The Blue Dogs and DLC triangulators are now homing in on Romneycare as the model for "health care reform". This is based on an individual mandate and a "connector" state-run brokerage that allows insurance companies to charge anything they want, so long as they don't have the applicant's actual name before they give the quote (which is, to be sure, a bit of an improvement over other states).
So what does this Connector do for costs? The best example in government might be NASA, launching rockets that go up really fast. Since you have to buy from somebody in the cartel, they have no incentive to keep rates low.
So here are the actual rates they're quoting for me tonight.
I plugged in approximate birthdates for my family of four and asked for all plans. Here's what it comes up with. First, the lowest-cost plans.
Tufts Health Plan
Advantage HMO Select 2000 (Limited choice of doctors & hospitals)
$1,175.05 (monthly rate) $2,000/$4,000 (individual/family deductibles) $40 Dr. copay. $20 after Rx deductible / $50 after Rx deductible / $75 after Rx deductible (almost all plans have 3 tiers of prescriptions) $200 ER copay. $0 hospital stay after deductible
Note that Tufts Advantage plans have very, very few doctors included in the plan, maybe < 10% of their total.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Harvard Pilgrim Core Coverage 1750
$1,237.14 $1,750/$3,500 $25 copay up to 3 medical care office visits per individual (or 6 per family); next visits are subject to the deductible; then 20% co-insurance thereafter $15 / 50% co-insurance after Rx deductible / 50% co-insurance after Rx deductible $250 20% co-insurance after deductible
Fallon Community Health Plan
FCHP Direct Care
$1,286.00 $2,000/$4,000 $25 $15 / $50 / $100 $200 $500 per admission after deductible
Neighborhood Health Plan
NHPThree Select
$1,356.49 $2,000/$4,000 $25 $15 after Rx deductible / 50% co-insurance after Rx deductible / 50% co-insurance after Rx deductible $100 after deductible 20% co-insurance after deductible
Note that NHP is largely limited to inner-city Boston.
So a high-deductible plan is over $13k/year. See how close we are to Baucus' proposed taxable $15k level without even getting past the Kia range? Moving up the ladder from "Bronze" to "Silver",
Tufts Health Plan
HMO Select 20 (Limited choice of doctors & hospitals)
$1,633.06 None/None $20 $10 after Rx deductible / $25 after Rx deductible / $45 after Rx deductible $150 $600 per admission (up to $2,400 per individual or $4,800 per family per calendar year)
Still a "Select" plan, but some lower deductibles.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Harvard Pilgrim Best Buy HMO 1000
$1,740.07 $1,000/$2,000 $20 $15 / $30 / $50 $100 after deductible $0 after deductible
Not bad coverage, but for $20k.
Fallon Community Health Plan
FCHP Direct Care
$1,862.00 $500/$1,000 $20 $15 / $35 / $60 $100 $0 after deductible
Now at the "gold" level,
Tufts Health Plan
HMO Select 15 (Limited choice of doctors & hospitals)
$2,063.97 None/None $15 $10 / $25 / $45 $75 $100 per admission
Still almost no access to the doctors, yet almost $25k/year! BTW I get Tufts from a non-Connector broker and that's the only way it to get out of their "Select" jail.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Harvard Pilgrim Tiered Copayment HMO 15
$2,571.51 None/None $15 $10 / $30 / $50 $75 $100 per admission
Still an HMO but low copays for $30k/year,
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
HMO Blue Premium
$2,918.43 None/None $15 $10 / $25 / $45 $100 $100 per admission
Just in case you wondered what "Blue Cross" costs here. Still an HMO. The Connector has no PPOs, no simple indemnity plans.
This, folks, is what an Individual Mandate with no cost control or public option gets you.