Health Insurance Industry Urges Expansion of Coverage

[cal04]

The health insurance industry proposed an expansion of Medicaid and new tax breaks on Monday with the goal of guaranteeing coverage for all children in three years and for virtually all adults within 10 years.

New members of Congress, especially those elected on a pledge to help the uninsured, are likely to embrace many of the proposals, which provide a benchmark for debate on the issue. The debate is likely to rage in the next Congress and in the 2008 presidential campaign.

The latest government figures show that 46.6 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2005, an increase of 17 percent, or 6.8 million, from 2000.

“We believe that every American should have access to affordable health care coverage,” said J. Grover Thomas Jr., chairman of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the main lobby for the industry, which offered the proposals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/14/washington/14health.html?hp&ex=1163480400&en=16d0c405c6be356b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Well, if we kick For-profit companies out of the mix...

we can insure 1/3 more people RIGHT NOW.


Profit should have NO PLACE in Healthcare. Period.

[SeattleGirl]

4. Viva, I have thought the same thing for years. I think it is unethical

and, dare I say, immoral for health care and drug companies to be publicly traded entities. I have nothing against capitalism in and of itself, but when a company starts looking at profits over healthcare, profits over helping, I cannot support that in any way, shape, or form.

[bobbolink]

8. No other industrialized countries allows profit to enter into health care!

Other countries don't even allow drugs to be patented.

What sanity! What reason!

Imagine....

[rusty charly]

2. American Urges Creation of National Coverage

The American public begs for a creation of National Healthcare with the goal of guaranteeing coverage for all children in three years and for virtually all adults within 10 years.

New members of Congress, especially those elected on a pledge to help the uninsured, are unlikely to hear many of the proposals, which provide a benchmark for debate on the issue. The debate is likely to rage in the next Congress and in the 2008 presidential campaign.

The latest government figures show that 46.6 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2005, an increase of 17 percent, or 6.8 million, from 2000.

“We believe that every American should have access to National health care coverage,” said The Average American, the main lobby for real people, which offered the proposals.

[Xithras]

3. Define "affordable"

When a family of four surviving on minimum wage and food stamps can afford health insurance, I'll call it affordable. When your definition of affordable is a few hundred bucks a person per month, affordability isn't even a serious consideration.

This proposal suggests credits of up to $500 per family per year for health insurance. I know people who spent twice that per MONTH. Calling this an "expansion" of coverage is a pathetic attempt at a joke. I do agree with the proposal that Medicaid be expanded to include everyone under the poverty line, but the rest is stupid.

You want a proposal, here it is: Make health insurance costs 100% tax deductible for the employed, and make that amount refundable if healthcare costs exceed taxes owed. When Congress starts hemmoraging money because of InsCo greed, they'll act to get healthcare costs in check. Better yet, they'll find a solution that limits the power of the InsCo's and grants everyone a minimum level of insurance.

[Lex]

6. I spend $350 per month just for me, in a GROUP plan

and I'm a small business owner. Group plans are supposed to be more affordable because the risk is spread over the group.

If health insurance wasn't so expensive, I'd hire another person to work in my office.

Health insurance costs are strangling small businesses to death, even if you get a tax break at the end of the year, coming up with that chunk of money each month to keep MINIMAL coverage is just crazy.

[Matariki]

5. I worry that the health insurance industry's idea of getting everyone covered

is to make it mandatory - like car insurance. In fact, I think that was proposed in Massachusetts recently.

on edit - not proposed, looks like it passed: http://usliberals.about.com/od/healthcare/i/MassHealthIns.htm

are there fines if you don't have it? can the insurance 'industry' charge you more based on your credit or number of doctor visits. a VERY bad idea all around.

[Lex]

7. The health insurance industry will ONLY put forth a plan that's good for them

so I'm suspicious of any plan they have.

They will have to be dragged kicking and screaming to provide actual affordable coverage for everyone.

If you look at how much money they're raking in, no one would feel sorry for them in the least. Record-breaking profits, just like the oil companies.

[qanda]

9. "all adults within 10 years"

I can't wait that long. I hope it doesn't take that much time.