If health care costs keep rising without limits, can this lead to a collapse?

The economic consequences have been apparent for quite some time, as more and more people "opt" out of their medical plans, because they can no longer afford them. In turn, more and more hospitals are faced with an ever-increasing burden of providing mandated health-care - at least through the emergency rooms, never intended to become drop-in clinics - that have forced some of them to simply close, which in turn, spills over to fewer hospitals, who then have to struggle all the more.

Then, all hospitals raise their charges to cover the increased load of non-paying "customers", which causes insurance costs to increase to the point that more people can no longer afford the insurance. What is NOW happening is that the so-called market for health-care is collapsing, slowly, but surely.

To expect the government to shoulder the burden really means HIGHER taxes eventually for those paying taxes and I'm not entirely sure that the insurance companies are the villains here. What about those hospitals that used to be run by nuns and are now run by huge corporations, run by nuns?

Several of our friends have "opted' out of their health insurance because it has become unaffordable. Since we have retired, it consumes a large portion of our income. When the month of August arrives, it will probably increase at least a hundred a month. There is no end in sight.

Sometimes Medicaid addresses the needs of the low income, and perhaps Medicare meets the needs of those age 65 or over, but there are those of us that don't fit/ or qualify for either of those programs.

In my opinion, the collapse of health care has already occurred inspite of what people tell you and many of us are hanging on by a thread.

Excellent answer and simple, too. Guess what? Millions of people agree with the system and like to go bankrupt or be deprived of health care to a certain degree.

Yep that is what it boils down too. Thanks for the award.