During the healthcare reform debates, Republicans and others argued that malpractice awards and the litigation surrounding them contributed to the high cost of health care in this country.

Don't wander off the beaten path

I suggest they might be looking in the wrong courtrooms.

Last week I wrote about the new age 26 rules and the costs that don’t get counted towards the already outrageous costs of health care, costs that are born by employers as they split hairs on eligibility rules.

Rather than a simple system of universal eligibility that opens one door to everyone, the United States has built a system of silos that forces Americans to navigate a maze of rules that makes distinctions based on relationships, age, residence, economic status, and other criteria.

Some get lost trying to find the right door.

Some end up in court.

In fact, there are whole industries built around two such silos, and that overhead is not counted towards the cost of health care.  Such expense only makes sense in a through the looking glass world where ideology trumps practicality. Continue reading →