In a comment the charming and clever Kimberly asks how the new health plans will price basic health care out of the reach of most of us. It is a good question that requires some explanation.

In a discussion of the right size for health care co payments Wonks Anonymous recalls a doctor saying that a reasonable co pay would be about equal to the amount that the consumer usually spent to go out to dinner. Depending on the family this would start at $10 for some burgers and Happy Meals at McDonald's and might go up to $50 for a visit to sizzler of some such.

Doctors office visits for predeductible consumers range from $75 to $100, depending on the doctor, the area and the plan. Although executives and legislatures may find this hard to believe, this is equivalent to a seriously luxurious meal for two ordinary people. Either that or a night of really heavy drinking at a good bar.

So the individual consumer with a high deductible plan, who is already spending $5,000 to $6,000 per year on premiums, pays an additional $100 to see a doctor for any illness. This goes on until the consumer has spent $5,000. Median annual income is currently about $35,000. so the $11,000 spent for a high deductible health plan is serious money.

The idea of these plans is to prevent people from seeking medical care except when their symptoms become too serious to ignore. We are pricing ordinary medical care out of the reach of most people.