We applaud the Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to remove unnecessary Obamacare-era mandates. It is critical to open up more options for Texans in the currently restrictive healthcare markets. Texas needs healthy healthcare again. Far lower costs with the same or even better level of medical care are easily achievable now, but restricted by outdated regulations and by the corporate and government bureaucracies resistant to change.
The many restrictions on access to medications, specialists, and various testing and treatments increases costs two to 10 times. Copays, deductibles, and market restrictions are unnecessary cash-cows for middlemen. Most medical services are 50 to 90% cheaper when paying direct cash or credit.
EpiPens are up to $300, but epinephrine is less than $10—it is not allowed currently because of drug access restrictions. Inhaled steroids for asthma are $200 to $250, but can be sourced directly from suppliers for only $20.
X-rays with insurance are often over $100 even though the cash price is $50 to $60. MRIs under the “insurance negotiated” rate is often over $1,000, but cash prices are under $400.
Same day surgeries are a fraction of hospital billed rates: Knee replacement is a $20,000 outpatient surgery, but through insurance, the cost can approach $100,000.
Insurance just adds these costs to next year’s premium, which increases the companies’ take-away profits.
The answer to much of what ails healthcare is patient control over their own care, with more direct options from independent clinics and pharmacies. As long as our care is left in the hands of insurance and corporate administrators it remains at the mercy of their agendas, not yours. Texas cannot rely on the false promises of insurance to lower premiums; Texas needs better healthcare options.
Detailed reforms include expanding tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) that individuals control and can use for cash prices that dramatically lower out of pocket expenses. HSAs combined with new and more insurance options from Gov. Abbot’s health plan will allow Texans to bypass ACA. Further reform will reduce drug costs, bypass network restrictions, and antitrust policies to protect free markets.
These reforms are the conservative alternative to ACA. Texans can get their doctors back at half the cost. The treatments for healthy healthcare are removing restrictions to open access and prevent further healthcare market consolidation and monopolization by both insurance conglomerates or hospital systems.
Without change, the electorate will reach for the easy empty promises of government run healthcare, which is a disaster waiting to unfold—leading to rationed bad medical care and higher taxes like Canda and the UK.
There is a better way. The reform is easy; the resistance is staggering.