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Insurance as a concept dates back easily as far as the wagon trains of the migration to the American west.  The men on the wagon train would all join in the buffalo hunt and the wagon master would hold the skins that they acquired as  “insurance” for the wagon that might have a problem on the trail.  And the wagon train travelers only ask for help as a last resort.

What we have lost in the evolution to our current insurance system is the community value aspect of the concept.  We the members participate and pay the “wagon masters” who have become profit makers as a margin on top of any cost we incur.  They have strong motive for increasing the overall cost and NO motives to contain those costs.  And, at the same time, once the premium is paid, we the insured tend to treat any assistance as an entitlement.  We buy drugs based on TV ads, abuse the frequency of doctor visits, and do NOT take seriously the responsibility to take care of ourselves with respect to common sense personal healthy living.

So long as we the people shirk our responsibilities, so long as there are those among us that abuse the system,  and so long as we allow TV ads to entice the over use of expensive drugs, we will be in the hands of the ever more greedy insurance exectutives.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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