I've been wondering...

[Shelby07]

Why is it that when gasoline prices go up there is all sorts of government outrage and investigations, but when health care costs go up the government 's first course of action is to increase taxes to pay for outrageous price gouging?

EDIT: Sorry if this is a touchy subject. If it is inappropriate for this forum please feel free to delete it.

[mrgatorman]

Gas is for adults...health care is for children. you cant deny children healthcare.

[Shelby07]

Originally Posted by mrgatorman

Gas is for adults...health care is for children. you cant deny children health care.

I know you are talking tongue-in-cheek here. Fuel is necessary for everyone in this country to enjoy the quality of life we do. But I'm not talking about providing health care. I'm talking about outrageous price gouging that's putting insurance costs through the roof. Been to a hospital lately?

When gasoline goes up to $3/gallon our government doesn't look at subsidizing us for the increased cost of gasoline, Instead, they have endless hearings and investigations as to why we have to pay $3/gallon for a global product that is still relatively cheap in this country when compared to most of the rest of the world, especially when you look at the value of the US dollar. It seems to me that if the government were to take a consistant stand they might start investigating why a hospital can charge $50-$100/aspirin or why a doctor has to pay outrageous malpractice insurance because of the cost of frivolous lawsuits brought against them. I've been to an emergency room twice in the last 3 years... once for stepping on a nail and another for a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. Both times treatment took about 20-30 minutes and the initial cost was about $3K/visit. Even tho my cost was only 50 bucks a pop, I brought the charges to the attention of my insurance company. The bills were reduced to about half, which is still gouging, in my opinion.

So, what I'm wondering is... where is the outrage in government when it comes to price gouging for something we all need sooner or later? Why do they feel they have to increase taxes on things like tobacco to pay for these outrageous charges rather than investigate why things are so costly?

[mrgatorman]

It is T&C...honestly...its all about public perception. Gasoline is a set cost for all. You can be a healthy 25 yr old or a cancerous 75 yr old andpay the same gas prices...try that with healthcare. Healthcare costs can be attributed to claims and specifics of the insured. Gasoline is all about things with responsibility outside of the person paying. As a consumer, I am not responsible for the price of gasoline directly...it can be argues that consumption drives up the cost, but if I consume the same amount of gasoline pretty consistantly, than I should pay a consistant price...

Healthcare prices are directly derived from my personal scenario as well as additional factors. It can be argued that prices are related to the age of the insured, health of the insured, gender...etc. It can also be argues that claim payouts contribute to health insurance costs, litigation payouts, increased expenses...So theoutrage for Gasoline is easier and readily accepted than healthcare...

Now politically...gas prices affect everyone. Health costs dont. My employer pays 95% of my insurance. My wfes is 100% paid for. the burden of health insurance rests alot on the employer. A single employer can be responsible for literally hundreds to thousands of consumers. We all pay for gas and ALOT more people are affected with the increased cost of gas...directly at the pumps, airlines/buses/trains, delivery costs, heating oil...etc. Politically it makes more sense to publically work the gas situation because it gets more political weight than healthcare. And as you know...they have to be elected...

[Shelby07]

No matter what the "perception" is, almost everyone is buying health care through their insurance premiums. Premiums go up because of what the insurance companies have to pay out. Insurance companies don't question the bills, they just pay them. Neither does the government. The higher the payout, the pricier the insurance. I think we simply pay too much for medical attention and the bills go unchecked. Want to get the cost of insurance (and the taxes that subsidize it) down? Decrease the cost of service "at the pump." Doing so will decrease the taxes associated with providing health care and less people will have to have their medical bills paid for by you and me.

The next time someone tells you that we need to increase taxes because the children need health care, ask them why health care costs so much that the parents of those children can't afford it. Let congress do the same for the price of medical services as they do for the price of gas. Investigate why the cost of receiving medical care is so much more than the cost of providing it.

[brianhewitt-cl]

Originally Posted by mrgatorman

Gas is for adults...health care is for children.

'Cuz nobody besides kids ever gets sick...

[Slow Triathlete]

You have forgotten that this is the same goverment that paid $75 dollars for a hammer and $300 for toilet seats that go into the space shuttle. Bottom Line.....our government is screwed up because everyone in it is afraid to make a stand for what they or their voters believe in. All they are worried about is not pissing off enough people so that they won't get re-elected. They don't care about making a difference or making a change anymore. It's sad but that's the reality. I have friends in the government and they would attest to this. Welfare, healthcare, gas prices, etc.........it's all screwy. I travel to other countries and see that they apparently have their stuff together with healthcare (New Zealand, Canada) and then I look at America and I can't figure out why they can't figure it out.

[Lok17]

I am totally in Shelby's corner on this one...

[Starsky]

I believe the difference between the gas, and healthcare, is that honest, hard working individuals like us are paying for not only our insurance, but for every other lazy, shiftless scumbag who has found a way to suck off the government teet. My wife works in an emergency room and sees this on a daily basis. At least with gas everyone buys their own.

[Shelby07]

Originally Posted by mrgatorman

...Now politically...gas prices affect everyone. Health costs dont. My employer pays 95% of my insurance. My wfes is 100% paid for. the burden of health insurance rests alot on the employer. A single employer can be responsible for literally hundreds to thousands of consumers. ...

I know you are saying that this is the reason politicians can get away with this, so i understand that you are saying you are frustrated by it... but you'd be surprised how many folks think that they aren't paying because "the employer pays" or "the government pays." As an employee or a stockholder of a company, I AM paying, It's coming out of my salary, my department's budget, my retirement check, my 401K or my taxes. There is no such thing as "the company's money" or "the government's money." It has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is the public in the form of lower wages, company cost cutting (i.e., layoffs,) increased expenses that affect stock prices (which also reduces the amount of money companies can put back into their business and, thus, into the economy) and taxes. It's our money that we are talking about here, not the company's or the governments.

[Shelby07]

Originally Posted by Starsky

I believe the difference between the gas, and healthcare, is that honest, hard working individuals like us are paying for not only our insurance, but for every other lazy, shiftless scumbag who has found a way to suck off the government teet. My wife works in an emergency room and sees this on a daily basis. At least with gas everyone buys their own.

Well, I guess to those folks, the "government" (reference my last post) is, in fact, paying.

[terrasco-cl]

It's because the government doesn't really have our best interest at heart.

[Shelby07]

Originally Posted by Lok17

I am totally in Shelby's corner on this one...

Yeah... but your sig says you like hot air!

[brianhewitt-cl]

Originally Posted by Starsky

I believe the difference between the gas, and healthcare, is that honest, hard working individuals like us are paying for not only our insurance, but for every other lazy, shiftless scumbag who has found a way to suck off the government teet. My wife works in an emergency room and sees this on a daily basis. At least with gas everyone buys their own.

Amen. And what bugs me is that there are people who go to the emergency room with known non-emergencies. In my opinion, if you walk into the emergency room without an emergency condition, somebody should be allowed to give you one.

[brianhewitt-cl]

Originally Posted by terrasco

It's because the government doesn't really have our best interest at heart.

It's always been a power grab for people with great hair. The more money you control, the more power you have and the more votes you can buy. And the more $400 haircuts you can afford. (I need to get into politics. But first, I need to padlock that closet, the skeletons keep falling out...)