Turn the Lights On in Health Care
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH.
Health care in America is too expensive because no one tells the truth about what things really cost. Hospitals, drug companies, insurance companies, and intermediaries all make deals behind closed doors. Patients do not see the prices. Insurance pays the bill. The government fills the gaps. Because the real cost is hidden, prices keep going up and no one is held accountable.
Before the Affordable Care Act, health care was cheaper but dangerous. People could lose insurance when they got sick or be denied coverage. The law fixed that unfairness, but it did not make health care cheaper. It only spread the excessive costs around and used government help to hide them. The question no one answered was simple: why does this cost so much?
Prescription drugs make the problem obvious. The same medicine often costs far less in other countries than it does here. Those countries demand clear prices and fair negotiations. In America, drug prices are hidden behind insurance contracts and intermediaries. We pay more not because the medicine costs more to make, but because the system allows it.
Illegal immigration added pressure in some areas because hospitals must treat everyone in emergency rooms, even when care is not paid for. Those unpaid bills get passed on to working families. Then the Covid pandemic hit. Hospitals lost workers, costs exploded, and the government poured in emergency money to keep the system alive. That help was needed, but it hid the real cost. When the money stopped, the high prices stayed.
This did not happen overnight. It happened because prices were hidden, oversight was weak, and every problem was solved by throwing more money at it instead of fixing the cost.
The solution is simple. Turn the lights on.
Every hospital, drug company, insurance company, pharmacy, and intermediary must publicly show what things really cost, what they charge, and how much profit they make. This must be done every three months so everyone can see it. Drug companies must also show what the same drugs cost in other countries.
If a drug is cheaper in another country, insurance companies should be required to pay no more than that lower price here, plus a fair amount to operate. They should not be allowed to pay inflated prices when the truth is already known.
If any company lies or hides the numbers, there should be heavy fines, loss of licenses, and removal from government programs. Lying should cost more than telling the truth. This does not mean the government runs health care. It means honesty is required.
As one American put it, “If you want my money, you should have to show me the bill.”