When we understand that the ultimate goal of the health insurance industry is to collect a substantial payment from every resident of the US without ever having to do anything for this money many other things become clear.

We should first note that great progress has already been made toward this goal. The most recent major breakthrough came with the increasing market share of catastrophic health plans. These plans are designed to pay only in the event of a catastrophe - a serious accident or illness - so all medical expenses up to a substantial deductible, $5,000 is standard, are paid by the consumer. Because less than 80% of all consumers have medical expenses greater than $5,000 per year, these plans pay nothing for the vast majority of the insured.

Unfortunately mandatory payments for insurance that provides most citizens with no benefits will be a tough sell, no matter how much it may contribute to the greater good.

We need a spoonful of sugar which would be the preventative benefit. While the new health insurance will price ordinary medical care out of the reach of most of us - and lower our disposable incomes by $6,000 or $7,000 per year - we will get something from it. That something would be free preventative care: free mammograms, free annual checkups, free blood tests and, if we are older than 50, free PSA tests for guys and free colonoscopies for all!

Wonks Anonymous hates to burst your bubble but he needs to point something out: The preventative benefit will only be available if you and your doctor have no reason to believe that you might actually have any of the conditions that you are being tested for. He knows this for a fact because we works in medical administration and administers these plans.

If, for example, a woman feels a lump in her breast, sees a doctor and has a mammogram, the visit and the mammogram are considered treatment for the lump, not prevention of breast cancer. If a person has no family history of colon cancer and no possible symptoms of colon cancer, free colonoscopies. If a person has a family history or some possible indication of colon cancer, full charge.

If you have diabetes then consultations and visits to help you to maintain your health and prevent you from getting sicker will not be covered by the preventative benefit. The same with checkups to see if your cancer is still in remission.

The preventative benefit gives healthy people with no signs of disease a certain number highly limited and restricted medical consultations each year. Because the last thing we want to do is pay for medical care for people who are sick.