Spread Risk, Not Wealth

Remember the 80's? I do. We called it "major medical" then and for less than $300 per month you could cover your family. You had a $250 or $500 deductible, 80% to 10,000 and 100% thereafter. Simple, affordable, no co-pays, no networks and no massive government intervention. There I was, representing reputable insurance companies, with a wife and 3 small children at home. It was a good time. Then in 1992 I watched my income plummet 50% as otherwise sane people either dropped or put off buying medical insurance for the promise of "Hilary Care". Over the next decade and a half I watched government mandate after government mandate drive up the cost and "managed care" and capitation contracts were thought to be the answer. The government's meddling has contributed greatly to the mess we have now. They haven't fixed anything. What makes people think they can or have any intention of fixing it now is beyond me.

Now I see otherwise sane people once again wishing and dreaming the Obama administration will give them healthcare. WAKE UP! Nobody wants the "status quo", so don't go there. THAT is a myth, nothing more than a democrat talking point. The fact is the Republicans' numerous viable contributions to this issue have been ignored. Even a simple amendment requiring US citizenship for health plan participation was rejected out of hand. And you don't think we're going to pay to cover illegal aliens? Why then (on page 170) are they specifically exempted from any tax or payment? Partisan democrat "BIG GOVERNMENT" politics IS the status quo here.

"The public option is only one component of health care reform". Yeah, right. The so called public option is the very basis for HR3200. The bill is chocked full of steerage into the public option. Employers currently pay 10 to 15% of payroll for medical insurance and can't wait to dump their employees on the public option and take the 8% tax hit. As I explained in an earlier post, Section 116 gives the new Health Choices Commissioner (czar) the power to literally strip insurers of their profits by arbitrarily mandating benchmark loss ratios.

Why not limit care providers' exposure to lawsuit abuse - like we did for the airline industry?

Why not promote competition and make insurance policy forms approved for sale in one state recognized in all states - like we did for gay marriage?

Why not stabilize illegal alien ER patients and buy them a one way ticket HOME - like New York does for its HOMELESS American citizens?

Public funding for abortions IS in the bill but it already exists anyway - millions of our tax dollars go to Planned Parenthood every year. Do not patronize me by saying it's not for abortion. WASTE AND FRAUD!

Speaking of waste and fraud, since we know it exists and we know we can fix it, Obama said so it must be true - what the hell is he waiting for? Fix it NOW! More smoke and mirrors. Waiting to use the alleged savings to fund the new bill reminds me of the stimulus package we had to have right now. Regardless of how the media tries to candy up the numbers, unemployment is still on the rise. Why are we holding 94% of the 700 billion? So they can use it for "spreading around" money in a congressional election year? How's that hope and change working for ya, Michigan? Your jobless number is close to 20%, yet congress sits on the stimulus. Unbelievable!

My point once again: healthcare reform IS needed and IS possible without a single payer system. The government does not manage ONE THING more efficiently than private enterprise and to say THIS administration's track record is less than stellar would be the understatement of the year.