Comments on: Massachusetts Turns to Premium Price Controls to “Control” Health Care Costs http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Thu, 24 May 2012 19:58:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: John Schaffran http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-59486 John Schaffran Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:24:10 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9927#comment-59486 You want something plausible? How about TORT reform! I am sure knee jerk libs will say no way to that idea. What is wrong with all states competing for private sector business? It is done for life insurance, car insurance! True conservatism needs to come back and these bastards on the left. By the way there is no such thing as a moderate, pro life, progressive democrat. Just ask Bart Stupak. He sold his soul and the electorate, which by the way voted him in at 65% of the vote in the last election, told him to not even bother running again. Many democrats are just as pissed off as conservatives are. Come November Obama and his liberal activists are finished for good! They will never, ever have complete control of this country ever again. Good riddance and good riddance to the RINO's like McCain, Graham, etc. You want something plausible? How about TORT reform! I am sure knee jerk libs will say no way to that idea. What is wrong with all states competing for private sector business? It is done for life insurance, car insurance! True conservatism needs to come back and these bastards on the left. By the way there is no such thing as a moderate, pro life, progressive democrat. Just ask Bart Stupak. He sold his soul and the electorate, which by the way voted him in at 65% of the vote in the last election, told him to not even bother running again. Many democrats are just as pissed off as conservatives are. Come November Obama and his liberal activists are finished for good! They will never, ever have complete control of this country ever again. Good riddance and good riddance to the RINO’s like McCain, Graham, etc.

]]> By: Bart Ingles http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-59168 Bart Ingles Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:25:05 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9927#comment-59168 It's all part of the game plan. Push all the insurers out of the marketplace. Cite the lack of competition as a reason for introducing a government-run option, which can initially "compete" by operating at a loss. Finally, when all private competitors have exited, raise premiums for the government option enough to pay for costs and generate a surplus, which can then be used to replace dwindling tax revenue. It was inevitable. The only way to avoid it would have been to head it off with a viable, more conservative set of reforms. Instead the GOP seemed to settle on a sort of radical quasi-libertarian scheme that would have gutted employer-sponsored coverage without first establishing a stable alternative. It had no chance of attracting moderate Democrat support. It's almost enough to make me think that both sides were in cahoots-- advancing as the sole alternative a "pushover candidate" whose main purpose was to draw support away from any viable alternative to Obamacare. But I suppose that would be paranoid. At this point the best hope seems to be to learn enough to effectively game the system. I suppose it's possible that if the GOP gains enough this year and in 2012, it will have an opportunity to fix provisions that go into effect in 2013 and beyond. But to do so they're going to have to move quickly from "repeal and replace" to simply "replace" and have something plausible in mind. It’s all part of the game plan. Push all the insurers out of the marketplace. Cite the lack of competition as a reason for introducing a government-run option, which can initially “compete” by operating at a loss. Finally, when all private competitors have exited, raise premiums for the government option enough to pay for costs and generate a surplus, which can then be used to replace dwindling tax revenue.

It was inevitable. The only way to avoid it would have been to head it off with a viable, more conservative set of reforms. Instead the GOP seemed to settle on a sort of radical quasi-libertarian scheme that would have gutted employer-sponsored coverage without first establishing a stable alternative. It had no chance of attracting moderate Democrat support. It’s almost enough to make me think that both sides were in cahoots– advancing as the sole alternative a “pushover candidate” whose main purpose was to draw support away from any viable alternative to Obamacare. But I suppose that would be paranoid.

At this point the best hope seems to be to learn enough to effectively game the system. I suppose it’s possible that if the GOP gains enough this year and in 2012, it will have an opportunity to fix provisions that go into effect in 2013 and beyond. But to do so they’re going to have to move quickly from “repeal and replace” to simply “replace” and have something plausible in mind.

]]> By: Devon Herrick http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-59146 Devon Herrick Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:27:14 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9927#comment-59146 It's amazing how politicians, advocates and bureaucrats honestly expect insurers to continue operating money-losing activities just because the politicians, advocates and bureaucrats would like them to. It’s amazing how politicians, advocates and bureaucrats honestly expect insurers to continue operating money-losing activities just because the politicians, advocates and bureaucrats would like them to.

]]> By: Larry C. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-59127 Larry C. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:48:48 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9927#comment-59127 As Massachusetts goes, so goes the whole country. As Massachusetts goes, so goes the whole country.

]]> By: Joe S. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/massachusetts-turns-to-premium-price-controls-to-%e2%80%9ccontrol%e2%80%9d-health-care-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-59073 Joe S. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:45:32 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9927#comment-59073 It doesn't look good for Obama Care. It doesn’t look good for Obama Care.

]]>