As a business manager for a small company (21 employees), I am disheartened that there are no cost controls. We have seen our health insurance premiums go up 20% a year for the last 4 years. Up to this year, the company has absorbed the increases. Not this year. The entire premium increase will be passed along to the employees (myself included).

I had hoped the rate of premium increases would be tackled, but I am just not seeing this point covered at all.

What I see, is all sorts of needed mandates placed on the insurance companies, who will undoubtedly use these mandates as some sort of qualifier to increase premiums at a higher pace.

My two cents ...

Boil it down to a single bullet point:

"We're going to make it a lot harder for an insurance company to screw you over."

I don't see the Public Option there - and without the Public Option I'm not sure I'm terribly enthusiastic about seeing a "Health Care Reform" bill pass, because if we enact "reform" without it then we're unlikely to add it any time soon, and the Public Option is the best way to require that the profiteers of health insurance either learn to provide reliable affordable care or disappear.

"Protecting consumers" indeed. BHO is trying to do a classic bait-and-switch - promise better health card and deliver government-mandated youthanasia instead.

Consumers do need protection.

At fucking last. I'll boil it down to a single bullet point:

Your health insurance company makes money if you die. The government health care option makes money if you live. Choose the your health care provider accordingly.

aimai

Try this reframing ..

imagine the best government run health care system you can ..

now imagine it's run by George W. Bush.

Currently, insurance companies are regulated on a state-by-state basis. Watch for the Republicans to oppose national regulations by claiming they want to protect "states' rights" and declaring that Washington shouldn't impose a "one size fits all" solution.

And watch for the Blue Dogs to fight for loopholes big enough for the insurance corporations to drive a Brinks truck through.

Sadly, fear-mongering might be the best way to go. Maybe what reformers should really be saying is that without this fix Medicare will go broke in 10 years. Republicans are standing in the way of reform because they just want to kill Medicare.

That message might get farther.

This all sounds great, but I'm still waiting to see how we will really pay for it. (And yes, I said the same thing about prescription coverage a few years ago.)

I understand and agree with the big-picture goals, and I agree that in the long run we need reform to help our economy (ie, prevent companies from continuing to crash under the weight of health-care costs). But as someone with a job, insurance, and a family to raise, I just see dollar signs and big chunks out of my paycheck.

I guess this raises the "million dollar question" at the heart of all this: can good measures to protect consumers (even assuming they really are, and not compromised rubbish anyway) save the legitimacy and worth of a private health insurance (/care?) industry, or must we raze most of that to provide through single payer etc?

You can add another bullet point. It's the right thing to do for ourselves, our fellow citizens and our Country. This Country rests on four (4) pillars: Security-Economy-Education-Health. Any weakness in all or one limits our ability to progress and grow. The present situation in Heathcare is not only a moral issue but a threat to the future of this Country. Is it gonna take a close call like the economy did to make us realize that "the time is now"? Email or call your Rep and Senator. Single Payer or Public Option-YES! Anything less-NO!

As a student with 3 more years of college to go, I love point #7. I am constantly worrying about what happens if I don't graduate in time (already going to have to go to school for 5 years because I changed my major). I love that insurance is extended to age 26. Huge sigh of relief that I won't have to worry about insurance should I have any problems graduating on time.

And if insurers scream that they will not be able to make a profit under these conditions, that's just showing exactly why a not-for-profit health care option is a requirement for fixing health care.

What the Hell is wrong with socialized medicine? I just don't get the obstructionist party any more. What the Hell do they stand for? Money? I mean come on!

1. No Denials for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurers would be banned from refusing coverage based on medical history --- They just set a very large premium, and you now can't afford it, but it wasn't "denied". FAIL.

2. No Huge Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurers would be bound by annual caps on charges for out-of-pocket expenses. --- reduces to an everchanging online list of "the following are not covered" as a yes-no instead of in/out of network with out of pocket. FAIL.

3. Preventive Care: Insurers would be required to cover checkups and tests like mammograms or diabetes screenings. --- watch for birth control and abortions to be dropped though. Who controls this list?

4. No Drops in Coverage for Major Illnesses: Companies would be barred dropping or diluting coverage for those who become seriously ill. --- but the insurers aren't banned from raising the premiums. FAIL.

5. No Gender Disparities: Companies could not charge differently based on gender. --- how do they currently get away with this one?!!!

6. No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: --- see the "we're raising your premium again" causing you to drop them. FAIL.

7. Expanded Coverage for Young Adults: Family plans would cover people through age 26. --- Good

8. Renewal Guarantees: If premiums are paid, policies have to be renewed even if new illnesses emerge. --- no control on the size of premiums, or word on recission. FAIL.

Yup, it's looking good so far. Unless there is an option for people and companies who can't afford the premiums to switch to, it doesn't add much.

Eight bullet points? When you're fighting stupidity like "Obamacare will euthanize your grandmother", you need eight words.

royalblue tom kind of took my thunder. What about the prices? It does me no good if the cost is $1000/mo. And BTW the House bill has the premium increases maxed out at 8 percent. When was the last time inflation was 8 percent? And is there a fool here who thinks that the insurance cos. aren't going to increase them at 8 percetn every single year? BHO is turning out to be a humongous disappointment. I was never an Obamabot but man, this guy is way more disappointing than WJC ever was.

Al you are a complete tool. "youthanasia" indeed

One of my local elected officials, a county commissioner, actually sent a letter to the editor quoting Dick Morris-a noted bi-partisan authority (he worked for CLINTON, ya know).

In his letter my commissioner stated that he was alarmed because he had seen Dick Morris point out that the health bill create "electronic records" so the government can keep track of you and that it the bill is designed to deny coverage to seniors so that they will die sooner.

Now he only knows what Dick Morris told him, of course, but he's very alarmed and hopes that everyone will read the bill and learn the truth before we go down this dangerous road.

Does Obama really think he can overcome this kind of "education"?

And since your representatives have gelded the public option, insurers can raise premiums to ration health care! I hope they cover abortions because insurers and hospitals are going to rape the shit out of you when this bill is signed. At least I won't feel bad when the Dems get crushed in 2010 by mass defection of terminally-ill bankrupts and their destitute widows and orphans.

"7. Expanded Coverage for Young Adults: Family plans would cover people through age 26."

This is a particularly important one to emphasize to win over those folks who already have coverage, even so-called Cadillac plans. I am fortunate in that I am in the Federal government plan and am invested for retirement so neither I nor my spouse can ever lose coverage. But I worry a lot about my children who are getting close to the cutoff age of 22. They might go many years (if ever) before they have stable jobs with good coverage. They don't have major health problems now, but you never know what is going to happen. Young people do get sick, have bad accidents, etc. If that happens, what do I do? Bankrupt myself and my spouse in our old age in order to provide care for my child. Not a choice I ever want to face.

Universal coverage is in everyone's interest. Even if "I'm all right, Jack" - your kids might not be.

Love the points boiled down part...but I would also runs ads during Aug. describing how CEOs of major ins. companies make such huge salaries...just where the "profits" come from...showing those whose coverage ended exactly when they needed it most.

To combat the bombardment from the ins. industry over the congressional recess should be examples that portray "This could happen to you" showing the devastation sudden illness causes against a background of the high life others live profiteering from denying you care.

This is not dem vs repub etc...it is corporations vs the people. Sorry but there is not a job on earth that should pay $1.7 billion or a $100 mil/yr...especially when there are people losing their homes, their jobs, their families.

Stop thinking in terms of dems vs repubs and more in terms of reform vs the Money Party which is represented by an army of lobbyists and their pet senators.

The Money Party is composed of members from both parties. They can only be stopped with campaign reform and mandatory free campaign time come election yrs from the MSM. Get the money out of getting elected and forbid donations from lobbyists and corps and it will end the Money Party's reign.

Bipartisan has come to mean catering to the special interests. If not for their influence HC ins reform would already be a done deal.

Problem: I just heard that this may sound great but it's scheduled for 2014. Anyone else heard otherwise?

"...imagine the best government run health care system you can ..

now imagine it's run by George W. Bush.
Posted by: Neo on July 29, 2009 at 12:51 PM | PERMALINK

How stupid. Right now it's being run by Bernie Maddoff. Ps...we got rid of Bush. Can't even talk to Bill McGuire since his $1.7 BILLION compensation package.

Still playing to the stupid I see.

"... But as someone with a job, insurance, and a family to raise, I just see dollar signs and big chunks out of my paycheck."
Posted by: itsmekaren on July 29, 2009 at 12:54 PM | PERMALINK

But Obama just told you what you pay will double while your salary does not increase if nothing is done. There are all kinds of ways to pay for reform...the main thing is to get actual "reform" which must include a strong public option (a not for profit public option).

Keep in mind the ins. industry is paying out $1.4 mil/a DAY to stop reform...because it will end their outrageous profiteering and they can only profit off of people like you.

Count the ways...roll back the Bush tax cuts...roll back the Reagan tax cuts....put a tax on wall street trading transactions (how Britain pays for theirs), internet transactions tax...the list is huge. How to pay is just a distraction...it's getting "reform" that really matters.

btw...a strong public option will lead to a not for profit single payer system. Now that is real reform.

5. No Gender Disparities: Companies could not charge differently based on gender.

Can there be differences in payout based on gender?

"...imagine the best government run health care system you can ..
now imagine it's run by George W. Bush.
Posted by: Neo on July 29, 2009 at 12:51 PM

Not sure what he's getting at, but Social Security functioned just fine under Bush, despite his efforts to kill it. What we need is a program that will be so popular that no future Prez will be able to screw with it.

"Problem: I just heard that this may sound great but it's scheduled for 2014. Anyone else heard otherwise?"

I understand a lot if it will be phased in over 3-4 years, yes. I can't imagine that any change this big could be done in much less time. You can't just throw a switch and put these kinds of changes into place. Of course, we should push for the quickest implementation possible, but the main point is that it gets done, even if we have to wait awhile for the full benefits. Three years isn't as long as you think.