To the Editor:
So at the end of the day, health care is no more affordable than it was before Obamacare was enacted! Why should we be surprised?
Several decades ago, in an effort to promote “wellness,” we saw an increasing trend to encourage people to visit their doctor more regularly and more often, by offering plans that covered basic health maintenance costs. State regulations demanded coverage of some services, and the Affordable Care Act only added to the list that must now be provided without cost to the user.
Insurance in the traditional sense provides coverage for the unforeseen event. In health care, that would be serious injury and catastrophic disease. What we have today is what the insurance industry refers to as “trading dollars.”
Imagine if car insurance covered all basic services to reduce the risk of future damage, like oil changes, new brakes and even periodic visits to the car wash. We would see huge increases in the cost of car insurance, although we would also see policies that are offered at low premiums but with high deductibles and high co-payments.
MICHAEL A. SMITH
Wells, Me.
The writer is a retired equity research analyst who covered the insurance industry.
