Health Care Cost Control

Real health care cost control is counter-intuitive to the standard Republican market-based approach. You don't get better control by shifting costs to patients. You control your costs by making sure the high-utilizers actually get the care they need. Penny-pinching forces folks with the most expensive conditions into the emergency rooms with little or no primary care integration and oversight. The Pareto rule applies here. A small group consumes most of the resources. Plans with generous benefits actually reduce rising costs because the sick people get the care and treatment they need and use the system less.