General

Re: Christian Groups Find Way Around High Health Costs

Joy Wittemann — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:35:43 GMT

Brought this up a few months ago in my doctoral healthcare econ class - was greeted by a deafening silence.

I would love to make house visits and work only for donations - no fees. Wonder if I would lose my license?

Have thought about the MD who set up a clinic in NYC or thereabouts - he charged a monthly fee for his services - and was closed down by the state. They said he was acting "as an insurer".

I have often thought I would love to make house calls and treat people for a donation. I have the skills - except without a) a supervising doctor and b) state granted rights to prescribe I am not able to use (all) of my skills. I would love to be like Robert Deniro's character in "Brazil" - the non-state certified heating and cooling technician but rather be the healthcare provider who under cover, rappels into a needy 80 year olds apartment to update her blood pressure medications.

Any ideas?

BTW - I am a (most likely rare) libertarian Family Nurse Practitioner.

Re: Christian Groups Find Way Around High Health Costs

thelion — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:31:11 GMT

That's a great idea!

Christian Groups Find Way Around High Health Costs

NewLiberty — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:03:15 GMT

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?verified=true&storyId=124544505#commentBlock

Terrific article about how Christian groups are doing health insurance outside of the jurisdiction of the state. And everything is contractless... because the government won't allow contracts due to the intervention and mandates.

"As policymakers in Washington, D.C., debate overhauling health care, several evangelical Christian groups have found a way of getting around the high cost of health insurance. Instead of paying premiums, they simply agree to pay each other's medical bills.

The groups are not regulated because unlike insurance there's no guarantee an individual's bills will be paid. That's something members take on faith."

"James Lansberry, the vice president ofSamaritan Ministries, says the concept is simple. First there's a $170 annual fee to cover Samaritan's administrative costs. His nonprofit group then compiles members' health care bills and tells its 14,000 households where to send their monthly checks.

"The money doesn't get received at our central office — it goes directly from one family to another," Lansberry says. "So each month I send my monthly share of $285 directly to another family."

That's all it costs for Lansberry, his wife and their seven children to be in the program. That's a fraction of what a typical health insurance policy would cost."

Discussion here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/bd9c5/christian_groups_set_up_unregulated_insurance/