If this is socialism, insurance firms say ‘GREAT!’
“Lashed by liberals and threatened with more government regulation, the insurance industry nevertheless rallied its lobbying and grass-roots resources so successfully in the early stages of the healthcare overhaul deliberations that it is poised to reap a financial windfall.
The half-dozen leading overhaul proposals circulating in Congress would require all citizens to have health insurance, which would guarantee insurers tens of millions of new customers — many of whom would get government subsidies to help pay the companies’ premiums.
“It’s a bonanza,” said Robert Laszewski, a health insurance executive for 20 years who now tracks reform legislation as president of the consulting firm Health Policy and Strategy Associates Inc.
Some insurance company leaders continue to profess concern about the unpredictable course of President Obama’s massive healthcare initiative, and they vigorously oppose elements of his agenda. But Laszewski said the industry’s reaction to early negotiations boiled down to a single word: “Hallelujah!”
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97 comments Add your comment
Mrs. Godzilla
August 24th, 2009
11:27 am
Let ‘em fail!
Rightwing Troll
August 24th, 2009
11:29 am
First!!!
Rightwing Troll
August 24th, 2009
11:29 am
Darn the luck!!!
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2009
11:30 am
I’ve never had much doubt that, short of some weird chain of events wherein we have a President Bernie Sanders, whatever emerges in the form of signed legislation will represent some path to serious future earnings for the for-profit health insurance industry, it’s just a matter of how much and for how long.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
August 24th, 2009
11:31 am
Well, it’s great to see Free Innerprize working so good. Making everybody buy health insurance from a insurance co. sure
suckswill make a whole bunch of 401k accounts go way up. I can’t hardly wait to see all these libruls that hate the insurance cos. go begging and crawling to them to get a policy in order to keep from getting fined by the guvmint.And it’s even better the insurance cos. will be able to charge everybody more to cover the cost of insuring people they use to get to turn down and the guvmint won’t let them turn down anymore.
So now’s the time to buy insurance co. stock and get rich over the next five years or so. If we do that we can all turn into Whiners and blast anybody that wants to take any of our money away. I sure would like to see what the health insurance co. CEOs will be making five years from now. I bet it would make the libruls foam at the mouth.
Have a good lunch everybody.
Jimmy62
August 24th, 2009
11:36 am
Corporations don’t like the free market, they prefer not to have to be competitive. And the system Obama wants to create will give them lots of money, so of course they like it.
Whenever business and government get together and come up with a plan they all like, the people that should be very afraid are normal citizens like you and me. Crony capitalism and socialism go hand in hand. Either way, it’s the government making all the decisions, and the citizens getting screwed over.
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator (-: You Whine )-:
August 24th, 2009
11:40 am
Compared to the malpractice tort lawyers lobby who are crapfaced drunk lying in the gutter from their rape the health care industry binge.
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator (-: You Whine )-:
August 24th, 2009
11:40 am
What would bookman be without some group of Americans to demonize?
Brad Steel
August 24th, 2009
11:44 am
I would have never though that powerless impoverished industries like insurance and drugs would be able to influence health care legislation – IT’S A 3-FINGERED SHOCKER!!!
Mrs. Godzilla
August 24th, 2009
11:44 am
GEORGE AMERICAN
MEDICARE IS SOCIALISM…..and a nmber of high placed Cons would like to see it dismantled.
Better start to save your pennys! If they take your medicare, social security will be next!
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
11:45 am
“Whenever business and government get together and come up with a plan they all like, the people that should be very afraid are normal citizens like you and me”
Oh yeah! The interstate highway system was SUCH a failure. We should all be shaking in our shoes over THAT one.
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
11:45 am
dang, I step out to a meeting, and le oui-oui goes into full itty-bitty-foot-stomping meltdown downstairs … did someone forget to give him his bottle this morning??? (or, going by the moniker, maybe he just needs a change and a little talcum)
… and Taxpayer … the barometer in Luxembourg is rising …
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
11:47 am
Doggone –
“Oh yeah! The interstate highway system was SUCH a failure. We should all be shaking in our shoes over THAT one.”
don’t forget bringing electricity to the south and west …
Jay
August 24th, 2009
11:48 am
Brad, stop namejacking.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
11:50 am
“don’t forget bringing electricity to the south and west …”
Yeah, that too.
TnGelding
August 24th, 2009
11:51 am
And we can’t afford that bonanza. We’ve got to take the profit and marketing out of our health care system and reduce administration costs.
Mrs. Godzilla
August 24th, 2009
11:44 am
You’re right. If Republicans regain the majority they will never touch the SS “trust fund” to pay benefits.
Everyone might want to drop in here to state your opionion:
http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2009/08/24/should-special-provisions-be-made-for-a-social-security-increase/comment-page-1/#comment-2269
N.J.
August 24th, 2009
11:51 am
This is what it seems is the primary factor behind the drop in popularity for the current legislation. In fact the most recent polls show that there is more support for the legislation if it includes a public option, and almost none if the legislation relies on the private sector alone. The large drops in support for the legislation coincide directly with each suggestion that the public option will be taken off the table. Rasmussen is a fairly conservative pollster and it is his poll that ties in the latest ten percent drop in support directly to the removal of a public option. This is all across the political spectrum, even among Republicans. Without a public option Republican opposition to health reform was at 79 percent, with the public option, the opposition fell to 68 percent. Almost all of the drop in support for the legislation as it stands comes from registered Democrats.
Overall, again, most polls show a strong preference for a public option to be included in the legislation.
Forbes Magazine has gone so far as to start publishing a “poll patrol” on the health reform legislation,
Polls taken last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the same 59 percent who favored a public option in June, favored it at 59 percent in mid August. The only thing that adversely effects these numbers is an assertion that the private sector will not be able to compete with a government option, (something which conservatives assert, but have yet to actually provide proof of) or that it would be a step on the way towards single payer (again an assertion for which no proof has been provided and for which a very large number of examples to the contrary exist)
What the “poll patrol” has determined is that the polling is dependent on who is wording the polls. Another thing that they determined is that people have a very “mushy, soft, attitude” towards the public option. If they are told that the public option will be just like Medicare, the rate of acceptance for a public option is highest.
Most polls show the people’s initial support for a public option is very high. The only thing that negatively effects it is the same Republican fear factor that allowed the Iraq War to occur.
All it will take is the passage of time for Republican assertions to prove false. Or for a large enough number of people to lose their employer based health insurance to give the public option a second look
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator (-: You Whine )-:
August 24th, 2009
11:51 am
A “profanity-laced screaming match” at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta, and the expected release today of another damning internal investigation, has administration officials worrying about the direction of its newly-appoint intelligence team, current and former senior intelligence officials tell ABC News.com.
Turn the CIA over to Code Pinko, “problem” solved.
Truth
August 24th, 2009
11:52 am
Apples and oranges, Doggone.
jconservative
August 24th, 2009
11:52 am
It is socialism. But then this is a socialist country. Has been for 76 years. Most people just bury their head in the sand & pretend it is not. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP & VA are all socialism at it’s best, or in my opinion its worse.
But folks do not care if it is socialism. Folks care about Republican & Democrat, liberal & conservative and which is in power. They perceive that if their guys are in power, things will be different.
So they continue to vote for Incumbents & as a result things are always the same.
Consider the following – given to the good taxpayers of the country by Incumbents:
“The Social Security Trust Fund – $5 trillion – Each year, the Social Security program lends its surplus to Congress to spend on regular government programs in return for special-issue Treasury bonds, which are backed only by the federal government’s promise to repay them. In 2017, when Social Security begins to redeem these bonds, Congress—and the taxpayers—will start to repay the entire $5 trillion from scratch. Congress taxed workers to build the trust fund, spent the money, and will have to tax them a second time to repay the trust fund.”
Source – http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/bg2114.cfm
Incumbents.
TnGelding
August 24th, 2009
11:53 am
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
11:45 am
Do you know how life expectancy for those of us that reach 65 compares with the rest of the world?
Taxpayer
August 24th, 2009
11:55 am
… and Taxpayer … the barometer in Luxembourg is rising …
In other words, the pressure is rising… I await an Independent’s confirmation.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
11:55 am
“Apples and oranges, Doggone”
It wasn’t ME that set the criteria to: “Whenever business and government get together and come up with a plan they all like”
Maybe you need to be more specific to get answers you like.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
11:56 am
“le oui-oui goes into full itty-bitty-foot-stomping meltdown downstairs”
He really did, didn’t he!
TnGelding
August 24th, 2009
11:59 am
jconservative
August 24th, 2009
11:52 am
Not true. They’ll just have to issue bonds to the public. The debt will be the same, just owed to different entities. The “trust fund” is just a little over $2 trillion and will top out at around $3 trillion.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/TRSUM/index.html
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
11:59 am
TnG –
“Do you know how life expectancy for those of us that reach 65 compares with the rest of the world?”
I know that the US has lower life expectancy than many other industrialized nations (77 vs. 78-80)
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/le/1a.html
N.J.
August 24th, 2009
12:00 pm
To put it simply, no public option means that there is nothing to prevent insurance companies from simply doing business as usual, and business as usual means that within a few years, the average families share of premiums will rise to 22,500 dollars a year.
The largest single cost in the current health care system, the one which could pay for 92 percent of the current estimated one trillion dollars in costs over ten years is to make health insurance portable. Each year the rough cost to the health industry is 92 billion a year, simply because every five years on average a person changes jobs and with the change in jobs or eventually from job based insurance to Medicare and with these changes comes a change in both insurers and doctors in many cases. Because of this neither the insurance companies nor the doctors think in terms of long term health care for their patients. The net cost for this comes to close to that 100 billion a year slated for both the House and Senate bill and is in fact the reason that the Blue Dog Democrats brought the total for the House bill down to 900 billion. The took the savings from portability alone and multiplied by ten.
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:01 pm
doggone –
reminded me of this: http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/_/7/newt_baby.jpg
joe matarotz
August 24th, 2009
12:03 pm
Deep into the election campaign, I remember several times hearing that Obama had received far more donations from Wall Street than McCain did. That surprised me because i always felt that the Repubs were more business friendly by several magnitudes.
I am no longer surprised. The rich get richer (see AIG et al), the poor get poorer, and the beat goes on…
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
12:04 pm
“reminded me of this:”
Yep, very much like that!
TnGelding
August 24th, 2009
12:04 pm
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
11:59 am
Thanks, I was aware of that. I’ve looked but haven’t been able to find anything definitive. I’ll keep looking.
We lose so many babies because of the mother’s drug use and so many of our black youth fail to reach 25, I thought we might compare more favorably for those that survived longer, but it could be just the opposite. What’s it going to take for an awakening?
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2009
12:08 pm
What’s it going to take for an awakening?
Maybe a passport? Most people I know who’ve spent any time in the countries that have universal coverage recognize that it makes sense to do so, that their citizens tend to be fitter and less worried about their health than we are.
The way our (sorry, Jay) idiot media insist on presenting this, it’s as if the choice were between the status quo and the USSR c. 1985.
pat
August 24th, 2009
12:10 pm
Yet another thing that is wrong with this reform. Who the hell is the government to mandate that people have health insurance? Having health insurance sound all wonderful and all, but mandating it would make this situation worse not better. First of all, it is not the job of the government to demand people behave a certain way. The only laws that exist like that are the tax code. Second it perpetuates the problem as forcing people to have insurance will only exacerbate the spiraling costs of medical care, not curb them. There is then nothing stopping the industry from ever escalating costs.
Costs are the problem, not insurance. If medical care were affordable, there would be no need for insurance save for the most serious problems.
The solution is multifaceted. We need to control frivolous lawsuits, legislate anti-price gouging and price increase regulations, allow foreign drug, service and supplies competition. Further, make most safe prescriptions available OTC, rather than put all the burden on doctors and pharmacists, let people be responsible and in control of their own health care needs.
We need to get the buracracy out of health care, not increase it. That’s absurd…If we are going to fix healthcare, let’s fix it, not break it more.
TnGelding
August 24th, 2009
12:10 pm
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2009
12:08 pm
Yeah, they’ve allowed the GOP to contol the debate.
Truth
August 24th, 2009
12:10 pm
Doggone, I didnt ask the question. It is the first thing I have posted on here in months and it is obvious that the hate is still around. I hope you can get that chip off your shoulder and realize that your mean spirited remarks do nothing but discourage people from considering your view points.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
12:15 pm
“it is obvious that the hate is still around”
You need to learn what HATE is. You are not EVER going to find anything posted from me that expresses hatred of any person. Sure, there are opinions and ideas that I hate, but you’re going to be hard pressed to find anything from me that rises to hatred even about those.
Lighten up. It’s a discussion for heaven’s sake. And just so you’ll know, I seldom pay much attention to the names on posts…because we have so many people here who jump names at the drop of a hat. There’s NO WAY to tell if you are one of them or not.
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:16 pm
TnG –
“I thought we might compare more favorably for those that survived longer, but it could be just the opposite. What’s it going to take for an awakening?”
to me, the interesting question is, as the country becomes more and more knowledgable about health and diet, why does it ignore all the information and continue to get fatter and fatter??? (which doesn’t help the average age at all)
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:18 pm
TnG –
“I thought we might compare more favorably for those that survived longer, but it could be just the opposite. What’s it going to take for an awakening?”
well, given the rising obesity rates (especially in children), I think you can expect to see the US continue to lag unless it starts to lose weight and get healthier
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2009
12:18 pm
the interesting question is, as the country becomes more and more knowledgeable about health and diet, why does it ignore all the information and continue to get fatter and fatter?
Suburban development, mostly. You probably do not want to get me started.
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:18 pm
der – sorry about the double-post … didn’t think it went through the first time …
Normal
August 24th, 2009
12:20 pm
USinUK
to me, the interesting question is, as the country becomes more and more knowledgable about health and diet, why does it ignore all the information and continue to get fatter and fatter??? (which doesn’t help the average age at all)
With me, it’s M&Ms…
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
12:22 pm
“to me, the interesting question is, as the country becomes more and more knowledgable about health and diet”
Maybe because the “knowledge” they have is not true, or at least not completely true?
Mac
August 24th, 2009
12:23 pm
Never expect Congress to do ANYthing that doesn’t fatten the wallets of big business.
Mac
August 24th, 2009
12:25 pm
Plain or peanut? … and if you say, strawberry-peanut butter, you’re disqualified.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
12:27 pm
“Never expect Congress to do ANYthing that doesn’t fatten the wallets of big business”
But that isn’t, in and of itself, a bad thing. What matters more is the end result…as in my example of the Intersate highway system…and the example of rural electrification.
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:27 pm
db, normal and doggone …
2 words: processed foods. I agree that about having a more sedentary lifestyle, but you can’t deny that Americans don’t eat as many home-cooked meals, anymore – instead it’s “ding-dinners” that you pop in the microwave, crap out of a jar or fast food. all that is so laden with chemicals, salt and fat, it’s no wonder that it’s causing the balloonification of the US (and the UK, for that matter)
plus: portion sized. ohmygawd … do you really NEED a sammich the size of your head at lunchtime??? unless you’re working on the shipyards, I don’t think you’re gonna burn it off in time for dinner
Taxpayer
August 24th, 2009
12:32 pm
With me, it’s M&Ms…
You can save money buying the rejects — the W&Ws.
DoggoneGA
August 24th, 2009
12:32 pm
“2 words: processed foods”
I don’t disagree, but I don’t agree entirely. I almost never eat processed food, yet I am overweight. And I know perfectly well what *I* need to do to lose weight, I just find it too boring to do. Plus, overweight does not AUTOMATICALLY mean in bad health. My blood pressure and cholesterol are both perfectly normal. And, in the long run, I’m probably doing better to NOT try too hard to lose weight than I would be if I were a “yo yo” dieter.
Normal
August 24th, 2009
12:33 pm
Taxpayer: LOL
USinUK
August 24th, 2009
12:33 pm
“You can save money buying the rejects — the W&Ws.”
yay!!!