Newsweek's Fineman opposes health reform
Anyone notice Howard Fineman's column in Newsweek today? Too bad it took him a bout with food poisoning in Argentina to realize what I've been saying for months: that health care is simply too expensive in the United States, and that the reform proposals currently on the table would not do enough to reduce the cost of care.
Anyone notice Howard Fineman's column in Newsweek today? Too bad it took him a bout with food poisoning in Argentina to realize what I've been saying for months: that health care is simply too expensive in the United States, and that the reform proposals currently on the table would not do enough to reduce the cost of care.
As Fineman, a left-of-center guy, puts it:
"President Obama proclaims his plan (whatever it finally is) to be 'reform.' But from what I can see, it would merely feed, at taxpayer expense, 30 million currently 'uncovered' people into a wasteful system that doesn't have either the price-signaling power of a marketplace or the sweeping overview and control of a state-run bureacracy."
Almost exactly right. Almost.
The only thing wrong with that statement is the implication that all or most of the 30 million newly insured Americans would get coverage "at taxpayer expense." Actually, many would be forced to buy overpriced insurance at THEIR OWN expense.
Fineman noted that he got perfectly adequate, if less frilly, care in Argentina, for at least half of what it would have cost him in the U.S., even after accounting for the currency-value difference, and wonders: "Where does all that extra money go?"
The Role of Third-Party Financing in the Health and Wellness Payment Landscape
April 17th 2025"How patients access and seek out health and wellness care continues to evolve amid growing costs and a changing healthcare landscape – and communication around payment options continues to impact how patients select their provider. In this whitepaper, Synchrony shares new data on the vital role alternative payment options have on patient decisions, and how providers can strengthen their financial offerings. Learning Objectives: • Learn the current trends impacting the ability of in-house financing plans to meet patient demands. • Understand patients’ financing preferences and how it directly impacts behaviors when pursuing care and choosing a provider. • Discover how third-party financing can support practices to meet patients’ needs, help relieve administrative burdens, and stay competitive within an ever-evolving healthcare industry. "
