If you are quiet and listen you can hear the whine.

Time has quickly gone by and I have been remiss at my post. I was so engrossed in my daily business that I failed to spew any words of wisdom, so here goes.

If you haven't been noticing the world is going to ....... in a hand basket. While the rich are recovering from a year of losses, they are still relatively rich enough to maintain the lifestyle of the rich and famous, many of us on the other hand are very concerned about meeting the every day expenses we encounter like eating, heating or cooling the house, clothing the kids and paying our massive credit card debt. While we mean well and fully intend to pay our bills we can't possibly fight the the giant credit card companies that use us and abuse us as they scramble to raise interest rates, raise minimum payments, and gouge us for every fee they can institute before the new government limits go into effect. Now if that doesn't push you to drink, perhaps a nice mild pinot noir, how about the national health care debate? Anyone afraid that health care costs will increase? That premiums will rise instead of decrease as we would hope? Will our physicians accept a government plan that limits their pay and forces them to make decisions that may not be in our best interests? Or better yet, how, and will our existing insurance company's choose to compete with a government plan ?

Competition is encouraged only if it works to bring about a fair resolve to all involved, but especially for us the end users and ultimate payers. Over the last thirty years I have observed that many insurance company's play by a different set of rules, one where they and they alone are the big winners in the game. They have the final authority to set the premiums, pay what claims they feel are appropriate, and adjust the plan as they go to limit their exposure. We on the other hand have the privilege to pay the escalating premiums, fight for our claims to be paid, and acquiesce to plan changes that we have no say in but are forced to accept. Forced? Really yes, because who of us can do without? And in many areas where the competition is almost nil, and with pre-existing conditions you don't have the option to change carriers, since medical underwriting will immediately result in a declination.

What would be nice, and the wine is taking effect now, would be the ability to move to another carrier when our existing one is pricing us out of the market. Having the ability to choose from multiple plans with various price points so we can budget what we buy with the current medical need. A good year health wise may mean we can choose a plan with a higher deductible so we can pay just a little less and accept a little more risk, whereas a bad year may result in our paying a little more to get a greater level of coverage. A dream? Perhaps.

Insurance company's would argue; that level of flexibility would create a long-term fiscal nightmare. I suppose it is simple enough to continue to charge escalating premiums without much justification, even if we are healthy and don't make use of our plan. Yes I am a bit cynical about it.

What do you think, will the government create a workable plan that will bring viable competition among insurance company's and help to stabilize the constant rise in premiums will still helping to insure the masses without? Will they make us or break us?
Time will tell, stay tuned while the massive bantering continues.