There are no coincidences, Part II
Continued from yesterday... Dr Greenberg does, however, make one somewhat valid point (making him 1 for 5, not exactly Hall of Fame material): if all plans were individually owned, there�d be increased competition, and more efficient benefit usage. For more on this, see the posts on � Catastrophic vs Insular .� Of course, he then goes on to break his one-point winning streak with this gem: �Individuals might belong to a health care plan for many years or decades.� Why? Oh, because plans would have an incentive to �invest in a person�s health.� He�s kidding, right? Carriers are impersonal, corporate entities which are designed to generate a profit for their shareholders. They do this by offering reasonable plans, at reasonable prices, for a reasonable time. Eventually, though, rates begin to climb (regardless of whether employer-based or individually owned), and adverse selection takes over. There�s also attrition due to age, family status, heck, where one lives. I would have expected t...