I first learned of the real world practice of capitalism and free markets avoiding the insurance-company-government-collusion-for-coverage-but-no-actual-care hustle known as ObamaCare from Dr. Josh Umbehr on the Tom Woods Show. With ObamaCare (and TrumpCare if it ever becomes a thing) everyone hoots and hollers about paying for cheap (or free) coverage, but nobody gets the kind of care we were enjoying 10-15 years ago.
Dr. Umbehr charges his patients a nominal $50 per month and they get access to quality care and remarkably cheap prescriptions. He makes a nice living and his patients are delighted. Can you say Free Market.
Earlier this week I learned that Dr. Umbher’s ideas are catching on when I read this April 8th article from the Business Insider:
“When Cheryl Millican found out she needed surgery, her Dallas-based doctor told her it would cost roughly $38,000 out of pocket.
Millican, who doesn’t have insurance, needed a hysterectomy, a procedure that removes all or part of the uterus. It wasn’t an emergency situation, so when a friend told her about a place in Oklahoma that could perform the surgery for $8,000, she decided to look into it. That included the cost of the procedure itself, an overnight stay, a follow-up appointment, and any other meetings ahead of time.
In August 2016, Millican drove the three hours to the Surgery Center of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City to get the procedure for $30,000 less than she might have paid.
In March, Business Insider reported on a new movement happening with primary care doctors. It’s called direct primary care, and it works like this: Instead of accepting insurance for routine visits and drugs, these practices charge a monthly membership fee that covers most of what the average patient needs, including visits and drugs at much lower prices.”
By bypassing the insane system written by Insurance Companies and Government Bureaucrats and dealing directly with the customer in a voluntary exchange of services for cash directly between the parties without any meddling, amazing things happen.
At every turn, when we remove the collusion between government and corporatists, the free market is allowed to prosper. This prosperity lifts all boats in the harbor, benefiting all at the expense of none.
The exact opposite of what we have today.