The case of Dr. John Muney shows the outright injustice and immoral nature of government regulations that rob us of our individual rights to associate with one another in a peaceful manner. Next time you talk about mandated benefits on insurance, here’s a concrete example of how they violate rights. (Whether Dr. Muney is technically providing “insurance” is irrelevant.)
New York, NY – The state is trying to shut down a New York City doctor’s ambitious plan to treat uninsured patients for around $1,000 a year.
Dr. John Muney offers his patients everything from mammograms to mole removal at his AMG Medical Group clinics, which operate in all five boroughs.
“I’m trying to help uninsured people here,” he said.
His patients agree to pay $79 a month for a year in return for unlimited office visits with a $10 co-pay.
But his plan landed him in the crosshairs of the state Insurance Department, which ordered him to drop his fixed-rate plan – which it claims is equivalent to an insurance policy.
Just who do these government bureaucrats think they are? Here we have a physician who wants to offer his services for a price, and patients who think it’s a good deal. But apparently this is not allowed, because government authorities forbid it. What of individual rights? Here’s an other section of the article:
“I’m not doing an insurance business,” he said. “I’m just providing my services at my place during certain hours.”
He says he can afford to charge such a small amount because he doesn’t have to process mountains of paperwork and spend hours on billing.
“If they leave me alone, I can serve thousands of patients,” he said.
The state believes his plan runs afoul of the law because it promises to cover unplanned procedures – like treating a sudden ear infection – under a fixed rate. That’s something only a licensed insurance company can do.
“The law is strict on how insurance is defined,” said an Insurance Department spokesman.
Here’s another angle to explain this: insurance companies are “regulated” by government and it’d be just terrible if this up-start doctor could do this without also having to obey the authorities. And needless to say, the authorities want all the power they can get. I mean, how embarrasing would it be for them if people got the medical care they needed without the government having a hand in it to “protect consumers”?
(via Coyote Blog via the David All Group)
