Stossel - Sick in America, Part 5
September 5th, 2008 | by Brian Schwartz |Continued from Part 4.
Topics:
- High deductibles are good. Whole Foods example. Whole Foods contributes to employees’ Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which accumulates and grows over time. (Speech my Whole Foods CEO on this topic.
- Do HSAs discourage patients from getting preventive care? Many policies cover preventive care, and it gives patients incentives to keep costs down.
- Shopping around for a physical exam. When patients pay their own money, they start asking: “What am I getting for my money?” Customers start inquiring about quality and price, providers respond by paying attention.
- Is health care “too complicated” to let patents decide? Should government decide whether parents have kids? Do only people who are knowledgeable about cars by cars?
- Competition creates a market for products that inform customers, like Consumer Reports, Carol.com, HealthGrades.com, and Vimo.com.
