Health insurers sue Massachusetts over 'premium rate caps'

[Dan J 277]

Anxiety? You're kidding me, right?

It has little to do with anxiety and a lot to do with plain, old-fashioned money.

It does for some, but most of the protesters are not really profiting from the way the current system works. (They are encouraged by those who do) Instead, they would rather stick to the devil they know rather than deal with something they don't. Health care/insurance is very personal for some people, and changing it is like telling them to go to another church.

We don't have an example of single payer system that people can relate to.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Dan + Gemvita

[Pooky 3,784]

It does for some, but most of the protesters are not really profiting from the way the current system works. (They are encouraged by those who do) Instead, they would rather stick to the devil they know rather than deal with something they don't. Health care/insurance is very personal for some people, and changing it is like telling them to go to another church.

We don't have an example of single payer system that people can relate to.

There speaks a liberal with no faith in the intelligence of the people. Sad, yet predictable.

What part of the majority's objection to the "healthcare" Bill do you not get? As liberals here are so eager to point out, the majority of the electorate are in favour of healthcare reform. What liberals don't understand is that most people get the concept that this Bill is f***-all to do with real reform, which is why it is disliked by the majority. It does nothing to address why America pays 50% more than other Western nations, as a portion of GDP, yet has a healthcare system ranked far below European nations. All it does it put a Band-Aid on the problem and allow Democrats to say "We won - we got healthcare reform passed," then sit back and rake in the money being paid out by insurance companies and the big pharmaceuticals, all the while letting them get away with our money.

It makes me sick.

[Dan J 277]

There speaks a liberal with no faith in the intelligence of the people. Sad, yet predictable.

What part of the majority's objection to the "healthcare" Bill do you not get? As liberals here are so eager to point out, the majority of the electorate are in favour of healthcare reform. What liberals don't understand is that most people get the concept that this Bill is f***-all to do with real reform, which is why it is disliked by the majority. It does nothing to address why America pays 50% more than other Western nations, as a portion of GDP, yet has a healthcare system ranked far below European nations. All it does it put a Band-Aid on the problem and allow Democrats to say "We won - we got healthcare reform passed," then sit back and rake in the money being paid out by insurance companies and the big pharmaceuticals, all the while letting them get away with our money.

It makes me sick.

I never said the current bill was good. It doesn't go far enough. Its not really healthcare reform as much as it is health insurance reform as most of the measures only apply to the health insurance side of the issue.

Most people are very disconnected from the issue of healthcare, if you have never been without employer provided insurance or been denied insurance due to a pre-existing condition, you never really see the cost of the care you received when you visit a hospital or doctors office. This works for a lot of people, even though the cost increases in the system are unsustainable.

If you have this kind of disconnection on the issue, any change ( or perceived change) to that relationship will be seen as negative.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At last, someone appreciates the reason private insurance companies need to be cut out of the loop on the primary level of "healthcare". They are an inbuilt inefficiency in the system and will drive up the costs any way they can, to leech money out of it and into the pockets of their shareholders.

And yet this administration has mandated that everyone needs to have private health insurance. Anyone else think this is totally wrong?

I've been saying that all along. PHI is largely a failed experiment. The sooner America gets that, the sooner we will be able to have real solutions to the health care debacle. Oh, the mandate to carry private insurance is actually a product of Congress not the administration. Either way, I think it is wrong. There should have been choice for the consumer between private and public insurance but America doesn't do choice and competition - we love our monopolies.

[mawilson 2,133]

So instead of working to cut costs, or put pressure on providers, they turn around and put spend money on lawyers and a lawsuit.

How can a health insurance company cut medical costs?

Can your car insurance company reduce the cost of your car?

Can your homeowners insurance company reduce your mortgage costs?

Think about it for a second.

[Dan J 277]

How can a health insurance company cut medical costs?

Can your car insurance company reduce the cost of your car?

Can your homeowners insurance company reduce your mortgage costs?

Think about it for a second.

The same way Walmart forces vendors to cut costs.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The same way Walmart forces vendors to cut costs.

Exactly.

[SMOKE 1,426]

The same way Walmart forces vendors to cut costs.

wouldn't it have been great if the federal government had done that (tell pharma & medical institutions - you're no longer going to charge $100 for something that is $20 in other industrialized nations) instead of demonizing the people that pay the over inflated bills. (those evil insurance companies)

Exactly.

yah i know

[one...two...tree 2,762]

wouldn't it have been great if the federal government had done that (tell pharma & medical institutions - you're no longer going to charge $100 for something that is $20 in other industrialized nations) instead of demonizing the people that pay the over inflated bills. (those evil insurance companies)

You mean a public option?

[SMOKE 1,426]

You mean a public option?

no, i mean point blank telling them the overcharging for goods & services is done if you are doing business in the US. meet the ridiculous price differeces w/ ridiculous taxes on the ones truley making healthcare so damn expensive.

[Dan J 277]

wouldn't it have been great if the federal government had done that (tell pharma & medical institutions - you're no longer going to charge $100 for something that is $20 in other industrialized nations) instead of demonizing the people that pay the over inflated bills. (those evil insurance companies)

That would only really work in a single payer model, where the government is the insurance company. But since that is not happening, we can do it indirectly by putting price controls on insurance companies.

[mawilson 2,133]

Exactly.

If they really could do it, don't you think they would have done it to improve their profit margins?

[mawilson 2,133]

The same way Walmart forces vendors to cut costs.

Health care is not like Walmart. People will pay any amount of money to stay alive.

[Pinay Wife 47]

Insurance and pharmaceutical companies can drop their costs almost instantaneously if they remove the lobbyists from their payroll.

The insurance companies alone spend $1.4 million a day on lobbyists. Add in the money spent my pharma companies and other interest groups and you have insurance rates/medicine costs soaring.

http://www.washingto...9070502770.html

http://www.opensecre...s-show-big.html

[SMOKE 1,426]

That would only really work in a single payer model, where the government is the insurance company. But since that is not happening, we can do it indirectly by putting price controls on insurance companies.

dan cut the BS. we all know this healthcare legislation is going to drive private insurance out of business eventually. there is no way in hell a private company w/ share holders is going to compete w/ a federal program that does NOT have to make a profit. nor will it be cost efficient for employers to pay for healthcare coverage as opposed to paying the fines for not offering heathcare coverage & forcing their workforce into the government programs. & yes they can tax companies that charge 2-3-10 times the prices here as they do in other countries.