What exactly is consumer driven health care and should we want it?

June 18, 10:24 AMHealth Care ExaminerSheila Guilloton

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Consumers need a new approach
to paying for health insurance

The need for health care reform is obvious.  But as Washington shows evidence of health care reform going the way of all other historical attempts to reform health care, it may be time for consumers to take back control themselves.

Lack of basic knowledge has kept many consumers away from the consumer driven market. Many believe that universal health care can only be achieved through a single payer health plan, something like Medicare or plans such as those currently in place in Canada, Britain and some other countries.

The apparent advantage of the single payer system is simplicity. Everyone has the same coverage and the same access, at least in theory.

But simple is not always best.   Medicare worked really well for years.  But now, as the baby boomers join the program, massive financial problems threaten to sink the whole program.

There is another consideration.  Most Americans, are by nature, fiercely committed to the concept of personal choice. They want the ability to chose their own doctors and hospitals.  They want, and absolutely should want, to have some say in how their health problems are treated.  They want to be able to consult other doctors for second opinions. They want to be able to make informed choices about their health and they want to be rewarded when they take the initiative to stay healthy and avoid unnecessary utilization of health care services.

Making informed choices requires education.  The internet generation is already quite adept at researching medical conditions and problems on line. Some of the large insurance carriers are now providing their membership with tools to allow  insured members  to compare pricing for medical services.  But this kind of education takes time and effort. 

The issue of health care reform seems to be deteriorating into the usual bipartisan bickering which will lead either no where at all or to a system that could bankrupt us or force us into a system which will deny consumers control over their own health care.  At the moment,  the choice is still yours.