At the heart of healthcare reform, it is the insurance exchanges, and your average consumer lacks the sophistication necessary to see how the insurance companies will f%$# them until it is too late:
One of the big reasons I’m so pessimistic about the new health insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act is the principle behind them. The idea is that everyone will be well- informed dedicated shoppers who will know how to select the best plan to fit their needs, which will reduce cost for everyone. Aflac’s 2013 WorkForces Report shows how deeply misguided this assumption is in reality.
Two numbers from the report really stick out. The survey found 54 percent of workers would prefer not to be more in control over their health insurance expenses and options because they will not have the time or knowledge to effectively manage it. This is completely understandable. Selecting the best insurance plan requires not only significant knowledge about every component of insurance, but also the ability to accurately predict the likelihood of future medical needs.
One thing that you can be sure of is that the insurance companies will do their level best to confuse customers so that they will make a decision that will increase their profits.
As John Maynard Keynes noted, “Capitalism is the theory that the worst people, acting from their worst motives, will somehow produce the most good.”
The health insurance industry is one of the best examples of this, and the health insurance reform plan requires us to rely on their good will.
Pleasant dreams.