re: #159 Obdicut

I asked why you’re saying the Democrats are wrong to push the bill if they honestly believe it is the right thing to do.

Ask Howard Dean. He’s opposed to the current iteration of the bill, and last time I checked he was head of the DNC. The fact that there was plenty of arm twisting to get even cloture tells you that the Democrats aren’t behind this bill.

Not all the Democrats think that this bill is good and should be supported. Health care reform is needed, but this bill is the wrong way to go about it.

Being for health care reform doesn’t mean you can or should be supporting this monstrosity.

In addition, I’m not sure why you’d sign on to breaking down the state barriers for insurance; why on earth wouldn’t you expect what happened with credit cards to happen— health insurance flocking to the states with the fewer consumer protection laws?

The Feds have just once again tightened control on credit cards, but at its base, it is between the consumer and company to dictate the terms. The consumer has a right to choose not to use a credit card company (and Delaware happens to be the state from which Joe Biden represented in the US Senate for all those years before becoming VP).

What I envision for the insurance companies is that they’d be able to offer bare bones policies that are accepted in other states, while requiring them to provide their existing coverages. They wouldn’t be able to reduce their coverage levels, but individuals could buy the level of coverage they need. It would fill the need left by high cost insurance providing services most people don’t need.

Alternatively, the nation could decide that universal catastrophic care is in the best interest, and provide everyone with a buyin for catastrophic care (major accidents, injuries, certain illnesses). That’s separate and distinct from insurance for other services - primary care, etc.

None of this is even a consideration under the current proposals.