Health care and profit

Regarding “Republicans have edge on reformingMedicare” ( Page B7, Wednesday), David Brooks says “a proposal to use market incentives has a better chance of reducing costs than Obama’s government- based plan.”

Further on he suggests a marketbased approach would reduce costs. That certainly sounds like a profit system.

The problem with such a system is that onemay not know, after many years of being insured by a company, that their interpretation of what your policy covers and howmuchmoney is due you, now becomes apparent.

Now you switch to another firm only to discover again you are dependent on their reimbursement plan. Remember that they want to make a profit, and that profit is contingent on how low their expenses are. And their expenses will be largely related to the number and cost of claims.

Under the present health care plan, the profit of the firms offering health care is both monitored and limited. A recent survey by the United Nations World Health Organization reports that our nation ranks 19th from the top in the physical well being of 191 nations in the industrial world. Further, we spend a higher percentage of our GNP on that care than any of the other 190.

Aspects of the new health care law that will come into play later will be aimed at reducing that ratio. One

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.