Saturday, March 10, 2007
Americans share each other's health care costs
Chuck Angier
Angier lives in Sandy Level and is self-employed in agri-business, providing supplements to cattle and dairy producers in four states.
With growing and worrisome momentum toward universal and/or mandatory health care for everyone, many (including me) are concerned about the fate of those of us who are uninsured by choice, take care of our affairs, help others, are productive and are a burden on no one.
And I would hope that my elected representatives -- Sens. John Warner, Jim Webb and Charles Hawkins, Rep. Virgil Goode and Del. Robert Hunt -- would be concerned, too.
There are thousands of us who are subscribers (by choice) to what I will call "direct cost-sharing ministries."
We voluntarily share in the medical-financial burdens of fellow subscribers. This is not new. This odd concept of helping others is as old as time. The way it should be. The way it was -- that is, until the intrusion of the "powers that be" into our affairs.
Because it is our health and our money, we have been -- and must be -- good stewards of both. If there are services not rendered or bills not paid among our subscribership, I am not aware of it.
I submit that if my representatives were to poll health care providers that have dealt with "us," we would come across as "appreciative" rather than "entitled" or "combative." We are diligent and frugal in our health care choices.
We pay our bills promptly, without the expense or trauma of submitting to a third party payee. The likelihood of a lawsuit is greatly reduced and practically non-existent.
By the way, we send our monthly share directly to the subscriber in need, not through a central office. We do pay a small, annual administrative fee to a staff that manages the ministry. There are probably other Christian, non-Christian or secular organizations. There are three (Christian) cost-sharing ministries that I am aware of:
n Samaritan Ministries (of which I am a subscriber), samaritanministries.org
n Christian Care Medi-Share, medi-share.org/index.aspx
n Christian Brotherhood christianbrotherhood.org
Among the "uninsured," there are thousands -- maybe millions -- who have no insurance for religious reasons.
As above, they are productive, diligent, a burden on no one, and have successfully been taking care of their affairs since their escape from religious persecution back in ... um ... well ... a long time ago.
I am, of course, talking of the "plain folk" -- the Amish, the Mennonites (and maybe others).
As a rule, they are welcomed by health care professionals because they pay their bills, are appreciative and lawsuits are unheard of.
They take care of their elderly and educate their children, while also paying taxes, so that others can do the same. They frown upon government money. They are heavily into food, tangible goods and trades rather than services.
I cannot fathom placing the burden of "national health care" on the shoulders of a group that has contributed so much to America while taking so little.
And lastly, I am concerned about the fate of a small number of health care professionals who are leaving the convoluted and intimidating third party payee system in favor of a much less expensive, more efficient system providing a better level of care.
As a rule, they accept no insurance, have their prices posted and expect payment at time of service -- "PATMOS."
I suggest my representatives do an Internet search for "PATMOS." One of the pioneers is Dr. Robert Berry. He testified before a joint committee of Congress in 2004. His testimony is riveting and can be found at aapsonline.org/freemarket/berry.htm.
I have presented my representatives with descriptions of three groups of Americans -- all productive, charitable, self-sufficient, and each living a model of health care second to none.
A system that works for all and costs the taxpayer nothing, even in this environment, can be called nothing short of socialized health care.
Please consider these Americans and what they believe when contemplating crucial proposals and decisions about healthcare.
My representatives deserve to know that I am a concerned citizen, Christian, self-employed in agri-business in rural Pittsylvania County, with a wonderful (and only) wife of 26 years and three grown children.
