On the WSJ article, there are some things that aren't known that prompted the things mentioned in the article. One is that the insurance industry is so regulated that they can't go across state lines. There are 1300 insurance companys in the U S. Given that , the ones that are the largest in the state are the ones that can and do act like monopolys and can get away with offering what ever they want. Thus no pre existing stuff, etc. All you have to do is look at the telephone industry. For years they trudged along and every once and a while you got a new product. In the 50s and 60s you had one phone and one phone only. black. Then came push buttons. The only new phone at the time was the "princess phone". With competition, in the 80 onward look at what was done with phones. cell phones, towers, video phones, smart phones, connection to the internet, the internet itself, 1,2,3 and now 4-G networks. What I am getting to is with competition in the free market, you will get lowered cost and more benefits. As long as they are kept secret and regulated, you will get what you get. Nothing new.
People should have choices of what they want in the line of insurance. You decide what coverage you want or what you want to pay. Kowing full well that if you don't choose the coverage and it happen, you are the one who will pay. If you are healthy, you should be able to have high deductable, low premiums.
Insurance companys are in business to make a profit, but if they are arrogant and non responsive, you should have the right to change companys. Your wallet will set the market place. When the big companys start losing customers, they will enter the competition. Until that happens, they are content to stay on the sidelines and keep their hands in your pocket.
Quite frankly I am surprised the insurance industry is not up in arms over this mess. When we have a single payer, who doesn't have a bottom line to feed, they can lower their premiums to any level they want, and if they tax the "wealthy" programs, the employers will see that it isn't in their interest to provide a plan. They will drop them and you can join the gov. program. This will eventually drive out any competition in the market place and then they will start cutting cost by not offering or telling you what you can and can't have as far as coverage or treatment. You are back to the big monopoly again.
And when the insurance industry goes belly up, guess who will step in to save or bail them out? Now you will be out the money for the premiums, and the bail out money, not to mention the lack of treatment options.
We haven't even begun talking about what the cost of this fiasco will be. If the prescription drug program is any indication:
300Billion for the proposed cost during debate,
400 Billion by the end of the debate,
600 Billion before the ink was dry on the legislation,
900 Billion by the end of the first year.
That is 300%.
And we are starting off with how much cost???? 1.5 or 1.8 TRILLION
It isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Has any one of you thought of where this is leading. With an annual deficit of a trillion or so dollars EVERY year, do you think the Chinese are going to keep holding our notes?? The system will eventually colapse under its own weight and we will probaly, more than likely, have a world wide depression. I know that sounds drastic, but look at the financial markets at some of the benchmarks. Where are they headed?
Another thing to ponder. With the government taking over the healthcare industry, the big insurance companys, the automobile companys, the banking industry etc., they will be incontrol of more than 50 % of the U S ecconomyand GDP. It is beginning to look like something other than a democracy.
Obama ran on a platform that was a little left of center or moderate. He has governed from the far left. I would suggest that people stop listening to what he says and start looking at what he is doing. Remember, we are just barely over the first 100 days of his presidency. We have a long way to go with this guy, even if they lose thier majority in 2010. Once a beaurocratic policy is in place, it is next to impossible to turn it around.
You may not agree with what I am saying, but you would be wise to look in other areas to get your answers to these problems. I have said and will say it again, if your political party is on top and you want to know what YOUR political party is up to, listen to what other countrys and the oposition are saying about you. If there is a problem with the insurance industry, why not change the regulations or laws concerning them. Why do we have to take over the industry to correct it???
Enough of this rant. I am sure I will hear hot post on this one.
The important thing is to keep talking about these problems and put out ideas that are plausable solutions. The media has made this president, are obliged to cover him, and show only his side, and make sure he is a success(whatever that is). That is why you don't see any of these ideas being covered by the main stream media. It is probably why their followings are dwindling so badly. I have in previous post given some alternative view points. Some good, some so so. But you are being presented with different ideas from me and others here on thes forum. LISTEN, THINKK and DECIDE for yourself. then ask your neighbor what he thinks aboout it!
People should have choices of what they want in the line of insurance. You decide what coverage you want or what you want to pay. Kowing full well that if you don't choose the coverage and it happen, you are the one who will pay. If you are healthy, you should be able to have high deductable, low premiums.
Insurance companys are in business to make a profit, but if they are arrogant and non responsive, you should have the right to change companys. Your wallet will set the market place. When the big companys start losing customers, they will enter the competition. Until that happens, they are content to stay on the sidelines and keep their hands in your pocket.
Quite frankly I am surprised the insurance industry is not up in arms over this mess. When we have a single payer, who doesn't have a bottom line to feed, they can lower their premiums to any level they want, and if they tax the "wealthy" programs, the employers will see that it isn't in their interest to provide a plan. They will drop them and you can join the gov. program. This will eventually drive out any competition in the market place and then they will start cutting cost by not offering or telling you what you can and can't have as far as coverage or treatment. You are back to the big monopoly again.
And when the insurance industry goes belly up, guess who will step in to save or bail them out? Now you will be out the money for the premiums, and the bail out money, not to mention the lack of treatment options.
We haven't even begun talking about what the cost of this fiasco will be. If the prescription drug program is any indication:
300Billion for the proposed cost during debate,
400 Billion by the end of the debate,
600 Billion before the ink was dry on the legislation,
900 Billion by the end of the first year.
That is 300%.
And we are starting off with how much cost???? 1.5 or 1.8 TRILLION
It isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Has any one of you thought of where this is leading. With an annual deficit of a trillion or so dollars EVERY year, do you think the Chinese are going to keep holding our notes?? The system will eventually colapse under its own weight and we will probaly, more than likely, have a world wide depression. I know that sounds drastic, but look at the financial markets at some of the benchmarks. Where are they headed?
Another thing to ponder. With the government taking over the healthcare industry, the big insurance companys, the automobile companys, the banking industry etc., they will be incontrol of more than 50 % of the U S ecconomyand GDP. It is beginning to look like something other than a democracy.
Obama ran on a platform that was a little left of center or moderate. He has governed from the far left. I would suggest that people stop listening to what he says and start looking at what he is doing. Remember, we are just barely over the first 100 days of his presidency. We have a long way to go with this guy, even if they lose thier majority in 2010. Once a beaurocratic policy is in place, it is next to impossible to turn it around.
You may not agree with what I am saying, but you would be wise to look in other areas to get your answers to these problems. I have said and will say it again, if your political party is on top and you want to know what YOUR political party is up to, listen to what other countrys and the oposition are saying about you. If there is a problem with the insurance industry, why not change the regulations or laws concerning them. Why do we have to take over the industry to correct it???
Enough of this rant. I am sure I will hear hot post on this one.
The important thing is to keep talking about these problems and put out ideas that are plausable solutions. The media has made this president, are obliged to cover him, and show only his side, and make sure he is a success(whatever that is). That is why you don't see any of these ideas being covered by the main stream media. It is probably why their followings are dwindling so badly. I have in previous post given some alternative view points. Some good, some so so. But you are being presented with different ideas from me and others here on thes forum. LISTEN, THINKK and DECIDE for yourself. then ask your neighbor what he thinks aboout it!