[extropy-chat] Health data

[Rafal Smigrodzki]

On 6/17/06, Damien Sullivan <phoenix at ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote:

> Insurance does seem like something which should benefit from having a
> really large risk pool, including the people who think they don't need
> it now but will age into people who do.  But we've got the insurance
> companies.  Of course, employer-linked insurance would also seem to
> limit employee mobility and small business creation; can't just walk off
> the job if you're worried about your health in the meantime.  Though the
> gov't partially patched that with COBRA.  (For 18 months after leaving
> work you get to keep your group plan at the old premiums, though you
> have to pay them.)

### In other words, if I am an employer, I have to think twice about
hiring, especially hiring  somebody who might get sick, since if he
does, I will be stuck with his bills.

A long time ago the good government decided to punish people who want
to buy private health insurance by tax-exempting employer
contributions to health insurance, but still taxing private purchase
of health insurance at the usual rates. So, almost everybody is forced
into employer-run healthcare, nobody can easily go insurer-shopping,
and insurance rates creep ever higher, since the customers can't
easily get away. And here the good gov't comes to the rescue and says
you can keep your employer-provided plan, making it even more
difficult to shop for better and cheaper care.

It's piling new stupidities on top of old ones.

The whole idea of non-catastrophic health insurance is pure stupidity,
like insurance against your car needing gas, but I pontificated here
about this before, so I won't waste your time.

Rafal