Print Print

True health care reform: Puzzle it out

by Karoli on December 11, 2009

What is it? Ending insurers’ right to ban pre-existing conditions. Period.

Puzzle it out. As a parallel, I suggest looking at civil rights. It is the discrimination which must be eliminated in order to enact reform.

Unless discriminatory practices are illegal, the rest doesn’t matter. Period. Insurers understand this. The public option, lifetime caps, premium subsidies, single payer, and other reforms discussed to death this year do not matter.

As long as there is discrimination, there is not reform. As long as insurers are permitted to cherry-pick their pools, there is no reform.

Nothing else matters. Only that.

If pre-existing conditions become a thing of the past, you can project the next chapter pretty easily. Insurers will become the greatest champions of single-payer health care you’ve ever seen.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball.

Bonus link here

{ 2 trackbacks }

Tweets that mention True health care reform: Puzzle it out -- Topsy.com
December 11, 2009 at 11:55 pm
uberVU - social comments
December 12, 2009 at 8:54 am

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Stephen Downes December 12, 2009 at 8:42 am

> As long as insurers are permitted to cherry-pick their pools, there is no reform.

I think that's a good point.

One thing about Canada, there is only one pool – a single payer. And people pay into that pool (via taxes) based on how much income they receive, not on the basis of where they live or what conditions they suffer.

It is not only fairer, it is substantially cheaper.

2 Stephen Downes December 12, 2009 at 9:42 am

> As long as insurers are permitted to cherry-pick their pools, there is no reform.

I think that's a good point.

One thing about Canada, there is only one pool – a single payer. And people pay into that pool (via taxes) based on how much income they receive, not on the basis of where they live or what conditions they suffer.

It is not only fairer, it is substantially cheaper.

3 lindadapper December 13, 2009 at 8:22 am
4 lindadapper December 13, 2009 at 8:22 am
5 lindadapper December 13, 2009 at 9:23 am

Senator on Twitter (alapha order)

Senator Barbara Boxer (@barbara_boxer
Senator Sam Brownback(@sensambrownback)
Senator Mark Begich (@MarkBegich)
Senator Tom Coburn (@tomcoburn)
Senator Susan Collins (@senatorcollins)
Senator Bob Corker (@senbobcorker)
Senator John Cornyn (@johncornyn)
Senator Jim DeMint (@jimdement)
Senator Chris Dodd (@SenChrisDodd)
Senator Dick Durbin(@dickdurbin)
Senator John Ensign (@johnensign)
Senator Russ Feingold (@russfeingold)
SenatorChuck Grassley (@chuckgrassley)
Senator Orrin Hatch (@orrinhatch)
Senator Jim Inhofe (@jminhofe)
Senator John Kerry(@johnkerry)
Senator Richard Lugar (@senatorlugar)
Senator John McCain (@senjohnmccain)
Senator Claire McCaskill (@clairemc)
Senator Bob Menendez(@senatormenendez)
Senator Jeff Merkley (@senjeffmerkley)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowsk
Senator Ben Nelson (@senbennelson)
Senator Bill Nelson (@senbillnelson)
Senator Bernie Sanders (@senatorsanders)
Senator Jeff Sessions (@SenatorSessions)
Senator Richard Shelby (@RichardShelby)
Senator Arlen Specter(@senarlenspecter)
Senator John Thune (@johnthune
Senator Harry Reid (@senatorreid)
Senator Mark Udall(@markudall)
Senator Tom Udall (@tomudall
Senator David Vitter (@davidvitter)
Senator Mark Warner (@markwarner)
Senator Roger Wicker(@rogerwicker)

6 lindadapper December 13, 2009 at 4:23 pm

Senator on Twitter (alapha order)

Senator Barbara Boxer (@barbara_boxer
Senator Sam Brownback(@sensambrownback)
Senator Mark Begich (@MarkBegich)
Senator Tom Coburn (@tomcoburn)
Senator Susan Collins (@senatorcollins)
Senator Bob Corker (@senbobcorker)
Senator John Cornyn (@johncornyn)
Senator Jim DeMint (@jimdement)
Senator Chris Dodd (@SenChrisDodd)
Senator Dick Durbin(@dickdurbin)
Senator John Ensign (@johnensign)
Senator Russ Feingold (@russfeingold)
SenatorChuck Grassley (@chuckgrassley)
Senator Orrin Hatch (@orrinhatch)
Senator Jim Inhofe (@jminhofe)
Senator John Kerry(@johnkerry)
Senator Richard Lugar (@senatorlugar)
Senator John McCain (@senjohnmccain)
Senator Claire McCaskill (@clairemc)
Senator Bob Menendez(@senatormenendez)
Senator Jeff Merkley (@senjeffmerkley)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowsk
Senator Ben Nelson (@senbennelson)
Senator Bill Nelson (@senbillnelson)
Senator Bernie Sanders (@senatorsanders)
Senator Jeff Sessions (@SenatorSessions)
Senator Richard Shelby (@RichardShelby)
Senator Arlen Specter(@senarlenspecter)
Senator John Thune (@johnthune
Senator Harry Reid (@senatorreid)
Senator Mark Udall(@markudall)
Senator Tom Udall (@tomudall
Senator David Vitter (@davidvitter)
Senator Mark Warner (@markwarner)
Senator Roger Wicker(@rogerwicker)

Leave a Comment

You can use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

CommentLuv Enabled

Previous post:

Next post: