I think that 90% or even 95% of the time,  a normal person would generally figure out the cost of the service or item that they want before actually buying that service/item.  Would you buy a car without first researching the car and how much it costs? Would you purchase a home also without researching the neighborhood?  When you go to a grocery store, would you buy something without at least acknowledging the price first before buying?

But healthcare… healthcare is a totally different beast.  A person goes to a doctor, gets a check up with blood work, and comes back in for a follow up.  How much does it cost?  Apparently depending on whether or not there’s insurance, the insurance company and the type of insurance coverage (Link1, Link2, Link3). All these factors will vary from person to person. The last link is pretty useful to understand the current state of what I think is a horribly inefficient system.  What frustrates me is that I don’t know what anything costs.  I get bills after the fact telling me I have to pay $X amount because that’s what I owe.  Does this not frustrate anyone else?  It’s like going to a McDonald’s asking for a Value Meal #2 and not knowing what it will cost you until after you’ve eaten it and 20 days later the bill comes for you to pay.

Now when the US presidential candidates talk about healthcare, medicare for all and single payer system, what will inevitably be part of the conversation would be discussions of “death panels” (#fakenews from Obamacare)” and “freedom of choice” (a google search has quite a few links on this topic).  Why don’t the candidates frame as a  “Constitutional Right” similar to the “Right to Free Speech” or “Right to Bear Arms”? Isn’t promoting the welfare of the people similar to promoting the health of the people?

In the Preamble of the Constitution… “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Something to Think About…