Wrencher, we apparently have a failure to communicate here somewhere. Please read the rest of my posts. I’ll try and be succinct and summarize my thoughts here on this post. I think we agree (maybe not).
1) Insurance companies are one of the reasons Obamacare got enacted into law. They contributed to the legislation. It’s partly their fault we are having this discussion. They get what they deserve.
2) Insurance companies are raising their rates to accommodate the changes they agreed to in their support of Obamacare. For now, Obama and the dems are allowing this. The rates are going up because of Obamacare.
3) Now that we are where we are, there are three avenues for the future. (A) The insurance company premiums in the exchanges are “price controlled” (to make cheaper) and the insurance companies subsidized by the fed for their losses. (B) The insurance company premiums in exchanges are price controlled and the company’s go out of business (Preferred by Obama). (C) Obama allows the insurance company’s to charge what they must to be compliant with the law and make a profit.
Now... If we truly ever want to get rid of Obamacare, we are going to need insurance companies in business to do business with the private citizens. Once the health insurance industry is dead, we’ll be wholly dependent on the government where health insurance is needed. I believe that is the master plan behind Obamacare anyway. Unfortunately I have to root for the Health Insurance Providers to stay in business if I ever hope to someday get rid of Obamacare.
Maybe this clears things up. Otherwise, I am lost about what we are debating.
1) Insurance companies opposed the law generally and voiced their opinions like any other lobbying group. Do you oppose allowing companies to have any political opinions or to have any voice in laws that affect their core existence?
2) The rates are going up to support the increased benefits ACA requires them to add to policies. You don’t get more for free after all. And 3) the dems do not set premiums, state agencies do. This has not changed. Of course, C is the final goal.
4) ACA will never go away. The pubs want is as badly as the dems. The pubs will promise to *reform* it. This process is already ongoing. The next budget battle date was chosen to be after ACA goes into effect for a reason. (Ooops, too late....) And single-payer will come quite soon, as you can see here several who consider themselves conservative are already on board with the “evil rich insurance business” meme that will be pushed. They may as well join the Occupy folk and bemoan the Jewish insurance banksters next, they likely will in fact.