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Saving Money via the Public Option
As long as we're on the subject, here's another statement from the CMS report that I blogged about below:
We estimate that the public plan would have costs that were 5 percent below the average level for private plans but that the public plan premiums would be rought 4 percent higher than private as a result of antiselection by enrollees.
If this is true, it means that the public option would save the government some money but is unlikely to put pressure on private health insurers to lower their premiums. We'd all keep paying the same prices we are today. Bummer.
Overall, however, this is still a net positive for healthcare legislation. Consumers might not save any money directly, but since we've apparently decided that a 10-year cost of $900 billion has been handed down on stone tablets and can't be changed, that means that saving the government some money via the public option would allow more to be spent on other things. Like, say, higher subsidies for low-income families.
That's sort of a roundabout way of getting to higher subsidies, and as a big fat tax-and-spend liberal I'd opt for simply combining both the House and Senate tax increases and using the money directly. But any port in a storm. If $900 billion is untouchable, then the public option is a good way to free up a little extra dough.
I'll buy that.
I would happily pay 4% more to have insurance that I trust. With a public option, they're not going to wait until you get sick and then try to deny you coverage. Four percent is a *very* small price to pay for peace of mind.
Of course, the public option is going to be pretty restricted in who can buy it - but I'll be jumping on it if I'm allowed.
And just where did the $900 Billion figure come from?
When Baucus and then Obama both came up with that figure it struck me as odd. There was some blogger curiosity at the time but it was washed over in the news cycle. Still, I'm even more curious about it now that it seems to be the official benchmark that everyone is trying to hit. Is there some underlying stuctural tipping point at 900B$ that insurance companies can live with? Or does it represent a figure that is too low to create a viable program and eventually leads to failure?
What is so magical about it?
Health Care
The fact remains that big insurance by refusing care to patients and reimbursement to doctors over typos has ticked everyone off. They have a monopoly over the whole process and a well financed lobby team (including Lieberman's wife) and representatives on both sides of the isle.
A friend of mine recently laid off just he and his spouse is paying $2,500.00 dollars a month for his COBRA. Health insurance costs more than his mortgage. Anyone taking up the insurance industry's cause doesn't know what they are talking about.
If you think the insurance companies are going to voluntarily lower their cost while having a monopoly over the process – you are being disingenuous …Over 60% of all US bankruptcies are attributable to medical problems. Most victims are middle class, well educated and have health insurance - (The American Journal of Medicine)
The insurance companies and their representatives in Congress would love to perpetuate a business model that is crippling our overall economy – a bunch of great Americans aren’t they?
90% of the wealth concentrated in 1% of the population is no way to run a country but a heck of a way to establish a royalty ruling class. Yacht sales can not sustain 350 million people. I'm for the public option, competition and a level playing field or break up the big insurers like we did AT&T.
A slavish focus on profit margin might be good for the individual or a business, but it is one helluva lousy way to "govern" a Country. The GOP being a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate America has a hard time with that concept.
Paul Burke
Author-Journey Home
Peace of mind
I think it's always better to be safe than sorry, if that means we have to pay for it, so be it. I know I can make the money back with yournetbiz .
Peace of mind
I think it's always better to be safe than sorry, if that means we have to pay for it, so be it. I know I can make the money back with yournetbiz .
Peace of mind
I think it's always better to be safe than sorry, if that means we have to pay for it, so be it. I know I can make the money back with yournetbiz .
5% less than the average
5% less than the average current plans?
Hot fucking dog.
That'll have the people who couldn't afford health insurance ten years ago lining up.
That'll help everyone.
And you're a criminal if you
And you're a criminal if you don't buy it?