PROTECTING THE HEALTH INDUSTRY FROM MARKET FORCES:

Consumerism loses in European-style health care (Ronald E. Bachman, 6/01/10, Daily Caller)

At the end of the day, consumers’ interests seem left out of the German health care system. Consumers seem to be pawns in a great game of controlling costs through budgets, restrictive choices, and limited access to care. The games within the game were obvious as the truth was peeled back. Most providers wanted to give quality care to their patients. Most tried to find ways around restrictive legislation and regulations to help patients. The result was usually politicians plugging the “loopholes” with more rules, legislation, and regulations.

Consumer interests in social health systems seem to fall behind government employees, unionized physicians, bureaucratic budgeting, big pharma, and political interests. I was hoping to find an interest in the “little guy” as professed by social health advocates. Their words were always compassionate, but the result is a cynical dismissal of consumers, who are assumed compliant with edicts from the ruling elite.

Fortunately, the new German government is asking for outside input to include consumerism in health care and to promote personal responsibility. It is hard to change a system so ingrained with a history of doing the opposite. The concern voiced was that the opposition would merely wait until they are again in power to reverse any reforms.

I am sure that satisfaction surveys show German acceptance of their system, but behind the “home team” pride it is clear that German health care consumers get the short end of the stick. The final question may be, “Why is America going down this path to social health insurance?” It doesn’t help the consumer get better health or health care. It only seems to help big government, big business, big hospitals, big pharma, and unionized physicians. Then again, I may have just answered the question.