Health Insurers TERRIFIED of Supreme Court's Ruling on Individual Mandate

[longfisher]

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch...e-mandate-only

When I first became embroiled in controversy on this board it was when I tried to explain to some who were complaining about the individual mandate that it was based on sound insurance principles. Of course, so few of you, excepting Marine and Glenn and Zummie and Bill, are not partison hot heads that it was fruitless to speak reason to you...and I paid for the effort endlessly here.

Over time, I realized that most of you blamed Obama for the mandate. So, I tried to tell you that it was the insurers who initiated the mandate and that your bile was misdirected. Again, too many hot heads, closed minds and loud mouths for many of you to listen.

So, take a look at the above link.

I rest my case without having to restate it. It was always the Republican-supported and Republican-protected insurance industry who wanted the mandate. And, they're the ones petrified of having it repealed now.

Most of you would do better if you would tone it down and debate with civility, learn the truth before you speak or vote and if you feel compelled to vote for parties or individual office-holders who work so clearly and directly in opposition to your personal interests at least do what Marine does; CALL THEM OUT ON IT.

LF

[clt_capt]

Longfisher - The heart of my issue with government mandated healthcare insurance and with nationalized medicine plans is that it limits my options.

Yes - My employer does pay a large portion of my Insurance, but I CHOOSE to allocate an additional portion of my income to Healthcare. I consider myself to be fiscally conservative and choose to take care of my family - and PAY for the ability to get the best possible care.

The Obamacare plan as it stands would limit my options and I would be forced to accept a lesser standard of care. It also means that I would be subsidizing care for people who think that Emergency Room visits are free.

Obamacare is all about insurance - It does absolutely nothing to resolve the overwhelming issues in Healthcare - it is yet again another deficit spending program without looking at managing the real costs of Healthcare, and providing a better standard of living.

[billschwabe]

At first I though you were referring to me and I couldn't remember ever weighing in on the topic so I guess it was BFB?

You are absolutely correct, and the only true difference between the donkey and elephant versions was in the dollar figures and caps for self-insured options. The insurance lobbyists were playing both sides of the field and have been for the whole game. They know they'll win every time that way!

I too hate the idea of anything being mandatory, insurance especially. Make it mandatory and free market competition becomes an illusion, like the insurance companiy exec's don't all sit down and work out rates at their retreats, right! I lost my first child after a 11 year battle with Cystic Fibrosis and since I was covered by my companies group policy it was nearly all covered UNTIL they switched to BCBS, then it got horribly worse. While spending 11 years basically living in the hospital I did see the "freeloaders" in the ER for sniffles and was always enraged that they didn't have to pay.

Since then, I have gone 28 years with no insurance (they cancelled my policy, over the limit of coverage) and have personally only went to the doctor for a semi-annual physical which I paid out of pocket. NO meds, nothing else. I've been on both sides of the street I would say but I'm kind of glad they cancelled me and I haven't had to pay outrageous premiums for 28 years with no return. Sure, I could get deathly sick tomorrow but if that happens, take me out fishing one last time, I won't be a burden on the system!

[seapower]

Any time some one disagree's with you , you pop off the right winger, republican tirade. Fact of the matter is I'm neither, I just don't want mandated insurance crammed down my throat by anyone, Republican, Demacrat doesn't matter.

I'm the same as Bill, I have alway's been self pay as the need arises. That's the entire point, I PAY MY BILL'S!!! Leave me the heck alone and work on the one's that don't! I hope there is a chance that one day I can rise to the same league as Marine. A man's gotta have a dream I guess! Frank

[longfisher]

Any time some one disagree's with you , you pop off the right winger, republican tirade. Fact of the matter is I'm neither, I just don't want mandated insurance crammed down my throat by anyone, Republican, Demacrat doesn't matter.

I'm the same as Bill, I have alway's been self pay as the need arises. That's the entire point, I PAY MY BILL'S!!! Leave me the heck alone and work on the one's that don't! I hope there is a chance that one day I can rise to the same league as Marine. A man's gotta have a dream I guess! Frank

Thanks for the responses, so far.

But not one of you, some of whom pillaried Obama for the mandate (Seapower), have in your above posts correctly assigned the blame to the insurers rather than to the President. Obama's part of this debacle is that he swallowed that argument hook line and sinker. But it was an insurance industry demand of Obama if he wanted their "support" of the legislation. That support promised early in the debate soon dissipated once the insurers had cornered about 50 million more americans into buying their deceitful products.

Why is it so hard to just say you were wrong about who was at fault?

It is the Republicans and certainly not any other party who defends the insurers. They too are to blame.

It is the voters on this board who continue to vote Republican and who give succor to the Republican office holders who are also to blame. Again, only Marine and a few others here have stepped outside their comfort zone and challenged their representatives on issues like this, where the Republican party routinely acts against the self-interest of Republican voters.

Seapower, this really is a Republican failing. It's a failing of the party to do what right for the nation. It's a failure of the party to do what's right the Republican voters. And, it's a failure of the Republican voters to demand better representative.

So, I have no problem at all with pointing the finger of blame at them all.

I also choose to point out the illigitimacy of a Republican voting for Republicans while complaining about the mandate. It exists because of the cover Republican voters give their office holder and because Obama is a dope of the first order.

LF

[longfisher]

Sure, I could get deathly sick tomorrow but if that happens, take me out fishing one last time, I won't be a burden on the system!

Sounds eerily similar to my plan should I be afflicted by a serious, irreversible illness or accident. But I have insurance.

LF

[seapower]

This whole political thing is nothing more than a 3 monkey circus (President, Senate and Congress). The only way out as I see it is to do as BFB stated, vote em' ALL out. Start over, with a clean slate, with term limit's in place. It's a crying shame that some sleeze bag Representative, after serving one term has better health care, insurance and retirement benefit's than any of our Veteran's. I don't know how to make the case any simpler. I don't have time to pour over the net, paper's, magazine's, etc...... to try and dig up the next arguement. It's heading in the direction to get enough people just plainly pissed off enough to make huge change's. Sooner than later would suit me fine. Frank

[billschwabe]

Thanks for the responses, so far.

But not one of you, some of whom pillaried Obama for the mandate (Seapower), have in your above posts correctly assigned the blame to the insurers rather than to the President. Obama's part of this debacle is that he swallowed that argument hook line and sinker. But it was an insurance industry demand of Obama if he wanted their "support" of the legislation. That support promised early in the debate soon dissipated once the insurers had cornered about 50 million more americans into buying their deceitful products.

Why is it so hard to just say you were wrong about who was at fault?

It is the Republicans and certainly not any other party who defends the insurers. They too are to blame.

LF, I think everyone is in agreement the insurance companies were behind the push for mandatory health care. Sure, the republicans took advantage of the opportunity to label it "Obamacare" in a thinly disguised attempt to blame him but their counter proposal only differed in dollar and cap options, not substance. DC has been ruled by lobbyists for a long time now and big business has been calling the shots for their elected officials on both sides of the house so long it's become "standard" practice. As long as they can keep the media circus tent up blaming each other they can keep the circus going but if the word ever gets out they are really all working for the same masters (not US), things may begin to change. Problem is, even voting out incumbents only partially reduces the problem, anyone who can afford to spend the money "required" to gain the popular vote will be under the same pressure to vote the way the donations desire. All the protests overseas are happening for the same reason and don't think for a moment our leaders aren't scared to death it will begin here, the OWS movement is the beginning, misguided perhaps now, but the start nonetheless. As long as they (the dems and repubs) can keep blaming and maligning each other in the popular press, they can continue to keep us distracted from the true source whence power is wielded. (paraphrased from Douglass Adams)