John Mackey speaks out again


Whole Foods CEO makes a lot of sense
There's a great interview with John Mackey of Whole Foods online at the Wall Street Journal.

The Whole Foods health-care story has been largely ignored by proponents of a government-run system. But it could be a template for those in Washington who want to drive down costs and insure the uninsured.

Mr. Mackey says that combining "our high deductible plan (patients pay for the first $2,500 of medical expenses) with personal wellness accounts or health savings accounts works extremely well for us." He estimates the plan's premiums plus other costs at $2,100 per employee, and about $7,000 for a family. This is about half what other companies typically pay. "And," he is quick to add, "we do cover pre-existing conditions after one year of service."

Whole Foods also puts several hundred dollars into a health savings account for each worker.This money can be used to cover routine medical expenses, like drug purchases or antismoking programs. If that money is not used in a year, the workers can save the money to pay for expenses in later years.

This type of plan does not excite proponents of a single-payer system, who think that individuals can't make wise health-care choices, and that this type of system is "antiwellness" because it discourages spending on preventive care.

Let people decide for themselves. That's what freedom is about, isn't it?

The irony is that except for this one issue, Whole Foods is pretty close to the ideal "progressive" company.

But then the Federal government's goal isn't your health and well being. The goal is control over your life.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - October 5, 2009 at 01:46 PM  Tag


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