Comments on: Health Care “Reformers,” Don’t Make Me Swear.

By: Uncle Alan

Uncle Alan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:54:50 +0000

Correction to the above message: If the individual mandate comes out, then the insurance cartel would have to come to the people in order to get it REINSTATED.

By: Uncle Alan

Uncle Alan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:55:59 +0000

I still think that the individual mandate is the killer. My libertarian-liberal streak says “hell no.” If the individual mandate stays in, then the insurance companies have us all over a barrel. Time will be against the consumer, as the deadline for the mandate to kick-in approaches. If the individual mandate goes out, then the insurance cartel will have to come to the people in order to get it removed, and the people should exact a price, namely the public option.

I for one do not necessarily see the public option as simply a way-station for single-payer. A truly robust public option (nation-wide with the power to negotiate provider and drug rates, among other things) could compete successfully with the privateers indefinitely.

The other key problem is that the “final form” of the legislation, as to be passed by the House of Lords, has, as I understand it , no effective cost-control mechanisms. So, this will be a “cost-plus” deal, in which the cartel will be free to pass all costs along to the consumer. So, health insurance for a family of four will soon cost $20K per year.

Terrible.

Alan

By: Joan

Joan — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:31:04 +0000

We watched Bill Moyers last night (Dec. 18) and only hope that Obama advisors saw it too! Basically, the guests–Robert Kuttner o f American Prospect and Matt Tabbai of Rolling Stones–described how meaningful health care reform was doomed from the beginning, when Rahm Emanuel invited Big Insurance to the table in order to get their support.

The strong implication was that Obama signed off on the deal too. Hence the absence of single payer from the debate and the failure of Obama to push hard for the public option. Yet, any support from the health insurance industry has been muted indeed. This seems to have been a disastrous deal.

Perhaps all is not lost. Kuttner says he would still vote for this legislation because it has so many helpful items in it. He also expressed the view that there remains a chance that Obama may still realize that his leadership on key issues must be stronger and he could still emerge as the great president we hoped he would be.
Joan and Ed