Market Farming

[Art Petrzelka <art AT complum.com>]

On Thu, 2003-08-21 at 12:19, Pat Meadows wrote:
> There's an awful lot of wastage in our current system, wasted work, 
> wheel-spinning and paperwork.

We pay $1,000 a month premium, $1000 deductible per person for drugs,
large copays and a list of exclusions that is unreal. I can't remember
the total cost, somewhere over $15,000 out of pocket. We're using the
"guaranteed insurance" option that Iowa has. 

A lot of people around here work for UPS or FedEx. They get benefits for
part time work, loading and unloading at start of day and end of day,
usaully like 5:30 AM or 8 PM start times. 2-4 hours a day, and benefits.
My proposal is to hold the insurance companies to the actuarial tables
and to the contract. 

If they want to use the actuarial tables, use them across the board.
Eliminating people (cancelling policies) for making claims improves
their profits over the actuarial table prediction, as does using the
"existing condition" clause. 

Any expenses incurred in not honoring the contract should not be
deductible business expenses. No lawyers fees, no trial expenses, no
extra paperwork. No holding off paying the provider. No runarounds.

Of course, the insurance company headquarters wouldn't be able to afford
those three story marble atriums with waterfalls any more. But hey, it's
worth it!

Disclosure: Iowa has the second largest insurance company presence in
the country, so my views may be slanted in their favor. ;-)
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Art Petrzelka
Amana, Iowa, USA