When the President says that insurance has nothing to fear from a public option, that's a lie and he knows it. And here is why.
Let's say you have insurance through your employer (let's say you're employed, for that matter) and the public option becomes available. Let's further say that the public plan isn't entirely self-supporting, that it will also require some tax money to keep it afloat. In fact, I believe that so far, the President and CBO have said as much.
You as a consumer will therefore be in a position to either pay for your private insurance and MAYBE some taxes. At the moment the plan is to raise the money by rolling back those millionaire cuts, which means most of us won't be affected. Let's say the public and private plan cost the consumer exactly the same amount of money.
In this scenario, AIG can relax. All things being equal, people who have AIG will hold on to AIG. That is, until they change jobs. If they're out of work for a while they'll probably switch to the public plan IF it costs less than what AIG charges for coverage without employer subsidies.
Of course, the real problem is that employers may choose to stop offering insurance. After all it's a huge drain on the bottom line and makes them less competitive with foreign companies. It's the equivilent of a huge tax to businesses and if they see a way out, they'll probably take it.
So AIG (yes, AIG is standing in for all the health insurance here) will be forced to slash its prices to compete, and to maintain their margins they'd have to reduce coverage. More likely they'd opt to get out of the business all together and leave the headaches to Uncle Sam. Voila! Single payer!
So yeah, the insurance industry is facing serious trouble by the question even being raised here. But all the other American businesses stand to benefit. I can't see the downside to this. And there is still homeowner's and auto and life insurance to keep AIG afloat. Kaiser Permanente, my current supplier of health, would be screwed and that's a shame because I'm someone who actually likes KP. But the reason I like them is because they are run like I want the government plan to be run - integrated, networked and with limited, sensible choices. So as far as I'm concerned, either one is fine with me.
What about all the people who make their living selling insurance? What happens to them?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the doctors? There are some that are lousy, that would love to see a regular paycheck from Uncle Sam, but what of the specialists that are able to charge a premium for their higher level of competence? Will they like working under the Obama plan?
What would motivate the best and brightest to go into medicine, knowing their income would be severley limited under Obamacare?
Salespeople are a resilient bunch. I knew a few mortgage guys who are now selling toner and ink where I work. More likely they'd go into life and homeowner.
ReplyDeleteDoctors can always branch out into uncovered procedures. And as you've pointed out many times, they could treat foreign medical tourists, who presumably are paying full price already.
Anyway, you're overestimating the role of money in attracting people to the profession. Why do people teach, or fight fires, or become Republican politicians? Are these people all losers to you?
And since we / the U.S. will be paying to cover approximately 45,000,000 currently un-insured's, where, exactly are all these extra Dr.'s & nurses going to appear from to administer health care to these 45,000,000 extra people?
ReplyDeleteAnd since there is no good, logical answer for that question, hence, the long, long lines waiting for healthcare, the Gov't determining who gets treated with what, and finally, people dying from the 6 month wait for an MRI.
Don't forget that a lot of those 45million are using our emergency rooms already. Or they're haunting the free clinics. They're just going there, for free, instead of paying in advance and seeing doctors in their own offices like you and I. You and I are already paying for those deadbeats. The thing is, we're also paying for another layer of beauracracy (insurance companies) and their investors.
ReplyDeleteDespite the horror stories of what would happen in the US, all the other civilized countries have plenty of doctors, the doctors are making a comfortable living, and our system cheifly is better if you're someone who enjoys filling out forms and hoping for the best when you get cancer.
First of all, our cancer survival rates in the US tops nearly every other country, so your "cancer" line is a canard.
ReplyDeleteSecondly (or "B" if you will) I am glad someone on the left is finally admitting that CommieObamie is a liar.
Because he is. His claim that we can "keep our insurance if you like it" is an out and out lie and HE knows it.
I love how the left called Bush a liar, but doesn't mind that CommieObamaie lies. So, it is "lies" that the left cares about, it's WHOSE lies they care about.
Of course, moral people don't like any lies. Hence...
Hey, I've been wondering Publius - why'd we invade Iraq?
ReplyDeleteTo take out a state sponsor of terrorism and to begin to introduce a more democratic form of government to the middle east. The hope was that if Iraq could begin the process of going democratic eventually the neighboring nations would go the same way.Iran was the next target. But, everyone knew if a weak Democrat got into the White House the plans would fail. And we are about to see that come to fruition aren't we.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I just realized I'm climbing into that cesspool of distracting from the healthcare debate. I apologize.
ReplyDeleteYour point about cancer is interesting though our overall lifespan here in the richest country in the world is lower than most, which is just odd. It should be better.
Cause and effect? We die early so our healthcare must suck?
ReplyDeleteUh, no.
We die a tiny bit earlier because we eat badly here compared to other parts of the world. Too much junk food.
It has precisely ZIP to do woith our healthcare system.
In that case we're back to where we started - there is little wrong with either system, only ours is much much more expensive.
ReplyDeleteFrom the UKL Guardian:
ReplyDeleteBreast cancer does claim more lives, proportionally, here than in the US. According to the 2002 Globocan database run by the World Health Organisation's cancer advisers, 19.2 of every 100,000 Americans die of the disease, but 24.3 per 100,000 here die. On prostate cancer, a Lancet Oncology global study last year found that 91.9% of Americans with the disease were still alive after five years compared to just 51.1% in the UK. With heart attacks, 40% of Britons who suffer one die from it compared to 38% in the States – nowhere near the difference claimed.
And ours is more expensive because the Democrats have too many regulations and are paid off by the medical malpractice industry that makes millions in undeserved court cases.
More on cancer survival rates:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_wsj_american_cancer_care_beats_the_rest.htm
More patients with the same number, or less, of physicians to treat them = diluted medical care = longer waits = poorer health care = more people will die waiting for quality care.
ReplyDeleteIt's called the law of physics.
And to think The One says it can be done deficeit nuetral.
Still laughing..............
Publius, I probably wasn't clear up there but I conceded your point about cancer already. You have won that battle. Withdraw.
ReplyDeleteButtercup (or whatever the hell you're calling yourself this time), the illegal immigrants who are destroying this country are somehow getting access to doctors now right? I mean, isn't that a huge talking point, that they're clogging up our emergency rooms with their faulty brown limbs and organs? And that the cost of those uncovered illegals (as well as the welfare mothers and lazy homeless) is driving up our insurance rates?
HOW COULD THAT BE IF THEY WEREN'T ALREADY SEEING DOCTORS?
... is there a thumbs up smiley?
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY.
ReplyDeletePost Deputy Sheriff's at ALL ER entrance's, especially in the SW U.S. If you can't prove you're a LEGAL U.S. citizen, you are deported. NO health care is given to you, for free.
Manuel KNOWS that currently, ALL health care for him & his family is absolutely FREE - NO cost to him or his family. CUT THE ILLEGALS OFF. It will save $500,000,000,000.00 a year, alone.
But BO won't do that, nor will NaziPelosi, 'cause all those currently ILLEGALS will vote (D) IF the D's can get amenesty passed.
Next, CAP medical lawsuits at $250,000. That will save the health insurance industry anywhere from $2,000,000,000.00 to $5,000,000,000.00 per year, depending on what report you view.
But, BO won't do that, either. 'Cause he's an atty., & it will curtail the income his crony atty. friends will be allowed to earn per year.
BO is happy to control the salaries of many other industries, but looks the other way when if comes to (D) votes from ILLEGALS and keeping HIS cronies from making the BIG bucks.
Post deputies at all ER entrances? Where are all those deputies going to come from? Won't we have to raise taxes to pay for a thing like that, or do we just take them away from other law stuff?
ReplyDeleteI'm actually with you about the lawsuit caps.
Uhhhh...,well, if the medical & hospital industry is saving $500,000,000,000.00 a year from treating only those who are here LEGALLY, or, in not turning away anyone (including ILLEGALS) in need of TRUE emergency care and making them pay SOMETHING instead of NOTHING, as it is currently, I imagine the hospitals could afford an off-duty deputy or two around the clock, don't 'cha think?
ReplyDeleteI mean, half a trillion saved is half a trillion saved, and all.
So your solution is to force a privately owned business to put their money into bonded security guards, and to mandate that doctors violate their professional oath to treat all sick people. Isn't that a little, I dunno, Hitlery?
ReplyDeleteUntil the ILLEGALS understand they can't get free treatment in the US anymore, then yes.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, the Dr.'s will always treat those who are CITIZENS of our Country.
If you are breaking the law by coming here ILLEGALLY, what rights does one expect to have?