Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

I believe there is an opportunity in the healthcare market.

The Opportunity:

Despite legislation that mandates that all citizens and legal residents of the U.S. must purchase healthcare coverage, there are many who do not have health insurance that is affordable and effective. I would like to help people learn about their options and help them to attain coverage. If money is the major issue, direct those in need to resources that are available in the community.

The who: Consumers (citizens and permanent residents of the United States, and for those who are here illegally emergency care), governmental agencies, insurance companies and employers

The what: Helping everyday people gain access to affordable and effective healthcare

The Why: The healthcare system is cumbersome and expensive.

Hypothesis:

I believe that navigating our present healthcare system is difficult and expensive for most consumers. There exists a definite business opportunity in educating the public on healthcare options.
Assisting consumers in obtaining coverage or insurance in our present ad hoc system can be not only profitable but also socially responsible.

Interviews:

I asked 8 people the following questions:

1.       Do you think that everyone should have affordable healthcare/insurance?

2.       Do you think that the present system works?

3.       Do you believe that healthcare is a right?

4.       Should healthcare be free to everyone, even those here illegally?

5.       Why do you think that healthcare is so expensive?

6.       Is it easy to use your current plan?

7.       Do you have a good doctor?

8.       Do you feel you pay too much for your current plan?

9.       Should every company or employer have to offer insurance coverage?

10.   What improvements do you believe can be made to the present system?

11.   Are prescription drug cost too high?

All (100%) said that everyone should have affordable healthcare/insurance.

Some (37.5%) indicated that healthcare should be a right.

Half (50%) said that healthcare should be free to everyone, and 37.5% said that care should be provided for illegal residents for non-emergency situations.

Some of the reasons given why healthcare is so expensive were: the costs of new technology, drug development costs, those who have coverage pay for those who don’t have coverage, healthcare is run as a business.

75% indicated that it was easy to use their plan and 62.5% said that they had a good doctor.

50% said that they pay too much for their coverage, and 37.5% indicated they did not pay too much for their current plan.

50% indicated that companies should be required to offer coverage to their employees (with smaller employers exempted).

Respondents overwhelmingly said that the single major improvement that could be made to the system is to make it more affordable (75%) and that prescription drug costs were too high (87.5%).

The most surprising finding to me was that 37.5% felt that healthcare should be a right. To me that is alarming because it suggests that a single-payer system is closer than we think.