Some of my favorite authors, historical or fiction, are those who knew their writings would land them in jail, their careers would be destroyed or worse. I figured these people meant what they said and they felt strongly enough about it that they wrote it anyway, knowing in advance what was going to happen to them.

In this political season surrounded by folks who are all too willing to say one thing and mean (or even do) another, it’s refreshing to think about people who are true to their beliefs. Anyone who is not, I would characterize as a faker or a fraud. In the free market healthcare movement, I think we will have to be increasingly on our guard for who the fakers and frauds are. They are people who could be characterized, very fairly, as opportunists. There are people that are all too willing to wear the badge of a “free marketer” or someone who is a big fan of free markets and price transparency, all the while fleecing an employer they may be working for, or not following Jay Kempton’s pillars of the Free Market Medical Association.

I think that we have to be on guard for these folks. I think we also need to be on guard for well-intentioned efforts, like those of governments at all levels that want to mandate price transparency. We have to be very aware that these efforts, although well-intentioned, might create many more fakers and frauds. I believe that if there are mandates for price transparency, it will provide an opportunity for legislators to auction off exemptions. These opportunists will be all too happy to buy exemptions to these price mandates, particularly if it is to their advantage and it always will be.

We need to be on the lookout for fakers and frauds and we need to hold up and honor those who are true to what they say. Particularly those that know there are consequences and risks for having done so.

Thank you for joining me, we’ll see you next time.