ABSTRACT
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is composed of twenty-two countries, including most of Europe, Japan, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Most of these countries have virtually no commercial private health insurance industry. The private health insurance industry is the keystone of the bizarre and dysfunctional health care edifice burdening the American people. The industry's structure and conflicting interests prevent it from effectively controlling physician and hospital costs or quality of care. The industry's overriding goal of profit rather than universal service is the single greatest obstacle to health care access. The insurance industry is one of the wealthiest industries in the economy. It translates that wealth into massive political influence to protect its interests, which are inextricably tied to the health care system status quo. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
