All politicians are focused on insurance premiums as the healthcare problem. But skyrocketing premiums are only a symptom. The disease is out-of-control medical bills. Hospital, lab and physician pricing is determined by how much can be extracted from each patient on a case by case basis. It is a predatory system that takes advantage of people at their most vulnerable. Federal law requires that insurers pay at least 80% of all premiums collected for actual underlying patient medical costs. It is simple arithmetic: premiums are primarily determined by underlying medical costs. Healthcare pricing is so obtuse – hospitals, labs and physicians are essentially operating on the honor system. Nobody knows what their bill is supposed to look like. But politicians never mention patient medical bills as the problem. They avoid it like the plague. The healthcare industry spends more on lobbying than the defense, aerospace and oil & gas industries combined and is allowed pricing that is unethical, if not fraudulent. It is textbook crony capitalism. The cure for health cost misery is legitimate pricing. The answer to the question: “how much does this cost?” - should never be what insurance do you have. Legitimate pricing means the same provider cannot charge each patient a different price for the same service. The USA Today article linked below shows “legitimate healthcare pricing” has pierced mainstream media. As Congress ponders healthcare reform this is a critical time. Please share this widely; together we will cure our sick system.