out of the individuals' pockets."
In short, almost 90% of our health care is paid for by someone else (or by ourselves, funneled through premiums and taxes).
Part of the problem is that so many of us rely on our employers for health insurance coverage. As Dr Dave points out, "(i)magine what food costs might be if your employer paid 88% of your grocery bill or what a trip to Saks might be like if your company covered the vast majority of the costs of the shopping spree."
Indeed.
Under ObamaCare, of course, it gets worse, since we wouldn't even have the choice of high deductible (or other alternative benefits) plans. And since Washington isn't exactly known as a model of efficient stewardship of taxpayer funds, well, imagine how lovely that 12% might sound a year down the road.
[Hat Tip: Lyndsi Thomas]
Now along comes Dr David Gratzer (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute), who underscores Bob's thesis with some statistics:
"(F)or every dollar spent on health care in the United States, just 12 cents comes out of the individuals' pockets."
That's so important that it bears repeating:
"(F)or every dollar spent on health care in the United States, just 12 cents comes out of the individuals' pockets."
In short, almost 90% of our health care is paid for by someone else (or by ourselves, funneled through premiums and taxes).
Part of the problem is that so many of us rely on our employers for health insurance coverage. As Dr Dave points out, "(i)magine what food costs might be if your employer paid 88% of your grocery bill or what a trip to Saks might be like if your company covered the vast majority of the costs of the shopping spree."
Indeed.
Under ObamaCare, of course, it gets worse, since we wouldn't even have the choice of high deductible (or other alternative benefits) plans. And since Washington isn't exactly known as a model of efficient stewardship of taxpayer funds, well, imagine how lovely that 12% might sound a year down the road.
[Hat Tip: Lyndsi Thomas]
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