Oh, there are lots more: There are the "provider groups," like chiropractors, "behavior health" counselors, etc., who lobby insurance commissions to require things like inpatient alcoholism treatment. Then there are the ideology groups, who insist every policy cover birth control pills, abortion, AND infertility treatment. There's the gay pressure groups, who don't want underwriters to know whether an applicant is HIV-positive.
In P/C coverage, there are the real estate developers, who insist everyone in the state subsidize owners of mansions on the barrier islands or over the San Andreas fault.
And on and on.
Oh, there are lots more: There are the "provider groups," like chiropractors, "behavior health" counselors, etc., who lobby insurance commissions to require things like inpatient alcoholism treatment. Then there are the ideology groups, who insist every policy cover birth control pills, abortion, AND infertility treatment. There's the gay pressure groups, who don't want underwriters to know whether an applicant is HIV-positive.
About a year ago Rush Limbaugh had a congressman on as a guest. He explained the same as you. That people are forced to pay insurance for services or procedures they'll never use. Forced by politicians colluding with businesses and special interest groups.
An adjunct to the title of the article that started this thread would read (if most Americans were aware of it to the same extent they have been made aware of politically incorrect lifestyles that are unhealthy -- reality is not that some lifestyles are less healthy than others -- true -- but the political expediency of retaining political power/seat and gaining unfair competitive advantage for businesses) adjunct title reads: Most Americans Back Not Pay For Procedures They Know They'll Never Use.
The congressman also noted another cause of high health insurance premiums. I think it was New Jersey he was describing. He equated it to where some states have a policy of obtaining immediate homeowners fire insurance when a fire breaks out regardless of the homeowner not having fire insurance prior to the fire. New Jersey legislatures were trying to pass a bill that would do the same for health insurance. Break a leg, get insurance on your way into the hospital.
Insurance premiums would sky rocket. Plus, many NJ residents -- at least those that still bothered to buy insurance -- that live neighboring Pennsylvania would get a mailing address there to buy less-costly insurance in PA. Thus further increasing the NJ insurance premiums.