An admitted non-policy wonk and someone who does not know everything in the HCR bills, I have one thought that is really scaring me. Join me over the hump.
Just how powerful are these Private Insurance companies going to become if we give them a mandate and essentially 47 million new customers along with subsidies to help pay their astronomical rates. What part of the legislation will keep control or provide competition? If things are hard to pass now, think of the money we will be up against in 10 years time.
I do think to get costs down you need to have everyone paying into it but if you pass a mandate you must, not should or might, but must have a gov't run option open to everybody as a choice. Why that is negotiable is beyond me.
Some people write some pretty passionate posts saying how something is better than nothing and we should pass this and then try to build on it but no one has convinced me that the "something" in these bills is actually not going to end up being worse for us in the future.
One over simplified scenario.
- Ex. I pay $500.00 a month for my premium
- The subsidies passed in this legislation initially take $200.00 off my premiums making it $300.00 per month.
- The insurance companies are well aware I paid $500.00 in the past and increase their premiums consistently until I am back to paying $500.00, or its inflation adjusted equivalent by that time. Heck they almost have to do it because if they don't the other insurance companies surely will.
Am I wrong here? I know a lot of people are hurting now and need help now but what about people in the future? Is it better to take the quick fix and make the problem bigger and more difficult to handle later, as if it isn't big or difficult enough now?
It's all or nothing for me.