The guest last night was author Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules, said something I don't think has been said yet and might have let the cat out of the bag in a way. He said that if the current HCR bill passes that the health insurance will have a stake in our health and they will use their lobbyist power and money to go after industries that harm Americans because in doing so they'd be helping their bottom line. Now Mr. Pollan was just talking about unhealthy cheap food and additives however it could be broadened to virtually every aspect.
The major complaint to this HCR bill is that it doesn't have nearly enough cost control measures - however the health insurance companies can only raise premiums so much, so they'll also have to actually work to lower costs anywhere and everywhere - before their business model made it easy with denial for pre-existing conditions, yearly and lifetime caps and dropping high cost policy holders by often underhanded practice of rescission. Before this bill the easiest way to control costs for health insurance industry was to insure only healthy people.
With the ban on denial for pre-existing conditions, ban on yearly and lifetime caps and ending rescission except for cases of blatant fraud (as opposed to honest mistake based on confusion of the forms) the health insurance industry will have to find a new ways to control their costs and maximize their profits.
Now surely some will say "They'll just raise their premiums", and that is a real possibility however there will be a tipping point there as well. They can only go so high, and with a lot more folks mandated to the health insurance industry and with tax dollars subsidizing insurance plans for many of those who can't afford current premium prices there will be a lot of pressure in the future for politicians and the government to control the premium prices, and those politicians on either side will put that pressure on the insurance companies. Will a politician run on a platform of "If you get too sick I will allow insurance co's to drop you", "If you cost your insurance company too much I'll allow them to cap your coverage both yearly and lifetime", "Those tens of millions getting subsidized coverage - sorry but we're cutting you off", "If you have a pre-existing condition you better find a job you like because if I'm elected you will be able to be refused coverage for that pre-existing condition"? Before only those who were unlucky enough to have to be sick, or have a child be sick and have to fight the insurance companies were kicking up a fuss and their voice was too small. And individuals couldn't fight the system because they were worried about being dropped. This bill will allow a lot more people to be in the fight. Premiums go up and everybody will be shouting from their roof tops
So with premiums reasonably locked in, where does the insurance companies look to cut their expenses - they have to look at anything and everything that would save them money - they'll have to use their lobbyists power to go after the drug companies to lower their costs, they'll look to invest in preventative care for their policy holders because a penny in preventative care saves a dollar in doctors visits down the line, they'll go after the unhealthy food industry, they'll focus on keeping their policy holders out of the emergency rooms, have a vested interest in keeping their policy holders as healthy as possible.
Before you get sick and they drop you, under this bill that cannot happen. Now you get sick and they have to pay for you - this bill drastically alters their business model. Health Insurance companies make the most money now by keeping you healthy - you get sick they lose, you stay healthy they win.