Remove the private health insurance mandate, or kill this bill

[Better Believe It]

Remove mandate, or kill this bill
By Kos
Daily Kos
December 15, 2009

My take is that it's unconscionable to force people to buy a product from a private insurer that enjoys sanctioned monopoly status. It'd be like forcing everyone to attend baseball games, but instead of watching the Yankees, they were forced to watch the Kansas City Royals. Or Washington Nationals. It would effectively be a tax -- and a huge one -- paid directly to a private industry.

Without any mechanisms to control costs, this is yet another bailout for yet another reviled industry. Subsidies? Insurance companies are free to raise their rates to absorb that cash. More money for subsidies? More rate increases, as well as more national debt. Don't expect Lieberman and his ilk to care. They're in it for their industry pals.

If you want a similar model, watch how universities increase tuition to absorb increased financial aid opportunities. And since the Senate and its industry-bought Senators won't allow insurance premium caps or an end to the insurance industry's anti-trust exemption (much less a public option to compete against them), there is nothing keeping those companies from jacking up rates to screw people. In fact, that's been their modus operandi for years.

Provisions prohibiting rescissions are fine and dandy, and fairly non-controversial, but they are toothless. The legislation allows rescissions based on "fraud" and "willful misrepresentation". I'm still not sure what that means, but if the insurance company doesn't want to pay for your expensive care, seems they can assert those clauses and refuse to pay. Then what? You have to fight for coverage, get lawyers, hit the courts, hope you survive long enough to resolve the issue. Looks a lot like the status quo, doesn't it? Indeed, insurance companies already cite fraud or misrepresentation as the excuses for rescissions.

The insurance industry began 2009 fearing genuine reform that would force them to become responsible corporate citizens, and they are exiting it on the cusp of a dramatic government-sanctioned windfall. It pays to be an industry that's too big to fail.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/15/814776/-Remove-mandate,-or-kill-this-bill

[ProSense]

1. "Without any mechanisms to control costs" First of all

there are cost controls in both bills, including a public option in the House bill and the OPM plan in the Senate bill. Kos has not seen the final bill so his call to kill is based on what?

[Oregone]

3. Ah, so how much will the per capita health care costs be reduced by in 5 years?

Can I get a solid figure from you?

[grahamhgreen]

12. The current pattern and practice of this administration to fight against real progressive values

[ProSense]

2. Oh brother. This is from December 15. n/t

[johnaries]

6. Yep, before the Manger's Amendment. nt

[doc03]

4. They better kill the idea of taxing Union plans

I tell you Union members are really pissed about that one.

[Oregone]

5. Do you expect the same rich fucks writing this crap bill to pay for it?

That's the middle-class' problem. The magic subsidies are just part of the shell game being used to hide the price tag and pass it to the middle.

[JVS]

7. Not the Royals and Natinals!

[cornermouse]

8. kick

[Vidar]

9. K&R.

[IndianaGreen]

10. The investor class is counting on the mandates

They profit as we suffer!

[grahamhgreen]

11. Kill the HC boondoggle bill & simply expand Medicare in reconcilliation. Done Deal. nt