Insurers would benefit if people lived healthier and needed less expensive treatment for chronic conditions. Yet they don’t provide meaningful incentives for insureds to make healthy choices. Why?
Heike - I agree with you on this entirely. I've been thinking about his for many years and I am convinced that the only solution is to get enough funding to try to start and entirely new healthcare company with billing based on incentives. One other thing to consider is when those diabetics get sick enough from a malnutrition of excess, they get kidney failure then go on dialysis. Once patients are on Dialysis, they get on medicare (regardless of age) - potentially very sick (expensive) patients are written off the books. Insurance companies just eliminate those liabilities. This is a worthwhile cause because insurance like this will actually encourage people to make healthier choices! Thank you for taking the time to write this. - Nat Parker M.D. Mammoth Lakes, CA
Heike - I agree with you on this entirely. I've been thinking about his for many years and I am convinced that the only solution is to get enough funding to try to start and entirely new healthcare company with billing based on incentives. One other thing to consider is when those diabetics get sick enough from a malnutrition of excess, they get kidney failure then go on dialysis. Once patients are on Dialysis, they get on medicare (regardless of age) - potentially very sick (expensive) patients are written off the books. Insurance companies just eliminate those liabilities. This is a worthwhile cause because insurance like this will actually encourage people to make healthier choices! Thank you for taking the time to write this. - Nat Parker M.D. Mammoth Lakes, CA
Thanks for reading and commenting! I see you’re a doctor—very interested in your perspective as someone who works in the system.
And cool that you live in Mammoth—one of my favorite places!