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Points from Obama's speech

S

spidey07

No Lifer
A sneak peek at Obama's speech reveals the following specific points, which sound really great, but the end game is the same - single payer, government controlled, healthcare and all the problems that go along with that.

1) Insurance can no longer use pre-existing conditions, by law
2) Insurance can no longer have lifetime maximums and out of pocket maximums will be capped low, by law
3) Insurance can no longer drop your coverage, by law
4) Insurance must cover preventative and routine procedures, at little or no cost, by law
5) Public option - it's there for you if you switch jobs, want it, or just need it
6) Those making under 3-4 times poverty level and under will get public option for "free"

It sounds so perfect, doesn't it? Points 1-4 regarding insurance describe what is actually available today, it describes some of the best insurance plans available. Likewise these plans are pretty darn expensive. Now, BY LAW, insurance plans must be super-duper cadillac plans. What do you think that is going to do to everybody's premiums?

That's right, make them so damned expensive that you have no other "choice" but to go to the public option. Oh, and how are we going to pay for all this?
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
A sneak peek at Obama's speech reveals the following specific points, which sound really great, but the end game is the same - single payer, government controlled, healthcare and all the problems that go along with that.

1) Insurance can no longer use pre-existing conditions, by law
2) Insurance can no longer have lifetime maximums and out of pocket maximums will be capped low, by law
3) Insurance can no longer drop your coverage, by law
4) Insurance must cover preventative and routine procedures, at little or no cost, by law
5) Public option - it's there for you if you switch jobs, want it, or just need it
6) Those making under 3-4 times poverty level and under will get public option for "free"

It sounds so perfect, doesn't it? Points 1-4 regarding insurance describe what is actually available today, it describes some of the best insurance plans available. Likewise these plans are pretty darn expensive. Now, BY LAW, insurance plans must be super-duper cadillac plans. What do you think that is going to do to everybody's premiums?

That's right, make them so damned expensive that you have no other "choice" but to go to the public option. Oh, and how are we going to pay for all this?
Click to expand...

Points 1 and 3 are basically eliminating medical underwriting. The rates for those who live healthy lifestyles will go up so that those who make poor lifestyle choices won't pay more. No more incentives to quit smoking, or lose weight, or anything else.

Point 2 can't be achieved without premiums going up. You can't get something for nothing.

Point 4 is further entrenching health insurance's de facto status as nothing more than pre-paid medical care. Insurance is designed to cover unexpected events, not routine costs.

Points 5 and 6: fine, so long as you acknowlege it's an expense/new entitlement. Don't insult our intelligence by pretending that it's somehow going to save money to extend health care to more people.
 
I've got a few things to take care of before the speech. Excerpts from the speech have been released, just google or go to AP. I'm not running away, just gotta get a few things done before dark/speech.
 
From whitehouse.gov.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_...n-of-Congress-tonight/

"What this plan will do is to make the insurance you have work better for you. Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies ? because there?s no reason we shouldn?t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives."
 
I wonder if he's pushing the dropping of minimum requirements and the 5 year clause? If so, I support it. If not, I dont.

First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.
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If he can pull this off, I support it:

What this plan will do is to make the insurance you have work better for you. Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies ? because there?s no reason we shouldn?t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives.
Click to expand...

Overall it looks like a pretty generic speech. As they say the devil is in the details. We'll have to watch to see what the house comes up with.
 
oo, rising cost... automakers!

oh, we pay for someone elses care already... but nope when we all have healthcare, that wont happen!
 
Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
oo, rising cost... automakers!

oh, we pay for someone elses care already... but nope when we all have healthcare, that wont happen!
Click to expand...

The automakers more or less fvcked themselves.
 
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