The for profit health insurance system is the best system ever

[obxhead]

tried, except for just about every other system that's been tried that is.

Mark my words DU, once this "reform" passes there will be consequences.

Yes, a few uninsured will get insurance. Hell some of them will even be better off with subsidies actually paying for a good chunk of the premium allowing them to afford the copays so they can receive health care.

Another small group that is poised for a loss of their health insurance for one of several reasons might actually be helped as well. The insurance companies might be forced to maintain their policies and might even actually have to pay for some of the procedures their plans said they would cover.



BUT

Insurance companies are created for one reason. PROFIT. That's it. Nothing more. PROFIT.

Yes there are some "controls" in this bill that limit the damage the insurance industry can do to us. There is the 20% profit cap I keep reading about. Say an insurance company pays out 1 billion in medical a year. They would be allowed to collect premiums to earn 20% on that. How long do you think it will take for the insurance companies to renegotiate how much they pay out to hospitals and doctors so that number becomes 1.5 billion. Yeah, A 20% cap sounds fine and dandy, but the oil companies already figured out 20% of 3 bucks a gallon is better than 20% of a dollar a gallon. It will not take the insurance profiteers long to increase their profits on the backs of the middle class and subsidized mandates.

Subsidies. What will become of them when Republicans regain control. YES, Republicans WILL be in control again at some point in our lifetimes. At a bare minimum this bill hands the Republicans a huge point to rally around. That is one of the many things that make these mandates so dangerous. For many life will be impossible without the subsidies and one thing Republicans are EXTREMELY good at when in power is lowering taxes and cutting funding for the poor.

This bill will also have to be DEFEATED in the future for any real reform to take place. Why in the world would you want to increase the size of the mountain before you even try to conquer it. I simply do not understand. Once the insurance giants figure out how to take an industry that is 21% of the GDP and make it 30% or 40% or even 60% of the GDP we will be in real trouble. This bill has the very real potential of finishing off the job that our military spending and bank bailout spending failed to do, finish off our economy for good and put us into 3rd world status.



Do we need health CARE reform? Hell yeah we do, people are dying for fucks sake.
Will this bill deliver it? Possibly, for a small group. How long will it last though?

This bill has too many dangers and not nearly enough consumer protection to even be considered good in any way for us. Ask yourself this, and be honest. If this same exact bill was being proposed under a Republican president would you still be behind it. I have a feeling a lot of pom poms would never have appeared here.


Call the vermin we have running this show. Time is short for this bill, but the minimal short term help and long term damages that this bill will create will be felt for generations.

[WriteDown]

1. If for profit is the best and we mandate profits...

then it will be that much more better than the best!

[cali]

2. it may suck, but doing nothing sucks worse, so no I won't be calling my reps.

[Mari333]

3. do not worry! they will fix it all later! and I have a bridge to sell you

in Brooklyn!

:P

[obxhead]

8. Thats exactly what I'm worried about

The republicans fixing it up real nice for us. Once this is passed the Dems are going to run and hide from it and pretend it never happened. It has caused them enough damage already. At this point I'm betting 98% of them wish they had never touched the issue.

[Mari333]

9. they blew a heck of a good idea at one time

but, than, I looked at how much money so many of them are getting from the health insurance industry lobbyists and realized no way in hell would they pass a decent bill and lose their weekly paychecks.

campaign finance reform anyone? doubt that will happen either.

[Eric J in MN]

4. The limit of putting 80% of premium dollars towards care...

...can be waived by the HHS Secretary, allowing them to put less money towards care.

[timeforpeace]

5. For once an investment opportunity (health ins co stocks) presents so clearly even I see it.

[Cary]

6. This rhetoric is getting as tired and obnoxious as "conservative" nonsense.

Are you ready to throw DK under the bus?

[obxhead]

10. No.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. Good points all. eom

[abelenkpe]

11. Let's just nationalize insurance then

Break insurance companies up and run them like the post office. :p And the banks as well.

The profit motive should not be attached to health care or education. It really is lame that we still let corporations leech off the necessity for basic health care and the desire to educate oneself.

[obxhead]

14. That could be a possible aid, but I think single payer

would be far cheaper in the end.

[randr]

12. We need to remove profit from our health care

from everyone except the care givers and medical institutions.
The insurance companies with their obscene profits are like the mafia.

[obxhead]

15. Well

I doubt profit could be fully removed at this point. The insurance industry provides absolutely no service what so ever except to skim 20% right off the top. If anything that is where we need to start, a complete elimination of the for profit insurance industry.

So yes, It's time to throw this bill in the recycling bin and actually start with a health care reform package. This insurance company pre-bailout is useless to the American citizens.

[grantcart]

13. The CBO estimates that 26 million uninsured will use the state health exchanges

They will have access to alteast one not for profit plan.

There is no reason why a state could not pass a public option plan for that state and include it in the plan.

The 20% cap on MLR is only for employer related plans, and can be adjusted lower, that is the ceiling.

The OPM has the authority to establish not only the MLR but the profit margins for exchange plans as they currently do for 2 million federal employees.

26 million Americans will be able to purchase the same plans, including not for profit plans, that federal employees now buy.

I for one know what is in those plans and cannot wait to buy it after having no insurance for 10 years.

Lots of federal employees stay in the government simply to keep the plans you will now be able to buy.