Doctors and Patients should determine medical treatment?

[radfringe]

Regarding health insurance/treatment - we've all heard bush say on many occassions that health decisions should be made by patients and doctors - not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C

(bush plan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040902.html)

what he neglects to say is most healthcare decisions are made by insurance companies - insurance companies determine what drugs are covered, what medical procedures are allowed and how long treatments (such as Physical therapy) are permitted - the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C do not set these guidelines - the insurance companies do

so please explain how buying priviate health insurance is going to increase access to medical care?

the spin implies if we go to a universal health care system that bureaucrats will decided what kind of health care you will have. So what's the difference between the a DC bureaucrat and an insurance company bureaucrat determining YOUR health care?

[Katherine Brengle]

1. Either way would suck, imo, but I'd rather elect the person making those decisions

than have some faceless CEO's bottom line decide it...

But it honestly sucks any way you cut it - we've dug a deep hole when it comes to medical care and cost in this country.