AP Interview: Clinton on health care

Yahoo! News ^ | September 18, 2007 | Beth Fouhy

[Mygirlsmom]

I applaud you, King, you're a rarity. My point, unless I'm misinformed, is that participation in Medicare at age 65 is pretty much mandatory unless you're able to go it completely alone (not sure that there are too many insurance plans left that will act as a primary carrier if the insured is eligible for Medicare) Therefore, at age 65, choice is pretty much gone.

Socialists accomplish their goals through incrementalism, and IMO, Medicare has paved the way for the acceptance of Hillarycare. What most people don't understand is that the only reason Medicare hasn't totally imploded long ago is that private carriers have been picking up the slack created by the low reimbursement levels associated with Medicare and Medicaid

[linn37]

If the hospital I work for could dump our healthcare benefit and let us buy our own they would. This plan of hers sucks.

[The Louiswu]

"Hillary Care will cost 1.26 Trillion!"

At least, if we are lucky.

[Murray the R]

Staunch Mitt supporters don’t see it as “mandatory”, but rather “market based” instead.

Strictly speaking, both can be true; the term "market based" simply accentuates the positive, i.e., the extent to which the plan respects free-market principles, rather than the extent to which it violates those principles.

[DBrow]

A Massachusetts insurance commission sets minimum rates and minimum coverage for the insurance providers (not the insurance companies, the rules come from the state).

Then, everyone must sign up or they will charge you through your taxes.

If it were market based, there would be no rate setting, the insurance providers would compete for your business, and the deals would be so good you’d sign up.

Health insurance rates in MA are going up between 8 and 12% for the next fiscal year.