Affordable Health Care for Everyone in America: John Mackey vs ObamaCare
I remember reading the original Wall Street Journal article on 2009 August 11 by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods entitled “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare.” A link to the article is at the bottom of this article.
I agree with some of Mackey’s “eight reforms” and some I don’t agree with. But the clear takeaway I had from his article and the plans being prepared by our government is simple: No one either understands or admits to understanding the root cause of high health care cost and insurance. And without a clear understanding, how can anyone create what is essentially a new business–call it the American Healthcare for Everyone Company (or not-for-profit or government agency).
What investor would invest in a company or become a customer of it when the various folks and organizations suggesting ideas for solving the problem don’t understand the actual problem?
What all of the groups need to do is go beyond ideas and actually crunch the basic numbers to find out the options available for a solution. From there we get the cost and limitations which is the basis for any business plan. Once those are in place, it then becomes a simple choice by individuals and families: Become a customer of the American Healthcare for Everyone Company or not.
Questions like affordability, quality and access will be asked by potential customers. If most don’t like what they see, then the business plan will fail. If they do, then it will succeed.
All of this can be tested via the web practically for free–businesses test market their potential products and service all of the time in this manner. Post the plan (a two page document is sufficient) and ask people if they would become customers. President Obama’s administration basically did this very thing during the 2008 election via their work with Blue State Digital, so we know his administration knows how to conduct test markets online. I’m confident that the business folks proposing their ideas can do the same thing if they truly are interested in other options to reduce their healthcare costs.
If a business plan is developed that customers will flock to, then and only then is the time to determine how to launch it. Right now, we have a bunch of interesting ideas so discussion about launching the “company” is premature. It’s time to do the heavy lifting and determine which plan will actually have a customer base.
Link to “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare:” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html
Tags: affordable healthcare, health care, healthcare, john mackey, libertiny, medical, medical insurance, obama, obama care, obamacare, president obama, whole foods
the only thing for certain is that the economy can’t sustain these rising health costs for much longer! But you have it right.
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