Health Insurance Exchange

[bord_du_rasoir]

I. Reducing Health Insurance Costs & Improving Quality

In the health care debate, there's one provision I feel should be relatively non-controversial, because it's a free-market idea, and conservatives and Republicans are supposed to be in favor of the free market.

Here's a piece Ezra Klein wrote for The Washington Post back in June:
WashPostHere

Comments

maybe almost true???

[prostheticgod04]

I'm not sold on the Exchange/Gateway provision and how well it will work. I think that it is better than nothing, but there isn't much evidence I've come across that supports it allows for similar care at a reduced cost. IT allows for collectivism but little-C collective bargaining. If we're ultimately talking about leverage here, why aren't we reaching for the biggest lever we can find to reduce costs/increase benefits. It's for that reason that I still prefer a real and true Public Option where there is a single strong-arm Federal Guv'mint who can see to it that you get what you need if the Private Insurance Deniers Adjusters start cutting throats coverage when they turn into claims.

In fact, I have a hard time understanding why we would require everyone who is presently uninsured to purchase health insurance through a National Exchange, why we wouldn't just set up a Single Payer system... If thems was da rules--namely, that you had no choice BUT to have a certain amount of health insurance--I can't come up with a decent reason why we shouldn't all be on the same plan that rises to that level of coverage. Boutique care could be purchased on the side. This isn't to say I'm against exchanges in theory, I can see where they would be better than nothing and could actually have an impact. I suppose my line of thinking is that since we're talking about it, why settle? That's the job of the Democratic Party apparently.

Up until a month ago I was fairly sure that whatever came out of D.C. on this was going to be just slightly better for people than it was for the Industry. As of a few weeks ago, however, I reckon the whole effort is doomed. Industry will benefit greatly; I just hope some under- or uninsured people benefit some at this point. I'm quite disappointed in the whole sorry affair. I knew I'd never get remotely close to what I wanted to see happen, but I had a whole lot of faith that something really good would happen none the less.