The big story from the weekend is that AHIP, the lobby for the insurance industry, waved around a study from Price Waterhouse Coopers (the Oscar people) claiming that, as a result of the Senate Finance Committee bill, health insurance rates will rise $4,000 faster by 2019 than if there were no bill at all. This study was summarily typed up by the Washington Post and the New York Times, though neither of them pointed out that the essential truth of this story is that the health insurance industry is saying they will rise insurance premiums faster if the Democrats pass health care reform.
That’s not so much news as a threat.
It also appears to be a threat at variance with the facts. For instance, the report left out the subsidies that would make insurance more affordable to anyone making up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Also, the report simply claims that the excise tax on insurance companies would just raise premium prices instead of causing employers to restructure their health plans and purchase less costly coverage.
And the list of strange assumptions goes on. Plenty of experts, including the CBO, don’t think health care providers will simply charge private insurers more to make up for declining revenue from Medicare. The experts could all be wrong, but PriceWaterhouseCoopers doesn’t even acknowledge this belief let alone explain why it might be wrong. Indeed, nowhere in the document does the firm reveal its methods, which is interesting since–unlike CBO or even, say, a private outfit like Lewin–PriceWaterhouseCoopers is not particularly known for this sort of modeling.
This just appears to be a bogus document to try and scare Congress into removing the tax on high-end insurance plans. The Senate Finance Committee described it in that way today.
“This report is untrue, disingenuous and bought and paid for by the same health insurance companies that have been gouging too many consumers for too long as they stand in the way of reform yet again. Now that health care reform grows ever closer, these health insurers are breaking out the same, tired playbook of deception to prevent millions of Americans from getting the affordable, accessible care they need. This report is pitching some seriously flawed analysis that nobody’s buying as it excludes all the provisions that will actually lower the cost of coverage – tax credits, grandfathering for existing policies, increased enrollment in private coverage and administrative savings from a more efficient mechanism for purchasing coverage. It’s a health insurance company hatchet job, plain and simple.”
The best face you can put on this is that the weakening of the individual mandate by the Finance Committee means that less Americans will have health insurance coverage, shrinking the risk pool and driving up costs. But as we’ve relentlessly documented, an insurance industry making billions in profits doesn’t have to actually raise their prices in exchange for being forced to take all comers. Anyway, experts have shown that the industry could easily cherry-pick individuals and weed out the sick to maximize profits. And they will try and use the insurance exchanges to do it:
Despite reforms prohibiting discriminatory practices, insurers would still have powerful incentives to cherry pick low-cost people and mistreat/shoo away high-cost people. While the reform bills include a risk-adjustment mechanism to reallocate dollars within the exchange(s) from insurers with lower-cost enrollees to insurers with higher-cost enrollees, that mechanism would likely fail to capture all the adverse selection effect, and insurers would have strong incentives to undermine the rules and deceive federal/state regulators trying to counteract the perverse incentives [...]
…what it tells us is that the insurers are counting on lots of younger, healthy people being forced to pay premiums, so they wonât be stuck with just older/sicker people with higher costs. [AHIP is] implicitly confirming that the scheme focuses insurersâ incentives on attracting the young and discouraging the old. These same incentives will be driving the industry whether the number of uninsured is 25 million or 17 million (as projected for the House bills).
The industry appears to want it both ways: they want to force everyone to buy their insurance, while cherry-picking the healthiest members of the uninsured for themselves, and sacrificing nothing in profits – in fact increasing them.
The Senate Finance bill doesn’t give them every single thing they want, so they’ve decided to go to war with it.
The problem with NOT joining the “public option” is, it will eventually be the ONLY OPTION! And just like the ONLY OPTION, government run health care systems in other countries, it will eventually lead to medical shortages on every level, and an invasion of my personal privacy by this government. A government that has no business being in the private sector.
p.s. your not that, LAST-TWIT, that doesn't understand that Medicare and Medicaid are nearing insolvency are you?!! You know, the government run health care systems that are about to go belly-up, that you think are so great!
Duh…really?
Obimbicile is your president. I didn't vote for this clown. I read his socialist platform prior to the elections. I listened to his juvenile empty slogans and his speeches long on empty rhetoric and short on substance. You'd have to be brain-dead, not to see through his sophist trash. This is a ONE-TERM, president. If he makes that far without being impeached!! He has done more to divide this country in 8 months than the last two presidents did in 16 years.
POTUS? You mean POMPOUS…DON'T YOU!!
Who is going to run against Obama in 2012 and win? Palin? Santorum? Paulenty?
I just do not see him losing in '12 with the sorry candidates on the Republican side. the GOP has become a Southern Regional party, 24%, who do not appeal in the least to the vast majority of Americans. Good luck with that prediction, though. I would not bet on it.
sheesh, I had to put up with 8 years of Bush, now you know how I felt, hahah
I'd be surprised of he wins the Democratic nomination for a second term. There is a growing movement among moderate Democratic who are getting just as fed up with this empty-suit as the Conservatives are. By the time 2012 rolls around the GOP could run almost anybody against this “waist of time”, and win! It's time for an Independent Constitutionalist to bring this country back to it's original roots before we become just another Progressive third-world toilet!!
You can wallow in your short lived socialist agenda with this pretender all you want. The majority of this country is conservative, on both sides of the isle, and as this clowns glaring lack of leadership becomes more evident over the next few years, you can bet he will thrown out of office.
Obama has a 54% approval rating. You are just in a Southern bubble, so do not know what the majority think. I travel all over the country. You are the extreme minority.
Obama is not a socialist. It does not mean what you think it means.
You are wrong. They estimate 10 million people will be in the public option. Are you a psychic? Can you predict the future? What other major events have you predicted? You just pulled that out of your ass.
Insofar as the public option taking over the whole health care system. It is not designed to do so. I hear this all the time from Republicans. they want the Corporations to continue to steal from and kill the American people. they want us to have the most expensive health care delivery system in the world. Tell me, what do these corporations do that adds value to providing medical care? Nothing but take 30% off the top. A casino takes 20% Medicare has an overhead of 4%.
this bill also reorganizes Medicare/Medicaid to prevent their insolvency. So, we have a chance to end up with a functioning health insurance sector that covers everyone.
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Join the Militiamen. or is that the Minute men. ? They would love someone like you in their ranks.
I am a Native American, a Shawnee, as a matter of fact. i think America was pretty good all along.
And I travel to the EU twice a year on business. Obama has an 80% approval rating in Europe and a 54% approval rating here in America. Europe has real news. America has faux news, and I would say that is the difference. It is an advantage to get real news instead of having lies and distortions propagated as truth, which is what you are doing here. You must watch faux news, thats my conclusion.
Rasmussen Poll = Oct 16, 2009
Obimbicile has a 28% approval rating, and a 39% DISAPPROVAL RATING!
And yes, Obimbacile is a socialist and it means exactly…what it means!!
Live with it!
You keep disrespecting the POTUS. Now that was a sin when Bush was in office. And Bush was the worst president in American history, according to about 90% of historians..
Obama is a centrist Democrat, I wish he a a bit more left, but will take what I can get after Bush.
Is your Shawnee name…TWIT? The “public option”, is suppose to cover the people who can't afford insurance, approximately 30 million people at a cost that is unsustainable! And, as written, will only cover 30% of that number at a cost of untold Trillions paid by future generations of legal American citizens. You don't have to be a shaman to see through this “dream catcher”, do you?!!
Obimbicile suggest we, in the future, cut out the EXISTING…EXISTING graft and greed to save Medicare and Medicaid?..?..? Huh…what? EXISTING….CORRUPTION??
What would his Native American name be….”Cazy-ass-horse-apple”…or maybe…”Man who talks out of his ass”, or “Organ grinder man who promises liberal-monkey free home, food and health care, as long as monkey dances to his tune”?!! The last one is my personal favorite!
I joined two years ago…and yes they love me! You should join La Raza, they would love you. Your just the kind of misguided dufus their looking for. You could adopt a really cool Aztec name like…Quos-iquatal-dumberthan-dumb!
I watch Fox news yes your sage-like conclusion was correct but, I watch FOX…as well as BBC…CNN…and occasionally public-broadcast news. Your not suggesting that only Europe has the REAL NEWS, are you? You wouldn't make an obviously stupid remark like that would you? You wouldn't suggest that Europe's 80% approval rating of the Princess, means anything here, would you? Or that somehow you've relied on an incorrect Liberal-Gallop poll of 54% approval rating when the actual number has dropped to 28%, would you? Because, if you are you'd better stop messing with that peyote before it does serious brain damage!
Wow, you are a stone cold racist.
Get help buddy. You are delusional.
I'll disrespect the POMPOUS, as long as he disrespects us! We are in agreement on Bush. But, Obimbicile, is not a Democrat! He is a socialist, who will lean in either direction, to get his socialist agenda passed. Take a good look at who he surrounds himself with. A hodge-podge of socialists, shake-down artists, racist reverends, proved terrorists, etc. This guy hasn't got the first clue about running a cigar-shop, let alone this country. He runs this country by committee! Taking advise from every crackpot he can find. Not only is this clowns presidency laughable, it's scary? When asked specific questions, he has no answers, only platitudes and weak arguments like, “I inherited this mess”. Yea, he inherited a mess but, he's done nothing to change it! The only thing he's good at is putting his face in front of a camera or spouting speeches to the choir!! Instead of calling him the president, why aren't we calling him the ” LOBBYIST IN CHARGE”.
Delusional.?..Racist.?..I believe you have filled both those rolls quite nicely. You actually believe the crap this guy throws at you without you ever stopping to question it. That's delusional!!
Actually, if Rush were running for office, I think I'd vote for him. He's got to be better than that empty-suit thats in office now! I'd love to see Rush and Obimbicile in a head to head debate. Of course, that would never happen because the little Princess (Obama-tard) knows he'd be made to look as foolish as he really is. You'd like to see that too, wouldn't you?
Terrorism TC?… really?
Trust me, no one from the middle east is the least bit interested in Texas. Your own fellow Texans?… well that is a different matter.
You are turning out to be quite the multi dimentional interesting character TC.
Cant say I approve, you know some people would refer to your little club as a potential terrorist organisation, not me, but some would. Tell me though, when the chips are down and you are leveling your sites at another American, would you pull the trigger?… have you thought this thing through?
anyhoo if you were to sucede Texas would qualify under the protocol of the Munro Doctrine, that should keep your millitia busy.
Beck, Rush and the rest are clowns. There will always be that 20% who cant locate America on a map who are seseptable to easy quick black and white, good and evil answers but most folks are just entertained by them and no more… I hope :/
No TC, pissing money away on Afghanistan while your own countrymen and small businesses are going bankrupt due to the healthcare issue is completely relevant.
Your side has no credibility when pointing to the economics of the public option while advocating this stupid war that you have already lost.
To tell you the truth, I don't either. People who were born and raised here probably are! It's not just about terrorist because, I'm sure their already here and it's just a matter of time before they are able make a successful attack. And, just after that successful attack, and it turns out they entered from the southern border, can you imagine repercussions against this government?!
A very real threat, is the economic attack we are under daily from people who have no right to be here. Our welfare, social services, health care, education systems are so overburdened by illegal aliens some states are on the verge of bankruptcy. We actually have legal citizens who justify the theft of American tax-dollars by illegal aliens without any thought given to just who this hard earned money is being stolen form?!!
There is close to 20 Million American citizens out of work, and 8 Million illegal aliens holding jobs in the U.S.? There is NO legal or MORAL argument that can justify this crap!! What does this dufus-president (Obimbicile) want to do? He wants to grant illegal aliens amnesty and force legal American citizens to bare the economic loss by their own families to subsidize people who have entered our country UNINVITED, and UNWANTED. Just recently there was a large parade of in Los Angeles by Latinos, waiving Mexican flags and, DEMANDING FREE HEALTH CARE!! Need I say more?!!
Just what, are you not approving of? Maybe I can shed some light on my Independent conservative ideology, that seems to upset quite a few people on this liberal-blog.
Spending money on an unnecessary war is obscene! Watching the men and women of our military used as cannon fodder for some inane politic-ideology is criminal! But, as sad and unjust as this war is, the health care debate is separate issue and should be argued and judged on a separate set of values.
This government wants to hoist a health care cost on us that is, UNSUSTAINABLE! The best health care bill in Congress will only affect 1/3 of the uninsured at a cost that is out of the realm of reality, leaving 2/3 uninsured? This isn't about health care, it's about advancing the power this government has over the people. If it was about the people, they would be removing the restrictions on national competition, enacting badly needed tort-reform, insurance portability, and host of other restrictions that would drive down the cost of health care.
No TC, pissing money away on Afghanistan while your own countrymen and small businesses are going bankrupt due to the healthcare issue is completely relevant.
Your side has no credibility when pointing to the economics of the public option while advocating this stupid war that you have already lost.
To tell you the truth, I don't either. People who were born and raised here probably are! It's not just about terrorist because, I'm sure their already here and it's just a matter of time before they are able make a successful attack. And, just after that successful attack, and it turns out they entered from the southern border, can you imagine repercussions against this government?!
A very real threat, is the economic attack we are under daily from people who have no right to be here. Our welfare, social services, health care, education systems are so overburdened by illegal aliens some states are on the verge of bankruptcy. We actually have legal citizens who justify the theft of American tax-dollars by illegal aliens without any thought given to just who this hard earned money is being stolen form?!!
There is close to 20 Million American citizens out of work, and 8 Million illegal aliens holding jobs in the U.S.? There is NO legal or MORAL argument that can justify this crap!! What does this dufus-president (Obimbicile) want to do? He wants to grant illegal aliens amnesty and force legal American citizens to bare the economic loss by their own families to subsidize people who have entered our country UNINVITED, and UNWANTED. Just recently there was a large parade of in Los Angeles by Latinos, waiving Mexican flags and, DEMANDING FREE HEALTH CARE!! Need I say more?!!
Just what, are you not approving of? Maybe I can shed some light on my Independent conservative ideology, that seems to upset quite a few people on this liberal-blog.
Spending money on an unnecessary war is obscene! Watching the men and women of our military used as cannon fodder for some inane politic-ideology is criminal! But, as sad and unjust as this war is, the health care debate is separate issue and should be argued and judged on a separate set of values.
This government wants to hoist a health care cost on us that is, UNSUSTAINABLE! The best health care bill in Congress will only affect 1/3 of the uninsured at a cost that is out of the realm of reality, leaving 2/3 uninsured? This isn't about health care, it's about advancing the power this government has over the people. If it was about the people, they would be removing the restrictions on national competition, enacting badly needed tort-reform, insurance portability, and host of other restrictions that would drive down the cost of health care.