http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaulAnd even that lax ceiling they've set for themselves is going to require cutbacks to meet since the current state of the plan projects to 1.6 Trillions. And course, government expendatures typically run over their project so my guess is we're looking at more like 2 trillion bucks.
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| Republicans and Democrats remain at odds on major issues, including the question of a government-run option for insurance that would compete with private industry. Obama has endorsed the idea, saying it would hold down costs, while GOP lawmakers oppose it. |
This is one of the few ideas that might actually be ok. More competition, all other things being equal, is good for the market.
The problem is things are rarely equal and if the government tries to enter the market on even footing, usually it sucks and has to start giving itself special rules to compensate. Plus a real company has to make money or die. A government company can lose money and just pull magic funds from the air to make up for it. So, less motivation to do well might equate to worse treatment of customers, for example.
But, at least the "government provides extra competition", while still dubious on any grounds of forcing many other people to pay for something they don't get returns from, can work if done right.
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| At its heart, any legislation is designed to require insurance companies to sell insurance to anyone seeking it. Denial on the grounds of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, as would higher premiums. |
Now this is a horrible idea. Did Congress learn anything from the economic downturn and the housing failures? (Silly question....) Forcing private companies to do business with risky cases they don't want to do business with is inane and unjustifiable. You are basically telling a private operation "You must take courses of action you think are stupid and lose yourself money in the process, just so we can look compassionate and thus get more people to vote for us"
This whole health care "overhaul" is so scary for many reasons. The main and very obvious one is the cost of ONE TRILLION GODDAMN DOLLARS. That is a huge number, the true value of which is difficult to comprehend. Hell, a billion is a staggering number. Add three more digits and you get a trillion. It's almost as if Obama just wants to leave a legacy. Doesn't have to be a good one, he is just rolling the dice with money that doesn't exist hoping it all works out and he is an American legend. And he seemingly gets a pass from the majority of the public because he is Lord Obama and his hope/change movement can do no wrong. The majority of the public is dumb and unaware. I don't want to come off as excessively skeptical, but this is a scary time and our country already has enough money concerns.
