Posted on 10/17/2013 11:42:09 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
I have been trying to figure out why the Government regulations are being required of the insurance companies. Why make them cover say maternity costs for all women, including those over fifty? I think I have the explanation. By the health insurance skyrocketing for all, people will be forced to pay and accept higher costs associated with medical care. That way, when the inevitable single payer system is implemented, the citizenry will not feel as much pain as they would have when every working person's Federal taxes go up 10% to pay for healthcare for all.
Math?
I’ve worked for a large Aerospace Co. for 32 years. My premiums have gone up 525% since 2002. Am I paying enough yet??? (My pay has increased 55% in that time period)
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.
...Based on expectations. How many new customers have they gotten so far? If I had stock in them, I'd be selling. I believe those stocks are high because they were expecting (and still may be) 50 million new paying customers. It's the DotCom effect. Eventually, we're gonna make some money!
ObamaCare is a tax that was not passed in a democratic way. EVERY Republican voted against it so the democrat scumbags changed the rules to get it passed. The majority of Americans opposed this tax and healthcare takeover.
“I’ll forgive you for not looking at my posts, no, I’ve never said anything about wanting ACA at all.”
Perhaps I misread your statement about how the insurance companies should write federal laws controlling our healthcare ...
” I don’t see FReepers complaining about “insurance companies.”
Perhaps you have not read the posts on this thread.
“I’m not sure you are on the right site.”
Which Alinski rule is that?
A really big reason for medical cost increases, along with health insurance costs skyrocketing, is due to frivolous lawsuits. Malpractice insurance is astronomical, yet Tort Reform was not included in any of the ‘reforms’ we have to follow. I am sure that the lawyers are happy with this and will continue to give generously to the Dems. By the way, doctors will be paid much less when they are under the thumb of Govt, but they will not be shielded from lawsuits by Obamacare. What doctor would continue to practice under these conditions?
About half the states have already enacted tort reform and cap malpractice payouts. List Are the medical costs in those states dropping?
Perhaps you have not read the posts on this thread.
Good point. LOL! Let me re-phrase. I don't think FReepers are blaming "insurance companies" for the spike in their premiums beyond them contributing to the passing of Obamacare.
Better? :o)
Well, I don’t own any of them, although I’m active in the market. The consensus of the market right now is that they are ok.
Maybe the thought is that whether the government exchanges work or not, these companies are the ultimate beneficiaries. If the exchanges are canned or delayed, they still have their customers. If the exchanges work, they get customers steered to them.
Since O-care sets higher minimum requirements for insurance, they get to sell more expensive insurance at higher premiums. Maybe that’s the thinking.
I didn’t get it, so I stayed away.
I still think everyone should have no exemptions ,waivers,subsidization, or delay from Obamacare.
Then reform it- take away the insurance mandates for starters.Then remove mandating coverage for pre-existing conditions. Then decouple it from the IRS(and your employer-via tax credits). And go from there.
ObamaCare means more government employees, more power for liberals, and a nice cut of a ‘billions and billions’ dollar health care industry.
One of the (un)intented consequences is the 80/20 rule. The government is mandating that Insurance companies pay out 80% of intake on claims. Only 20% can be allocated to rent, salaries, utilities, salaries, etc. No health care company can make that 20% last to pay all expenses. Therefore, I believe they simply charge higher premiums to have the 20% turn in more dollars to cover expenses.
Beware of the single (government) system. Does anyone believe that Government will get by on 20%? past experience seems to indicate that it will become 130-150% That will ultimately correspond to even higher premiums.
No, I don’t believe you misread it. Keep railing on the insurance companies and crying for the govt. to fix it, with single-payer. I am sure you’d much prefer that to an evil capitalist corporation that works for (gasp) profit.
OMG, the govt. actually used people knowledgeable about insurance to write the regs about insurance, instead of asking firemen or dock workers to write it..... Next thing they’ll probably do is write a law, and use a lawyer to do that. Who can believe it! What a crazy world.
Feel free to believe what you want, here’s a fact for you. Premiums are regulated and approved by every state. 50 to comply with for any big insurer. (pubs “claimed” to fix this as part of their solution, along with tort reform) Premiums are not arbitrarily set, and if there is excess it goes into reserves.
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.
We are in agreement. I don’t know where (or if) you and I disagree.
I am totally, now and forever, a big supporter of all private business at all levels, especially the largest employers and tax payers.
However, I don’t feel sorry for any woes the Insurance companies may encounter under Obamacare. Also, I recognize their most important goal... to make a profit. I have no problem with them lobbying especially when our masters are working to impose laws that will greatly affect their business.
I was also a fan of Tyco and Enron making a profit until they were found to be cheating, stealing and committing fraud. I am no fan of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GM, the entire “green energy” industry that is subsidized at taxpayer expense and anything else the government CHOOSES the winners in.
I also agree that we are stuck with government healthcare, likely forever. In the future we may be fighting to “privatize” the healthcare insurance industry. Remember that ugly word. Someday, we will be fighting to privatize the entire healthcare industry. Eventually we might be fighting to privatize the fossil fuel industry, the banking industry and the manufacturing industry.
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