It's not Health CARE reform, its not health INSURANCE reform, its...

[Lerkfish]

adjusting how the public ACCESSES existing private insurance.

It doesn't reform any insurance company practices or behaviour, in fact it permits collusions and price gouging.

let's be accurate here.

[Maru Kitteh]

1. You don't seem interested in accuracy in the slightest.

[Lerkfish]

2. well, I am.

are you?

[havocmom]

3. I liken it to changing how one gets a passport

It still doesn't help you go anywhere if you can't pay the fare. And it the plane is booked, it still won't get you a ticket.

havocmom, who has GREAT insurance and even a wee bit of coin to pay the bill that doesn't get covered, but who still can't get doctor's appointments and effective care when she needs it.

[Eric J in MN]

4. I don't like the bill, either, but it does have reforms.

No annual limits on coverage, no lifetime limits on coverage, no denial of a policy because of pre-existing conditions.

[Lerkfish]

6. but those are ACCESS questions, and there are large loopholes

For example, you can have ACCESS to insurance with a preexisting condition, but the insurance company can push your premiums as high as they wish. (so that is allowing you access, but not making the insurance companies make it affordable)

The insurance companies can STILL refuse care to any client, based on their own criteria. Something that is happening now, anyways.

The cards are all still held by the insurance companies.

[Eric J in MN]

11. They can vary prices by up to 50 percent based on health of a customer.

http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1440-Senate-Bill-Could-Undermine-the-Ban-on-Pre-Existing-Condition-Discrimination-Progressives-Say

[tridim]

5. Explain to us why you think you're entitled to your own facts.

Nothing you said is even remotely true.

[Lerkfish]

9. can you be more specific?

insurance reform would be overseeing how the insurance company operates. I contend there are large loopholes in the bill that still allow the companies to drop people, price them out of their own healthcare, refuse treatment, and increase premiums, as well as price fixing and other anti trust activities.

maybe if you picked one of those, I could discuss it with you.

[berni_mccoy]

7. Oh shit, another one of these bullshit posts. There are like 5 running around GD right now.

Like fucking roaches.

[Lerkfish]

10. Oh sit, another one of these bullshit responses..

like a fucking cockroach.

[Cleita]

8. It should be named the health insurance welfare bill.

I suppose it will increase access for some, but not a lot is going to change especially for the patients and for the health care providers, who still will have to deal with the code book and all the many insurance contracts. It doesn't help their bottom line at all. Although I think insurance should be outlawed from offering health insurance like it is in most advanced countries in the world, maybe we need to tighten the regulations on existing insurance until they decide to get out of the business themselves. Then we can get true health care reform. But we will never get it as long as they have a finger in the pot and lobbyists in Washington.