Dick Armey: "The Largest Problem We Have In Health Care Is Too Many People Are Overinsured"

by: David Sirota

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 20:19


Straight out of the I Shit You Not File, here's Dick Armey in the upcoming New York Times magazine:

What about the millions of Americans, I asked, who have insurance but find that the rising premiums and deductibles are eating away at any financial gains they might otherwise make? "The largest empirical problem we have in health care today is too many people are too overinsured," he said.

That's right - the face of the Tea Party "movement" is on record now saying that the major problem in the American health care system is that too many people have too much health insurance.

I shit you not.
David Sirota :: Dick Armey: "The Largest Problem We Have In Health Care Is Too Many People Are Overinsured"

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Dick Armey: "The Largest Problem We Have In Health Care Is Too Many People Are Overinsured" | 12 comments
The Largest Problem we have in health care (4.00 / 9)
is that most Democrats won't use this to beat their opponents (or members of their party that are dragging their feet) over the head with this.


Support a Pennsylvania Progressive for Governor - Joe Hoeffel
Is It Just Me (4.00 / 1)
Or did Dick Armey just suggest we'd be better off if Dick Armey had less health insurance?  Sorry, it must be hear-what-I-want-to-hear Thursday.

Figuring out how to be a progressive college graduate transplant to Ohio:  http://citizenobie.wordpress.com/
This reminds me of the Whole Foods CEO (4.00 / 2)
saying that High-Deductible Insurance plans were the SOLUTION to the problem, instead of the PROBLEM.

How did that saying go - the problem is people who think that the problem is the solution - or something like that.  I'm getting old and foggy.

sTiVo's rule: Just because YOU "wouldn't put it past 'em" doesn't prove that THEY did it.

Interesting Observation (4.00 / 1)
So just what is his point?  Most people are spending too much money for coverage they will not need?  There are certainly many new insurance policy types such as insurance for fixing your car, or paying bills if you're unable to work, or health insurance to just cover cancer or some other very expensive disease.  Most of these are rip offs very similar buying extended warranties, or are actually duplicate coverage you already have under life, health, auto or home insurance.  But this is really just the insurance industry scrambling to find niche products to further bleed the middle class (like all these new banking and credit card fees).  I can understand over insuring a house rather than just insuring for the cost to rebuild, or getting too much life insurance when you really aren't going to leave that many big bills to be paid (i.e. house is paid off and kids are through college and gone from home).

Or can he be referring to the 47 million people without health insurance?  He surely cannot think they're over insured!

So what's the best way to fix this?  Well, France gives everyone basic coverage.  Many buy additional coverage to supplement the basic plan.  Many don't.  Britain just covers everyone for everything (they even send people to other countries for the best treatment and pick up the tab).  Germany lets everyone pick a basic plan from lots of providers who compete, and many buy additional coverage on top of that.  Switzerland is very similar to Germany.  All of these countries have better health care than the US at significantly reduce cost per person.

And as Senator Franken pointed out, how many medical bankruptcies do these countries have? None, nada, zero. Last numbers I saw was medical bills cause 60% of the personal bankruptcies in the US, and 40% of these people HAD COVERAGE just like you and me.

So what's Dick's solution?  Bigger deductibles? Be your own little death panel when you realize your illness is going to wipe out your family?  What's his point?

Here is what I don't get ... (4.00 / 1)
just say Dickie is right ... that still portends ill for the insurance companies ... Why? ... because if we are overinsured ... that means we ought to be paying a lot less for insurance(say if we pay out of pocket for your regular eye or dental check-up .. so you only buy catastrophic coverage) ... which means that revenue for the insurance companies would decrease by a lot
Can we get a competent set of elites please? (0.00 / 0)

well (0.00 / 0)
all i can say is ......... dick armey is a dick!
How can anyone be OVERinsured if 5 min at the hsopital cost $29000? (4.00 / 1)
Looks like a single emrgency room treatment can put you in the loophole, heading for bankruptcy:

Hospital sends parents $29,000 bill after son is murdered
...
Gerald and Elizabeth Hawkins had been informed by Sacramento State College that their son was already dead when his body was discovered and were not aware that he had received level 5 trauma care for five minutes in the hospital emergency room.
...

Congratulations, the US is #1 again in the World! I don't think any other nation has healthcare providers that would send a bill this high for 5 minutes of unseccusful efforts. Sure the best healthcare in the world, for the very few who can afford this!
|-(

Ooops link (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
Dick Armey: "The Largest Problem We Have In Health Care Is Too Many People Are Overinsured" | 12 comments
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