[quote]atypical1 wrote:
I would go as far as to say that they can’t. Insurance companies know this and they will be compensated by the government to make up for these losses. It’s one reason some insurance companies are trying to get into this. Others are opting not to because they don’t think they could do it and still make a profit.
I’m not sure that anyone really thought that the exchanges would be able to pay for this all. Well, maybe Obama and his advisers would have but I assure you that nobody else thought that would be the case. It doesn’t happen now. Insurance companies drop customers or price them away if they become too much of a liability.
james[/quote]
I think the possibility of needing to subsidize insurance companies was deemed to be an acceptable price to pay (rather than drive the insurance industry directly out of business with a more drastic approach like Single Payer). Because Obama is a Leftist (I mean Moderate! It’s pretty much the Romney plan). If you wanna get rid of insurance companies, I’m right there with you. They contribute nothing to your actual healthcare, they just shift money around and skim from the top. We don’t need them. Beyond that, Americans decided a long time ago that we don’t want to see fellow citizens dropping dead in the street, hence we have Medicare and other programs, like Obamacare now. You guys who would be fine with letting people die, you’re in the minority and nobody is listening to you on that one.
Based on Romneycare 10 years later, there are estimates that Obamacare might save as many as 24,000 American lives every year (that sucks, I know guys!)
Everybody needs healthcare coverage, and guess what - if you can afford coverage, then you gotta pay (the mandate). No more free rides at the emergency room, which will lower costs for everybody. Even if you’re 21 and you think you’re invincible, you gotta pay.
Insurance is a ripoff for most people - you might pay $500/month and only go for a yearly checkup, while somebody else gets both hips replaced and takes handfuls of prescription meds on a daily basis. Guess what - you’re paying for him. That’s how insurance works, whether you buy your policy on the exchange or through a private broker. It’s not completely fair for everybody, but that’s our system.
(News flash - life is not completely fair for everybody. Try to carry on.)
PS: Counting Beans - ‘polling’ not poling.