On eve of critical vote, insurance industry group mounts last-minute attack on reform effort

After working for months behind the scenes to help shape health care reform, the insurance industry is now sharply attacking the emerging plan with a report that maintains Senate legislation would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year.

[mayo420]

I feel so much more comforted when corporate America expends so much effort to protect the interest of the little guy. They display such an overwhelming level of basic human compassion.

[phineas]

mayo420 wrote:

I feel so much more comforted when corporate America expends so much effort to protect the interest of the little guy. They display such an overwhelming level of basic human compassion.

Someone really, really needs to send these insurance clowns to a gulag somewhere in the Pacific Northwest to chop wood the rest of their days.

[frank]

of course teh insurance companies dont want reform--there out right evil greed knows no end. yet hey republicans love the greedy and evil insurance companies.

[stella007]

Money talks and the legislation for any reform is sponsored by 6 lobbyists for every Senator and Representative in Congress.
Special interests and lobbyists will control the outcome of health care.
If the insurance giants were sincere, they would be competitive instead of practicing collusion. Furthermore, why can't or (haven't)they dropped preexisting conditions,coverage limits and reasonable premiums until forced to?
Isn't that the premise of capitalism?
Competition my ass.

[Dismayed]

Yep...those with the most money win. And "our" Congress can be bought.

I'm sure there are provisions in this bill that are not in any way perfect. But haven't we all said we need healthcare reform? Better start somewhere soon. Too bad the insurance companies couldn't have reformed themselves, but then, that's not a part of the culture of greed.

[Les Claypool]

Do you ever get the feeling that we're dammed if we do and dammed if we don't? I'm all for lowering our ski-rocketing health care costs, but I've never seen our government actually improve effeciency or reduce the price of anything.

[the Messiah]

These Bills INCREASE THE COST to Individual Policy Holders!

Our idiot Congress has done exactly the opposite of what is promised!

[stella007]

the Messiah wrote:

These Bills INCREASE THE COST to Individual Policy Holders!
Our idiot Congress has done exactly the opposite of what is promised!

FYI: insurance companies will continue to gouge consumers because they can. You will pay regardless.
Profits before people.

[frank]

dont pass a health care reform bill dont get hard working people like me insurance. i will just go to ER then never pay the bill then the hospital will raise rates they charge which will raise healthcare insurance charges on all the republicans plans. you will pay for it one way or the other. my rich republican boss cut out our health insurance benefit so he could pocket more money and buy his new cabin up north and take world cruise with his wife. i work 65 hours a week my wife also works about 50 hours a week and there is no way we can afford the $700 a month it would cost to insure our sleves and two kids. so i will go to Er and not pay the bill until we have healthcare for all in america or my cheap boss gives it again.

[Mykro]

phineas wrote:

<quoted text>
Someone really, really needs to send these insurance clowns to a gulag somewhere in the Pacific Northwest to chop wood the rest of their days.

Holy shit. You let the cat out of the bag. Gulags in the Pacific Northwest? Did the CIA approve this disclosure?

[Mykro]

the Messiah wrote:

These Bills INCREASE THE COST to Individual Policy Holders!
Our idiot Congress has done exactly the opposite of what is promised!

The messiah has never arisen. You speaking from the grave because your insurance company dropped you?

[MightyKrendarian]

the Messiah wrote:

These Bills INCREASE THE COST to Individual Policy Holders!
Our idiot Congress has done exactly the opposite of what is promised!

I would support universal healthcare if the model were a working one from any other wealthy country that has one that works. Why not the UK? Hell we are friends with them now, and they are the closest thing this country will ever have to having a parent. Second stipulation: No addendum's or pork please. But that would require us running out of Washington D.C. all of the lobbyists. Michael Moorer is ready, are you? This healthcare topic is about greed folks, nothing else. When we allow a government to exist where Corporate interests (Pharmaceutical and all the MANY others) are more represented than your interests, what is created is an unfair society. An unbalanced society. Lou Dobbs said just a little while ago, "Corporate America holds as big or bigger a piece of the profit pie than it did during WWII." This is our struggle. A gridlocked government which we need to repair! I hope a Theodore Roosevelt or William Taft shows up soon to start these lawsuits. Obama! Wait! He can do it! He is the president! Everyone support him now!~ he needs our support! Don't listen to ANY polls! Every single one of our families can tell you a story about healthcare evils!!!!

[Mac-7]

phineas wrote:

<quoted text>

Someone really, really needs to send these insurance clowns to a gulag somewhere in the Pacific Northwest to chop wood the rest of their days.

Spoken like a true Obamatron.

Maybe the communist rice paddies and death camps are available for lease in Cambodia.

You could send all the conservatives there.

Obama might be able to get a good deal on them since he's the new Nobel Peace Prize winner.

[Mac-7]

frank wrote:

of course teh insurance companies dont want reform--there out right evil greed knows no end. yet hey republicans love the greedy and evil insurance companies.

I'm not interested in "reform" that will cost my family an extra $4,000 a year.

That would be insane.

[Oregon Is Disgusting]

If the denial-of-care health insurance industry is FOR IT, good people should be AGAINST IT and vice versa.

The health insurance industry is nothing but the money-grubbing middleman between YOU and YOUR DOCTOR. Get them out!

Taiwan single payer = 6% of GDP. Everyone covered. No one is going bankrupt. No one is dying from lack of coverage.

USA NOT single payer = 18% of GDP. Tens of millions uncovered. Tens of millions more undercovered. 60% of bankruptcies due in whole or in part from medical bills. 40,000 people dying from lack of coverage.

How stupid is the USA that we can't even do as well as little Taiwan?

Call your representatives. Call the White House. Support massive health care reform today!

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT for your financial future and for your health and the health of your children.

[Oregon Is Disgusting]

What are the denial-of-care insurance companies fight for? They are fighting to:

1. Hike your premiums every year.

2. Deny more of your benefits every year.

Why?

Health insurance companies make the more money by doing any combination of the above. That is obvious.

It is just the math.

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT to reform the US health care system!

Single payer for all. Never worry about bankruptcy due to medical bills. Never worry about taking a new job due to pre existing conditions. Never worry about being told you have to come up with tens of thousands of dollars in cash in order to have an operation because you have been denied coverage.

[Oregon Is Disgusting]

Mac-7 wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm not interested in "reform" that will cost my family an extra $4,000 a year.
That would be insane.

Spoken like a true lover of denial-of-care health insurance companies.

Why do you love them anyway?

[Mac-7]

Oregon Is Disgusting wrote:

<quoted text>

Spoken like a true lover of denial-of-care health insurance companies.

Why do you love them anyway?

The insurance companies never did anything bad to me.

But then I'm a paying customer.

What this report is saying is very logical and so far Obama has failed to give a convincing response.

$4,000 is a very alarming number.

Why should responsible Americans have to so much extra just to cover lazy Obama voters who don't want to pay anything for their healthcare?

[mayo420]

Mac-7 wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm not interested in "reform" that will cost my family an extra $4,000 a year.
That would be insane.

Fox News, 10/12/09, >>Late Sunday, AHIP sent reporters and its member companies a new accounting firm study that projects the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions in the bill would be in effect.<<

Hmmm, the insurance industry group who is out full guns against ObamaCare could only account for a $1,700 increase. Apparently there are more numbers floating around than uninsured Americans. Perhaps you should email them and inform them of their mistake.

[Eleanor]

Mac-7 wrote:

<quoted text>
The insurance companies never did anything bad to me.
But then I'm a paying customer.
What this report is saying is very logical and so far Obama has failed to give a convincing response.
$4,000 is a very alarming number.
Why should responsible Americans have to so much extra just to cover lazy Obama voters who don't want to pay anything for their healthcare?

One thing about insurance, is that it is a potential PROFIT based on risk. Say that I insure 10 healthy people. Chances are only 1 in 10 will get sick in a year, so I'll probably MAKE MONEY from the other 9. But, if I were FORCED to take on 10 already (pre-existing) sick people, how much MORE would I have to charge all of them just to make certain there will be money to pay for their treatments? Forcing insurance companies to accept pre-existing conditions with MAKE INSURANCE UNAFFORDABLE for EVERYONE.