Opinion: Access to healthcare beginning to look like airline travel

While the number of Americans left standing at the gate because they can't afford a health insurance "ticket" is declining, the scheduled takeoff in insurance coverage has run into mechanical difficulties. As airline passengers have learned, having a ticket isn't the same as having a confirmed seat. In 2011, nearly one-third of physicians said they wouldn't accept new Medicaid patients because of payment issues. Unlike with airline tickets, however, consumer choices in healthcare can lead to consequences that truly are non-changeable and non-refundable. Whether the industry turmoil leads to more Americans getting a better "seat" at a better price remains to be seen.