More Choices May Make For Better Health Care Plan

Now, more than ever, Americans are rating their health insurance company lower in terms of overall coverage and performance much lower than their auto insurer, life insurer, or bank.

In fact, even the U.S. postal service, retail stores, and hotels get better marks for customer satisfaction than health insurance providers.

It is a fact that has been exploited by politicians on Capitol Hill and in the White House in order to paint health insurers as the bad guys.

It is understandable that when you have an industry that performs poorly and ultimately restricts choices the focus of comprehensive health reform would start by offering customers more options. It is the best to make a dynamic plan that fits every citizen.

Yet, there are questions as to whether the latest plans offered by legislators can make this happen—or if lawmakers consider this as part of their stated agendas.

There is a tide of skepticism rushing through the citizenry, half-prompted by media hype and half proven by the ill-conceived efforts of the past. Both parties have reason to share the blame in how this issue has been addressed and what motives are driving efforts towards finding reasonable solutions. Questions about outside interests and preserving the status quo abound.

It may also be that the quest for a health care plan that affords people more options is being obscured by the party politics and the tendency for the industry itself to hide the total costs of the system.

What is clear is that a majority of Americans do stand to benefit from having more health care options. Even now, there are proposals being fielded around Congress that would open the way for a lot of progress. Yet, it remains to be seen whether a solution will be found that will appease everyone.