It appears that the chorus of people suggesting that we cut out the middleman in our physician-insurance-patient tripod (to mix metaphors) has grown even larger. I will continue to write about the concept here, of course, but see what the latest WSJ health blog has to say:

Most discussions about the rising cost of health care emphasize the need to get more people insured. The assumption seems to be that insurance - rather than the service delivered by doctor to patient - is the important commodity.

But perhaps the solution to much of what currently plagues us in health care - rising costs and bureaucracy, diminishing levels of service - rests on a radically different approach: fewer people insured.

...read the rest by Jonathan Kellerman - yes, that Jonathan Kellerman, the one who writes the medical thrillers.  Apparently, he is a clinical professor of pediatrics and psychology at USC.  Who knew?  I'll have to read one of his books next time I'm on a plane...like Wednesday!

For the record, I don't know about fewer people being insured.  Perhaps it's more people, but different (you know...indemnity) insurance.  To cover the things we can't pay for.