How Do We Take the Power Back from Insurance Companies?

One thing we do in this country—we see a problem and immediately say, “we’ve gotta do something.”

But sometimes it’s better to do nothing than to do something stupid.

And by stupid, I mean piling on another law, another regulation, another layer. That’s the default move. Problem? Add something. Fix it with more rules.

That’s the wrong approach.

Because most of the time, we don’t actually fix the problem. We just create new ones. Unintended consequences. More complexity. More people in the middle. More control.

And somehow, every time we “do something,” healthcare gets more expensive, not less.

We—the patient—we’re the ones who get squeezed. More rules, less access. More options on paper, harder to actually get what we need.

So how do you fix something like this?

Because let’s be honest—this thing is a mess.

Too many layers. Too many middlemen. Too many people getting between a doctor and a patient.

If you ask me, the first step is simple.

Get the middle out.

Right now you’ve got insurance companies, PBMs, and a maze of rules deciding what you can and can’t have. That’s backwards. The doctor should make the call. The patient should be able to get it.

If there’s going to be money in the system—especially taxpayer money—then put it directly in the hands of patients. Give people a fixed amount and let them choose their insurance. Let companies compete for your business instead of trapping you in a system where they call all the shots.

Competition works better than control. It just does.

Second, price transparency. No more guessing games. No more “we’ll let you know after we deny it.” If a medication costs $50, say it. If it costs $500, say it. If it costs $1700, say it upfront. Let people make decisions with real information.

Third, limit the gatekeeping. Prior authorization, step therapy, all of it. If a doctor documents that something is medically necessary, that should carry real weight. Not six phone calls, three faxes, and a denial anyway.

Now, when it comes to government, I’m not saying burn it all down. I want medications to be safe. Nobody wants unsafe drugs on the market.

But there’s a difference between safety and control.

Right now, the system leans heavily toward control.

A better balance would be this: government focuses on safety, transparency, and basic guardrails. Make sure drugs are what they say they are. Make sure they’re not dangerous. Then get out of the way.

Educate people. Give them information. Let doctors practice medicine. Let patients make decisions.

Because right now, we’ve got a system that says it’s protecting us—but in reality, it’s just making it harder to get treated.

More medications than ever. More options than ever.

And still…

Too many people walking away saying:

“I finally found something that works… and I can’t get it.”

We don’t need more control. We need less interference between the doctor, the patient, and the treatment.