Thursday, July 16, 2009

Painfully Obvious

Investor's Business Daily has a quick hit on the House healthcare bill - 16 pages in, and you find this gem:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers."

Guys, this thing is REALLY scary. It is so obvious that, just like the Cap and Tax bill, the faster they can move this thing through, the less chance the American people have to find out what's in it. This is one that has to be stopped.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

WAKE UP AMERICA!!

This provision is the death knell for all private healthcare plans. It has built-in planned obsolescence for all plans that compete with the government option.
Follow the bouncing ball here, people:

1) All persons (proletariats?) must enroll in a healthcare plan--this will now be mandated, not a choice made by each person. It is mandated because the government believes it is smarter than the people (what happened to the concept that "we the people" are the government?). Having some basic insurance is a smart thing, but each person should be free to choose his/her own "insurance path." If the government is afraid we will make stupid choices, then they should look to fixing the education system in this country--a system they have already taken over (with such stellar results!).

Sorry...I digress... anyway, to continue...

2)As new employees enter the job market--and must get healthcare coverage--they CAN NOT enroll in their employer's healthcare plan NO MATTER HOW GOOD AND COST EFFECTIVE THE COVERAGE IT OFFERS MAY BE; per this "reform" bill, no new enrollees allowed...Sorry!! DEFAULT position: new employee will enroll in the government plan.

3)As employees change jobs, they may not enroll in their new company's healthcare plan (even if they were enrolled in their old company's plan) NO MATTER HOW GOOD AND COST EFFECTIVE THE COVERAGE IT OFFERS MAY BE; DEFAULT position: transitioning employee will enroll in the government plan.

4) As less and less people are enrolled in private plans, the cost/employee increases for the company and the employee. Additional employees drop out of the company plan because its costs are hitting their wallet too hard--DEFAULT position: longstanding, faithful employees who wanted to keep their old coverage will enroll in the government plan.

5)As the plan base continues to erode, there are too few remaining members to get any economies of scale; plus, the average age of those the plan covers has shot up--hence the medical costs/enrolled employee are astronomical. The younger base which helped balance health plans in the past (the young have less health issues on average...hmmm) are already enrolled in the government option...Gee, how did that happen! The employer's plan ceases to exist; the company pays the government-mandated fee they must pay if they offer no plan--probably a bargain compared to the money their murdered plan was costing. DEFAULT position: all remaining employees have no choice but to go on the government plan.

So much for being able to keep the coverage you want. The rug got pulled out from under you...whoops!

6)Repeat the same sort of increasing cost cycle with individuals (such as the self-employeed) who have plans through BCBS, etc.

7) Voila. There are no viable options for the general public but the government plan. But that is not the government's fault...they just were offering an option everyone decided to take!

8) Doctors and other healthcare providers begin to get out (or decide not to undertake the expense and endless years it takes to be a doctor) because there is no monetary return...no incentive to put up with the bureaucracy-- all fees are set by the government. RESULT: the wait times to get in to see a doctor increase.

9) OK. now EVERYONE is on the plan--but, the government can not afford it and the taxes are already exorbitantly high. RESULT: Let the rationing begin. Gnomes in government offices will decide if your life is worth the medical procedure your doctor has recommended.

RIP one of the best healthcare systems of the world. Instead of trying to help the few who are falling between the cracks, the government simply nationalizes 17% of the economy, takes over a whole new chunk of Americans' lives and takes everyone's care into the gutter.

Of course, there will still be private options of better care for the extremely rich--AND the members of Congress who will hoist this plan on you but will never deign to live with it in their own lives!

Any questions?