As with many commodities, value…that is, the price which the commodities brokers/the service providers can demand…is a function of consumer demand. Yes, accidents do happen, and the medical care brought on by these accidents is something over which we may or may not have any control. Medical care brought on by the ravages of age, likewise, is something which may be beyond the control of the recipient. HOWEVER, as a society, young and old alike, we have failed miserably in keeping our end of the bargain. Obesity rates, childhood maladies once nearly unknown prior to middle age, and a range of health issues which are prevalent in contemporary society are ALL preventable, or at least can be mitigated, by RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR. Eating habits, smoking, irresponsible sexual behavior, and an almost complete absents of physical exercise AT ALL AGES all combine to create an otherwise unnecessary demand for medical services, and insurance companies are all too happy to cash in on our slovenly attitudes.

So if you are unhappy with insurance companies’ running roughshod over the medical services consumer, as am I, than do something about it. You may start with your own mis-deeds.

The combined profits of America’s ten largest health insurers are $8.3 billion. That’s less than two-thirds of the profits of Wal-Mart alone, less than half of the profits of General Electric alone, and less than one-seventh of what Medicare loses each year to fraud. Health insurers collectively have one-eighth the profit-margin of McDonald’s or Coke, one-ninth that of eBay, and one-fifteenth that of Merck.

In all, the combined profits of the 14 largest American health insurers (the ones who crack the Fortune 1000) are $8.7 billion. That’s less than 0.4 percent, or 1/250th, of overall U.S. health-care costs, which are $2.5 trillion.

Anyone but an ideologue could plainly see that insurance profits aren’t the problem. The problem is having a health-care system with too many middlemen (government or otherwise); too little competition and choice; and too little opportunity for Americans to control their own health-care dollars, shop for value, or even see prices.

Whats worse is Obama knows this (or certainly should) but he also knows most of his constiutents are to ignorant to see it

Insurance companies do some bad things, but then again every company does…actually the IRS does worse (who by the way will be the insurance police under the proposed plan). That doesn’t mean the government should take it over (and how many times has any program been successful with government involvement?)

The real issue here is cost and nothing from Dems or Replublicans has adequately addressed cost. It seems everyone is just willing to rush in here…if you think cost goes down when Uncle Sam is involved then you’ve never bid anything to the government (I do regularly)- the in-efficiencies always make it easy to make 50% more than we can in the private sector.