rssNot Only the Medicare Expansion Will Ruffle Feathers
Monday, December 14, 2009 at 4:18 pm
- 9 Comments
The Joe Lieberman saga has shifted the focus of the health reform debate to a Democratic proposal to extend Medicare to those as young as 55. But the Medicare expansion isn’t the only controversial element of the sort-of deal between Democrats over how to reform the insurance industry.
Another element of that agreement would force insurance companies to spend no less than 90 cents of every dollar received through premiums on health care services (as opposed to profit, salaries, marketing, etc.). Yesterday, however, the Congressional Budget Office issued a statement arguing that the provision “would greatly restrict flexibility related to the sale and purchase of health insurance.”
In CBO’s view, this further expansion of the federal government’s role in the health insurance market would make such insurance an essentially governmental program, so that all payments related to health insurance policies should be recorded as cash flows in the federal budget.
Anyone who thinks that Sen. Ben Nelson will go for that is forgetting that the conservative Nebraska Democrat formerly headed an insurance company.
9 Comments
Comment posted December 14, 2009 @ 4:43 pm
So much for the CBO as neutral number-crunchers.
Insurance has been a highly-regulated industry for decades.
It's one thing for a right-wing blogger to write that more regulation of the industry means private insurers are part of the government, but that language is inappropriate for the CBO.
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Comment posted December 14, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
The CBO is calling it like it is. The government has NO business being involved in medical care for anyone, ever! Medicare, Social Security and all other government-run programs that are supposed to “help” citizens, have become bloated, corrupt, inept, disfunctional jokes. Except for temporary, stop-gap measures – social programs need to go. This saves tons of tax dollars and puts the onus where it belongs – on the individual.
Comment posted December 14, 2009 @ 8:46 pm
Wow. Wow.
I'm guessing the author does not have an accounting degree.
Let's see – that means that 1) every regulated power utility must be a part of the federal budget, and 2) every local telephone company must be part of the federal budget, and 3) every federally chartered bank must be a part of the federal budget, etc, etc.
Is it April 1? I look forward to hearing about the firing of the wingnut that wrote that.
Comment posted December 14, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
That is incredible. There are several states in this country where the loss ratio, statewide, is above 90%. Minnesota comes to mind.
In the 1980's, the nationwide loss ratio was above 90%.
How on earth does the CBO come up with the bizarre concept that if they think we're pressing the insurers to simply do their job well and honestly, that somehow we've taken possession of them? It is an amazing overreach and stinks to high heaven.
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Comment posted December 15, 2009 @ 1:00 pm
Spoken like a true “hurry up and die” conservative. Or and adolescent who's never had to pay for anything…
Comment posted December 15, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
Spoken like a true “hurry up and die” conservative. Or an adolescent who's never had to pay for anything…
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