This is about right... on the Peoria.com Forums

I just stumbled across this article. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_go_co/health_insurers_1

This post isn't a slam versus Obama or the democrats, it is a slam against insurance companies.  Here is what the article, in part, has to say:

WASHINGTON – The health insurance industry says it will support a national health care overhaul that requires them to accept all customers regardless of pre-existing medical conditions.

ummmm... errrr... Be careful what you wish for?

Need more details. I pay a portion of my health insurance. $124 and some cents a month for just me. Would I have to change plans or would the insurance through my employer continue. How much would "different" insurance cost me. Any impact on Medicare or obtaining part D insurance. Lots of questions remain. I don't want the insurance companies to go broke, but I don't see them writing an equitable plan.

The reason they want everyone mandated to purchase health insurance is because usually it is healthy people who don't have inurance and if only sick people had insurance then the insurance companies would go bankrupt. They want the unisured healthy people to subsidize the sick people.

we have none zilch zero 0  . so we are screwed if we needed a dr .

I'm thinking the point is that I "have" to have anything. I'm insured through my employer so it's a moot point for me now, but previously I was either self employed (freelance) or working for smaller employers who could not afford to insure their employees. To me this is simply another way for the government to force me to help support their welfare programs. I don't get a choice as far as tax is concerned and now they want to take control of yet another aspect of my life.

Can a person defect to an Indian reservation?

So, what if McDonalds says to Congress:  "We'll feed anyone, but everyone has to eat at McDonald's once a day."  there is something wrong with this line of thinking.  I'm not against national health care, but this ain't the way.

Well... the devil is always in the details.

A number of countries have requirements for all of its citizens to buy health insurance from someone (Germany, Switzerland come to mind). That requirement comes with a healthy dose of regulation upon the medical community governing costs. It works generally and the costs are lower.

When it comes to American insurance companies, you have to be a little suspicious when they come out supporting something like that. Better look at the fine print closely. My guess is that it translates into much higher premiums, a captive market, unregulated costs, and a preservation or increase of profit margins. Like auto insurance, the minimum requirement will be quite minimal. All of which will not be what the public is hoping for.

If you haven't watched this Frontline episode... DO. It compares and contrasts various models for health care, as implemented around the world.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundth

Interesting episode Mahkno...

I could get behind a health care system that worked but I'm not crazy about the idea of being forced into a plan that I did not pick and I don't want a disgruntled doctor who's underpaid working on me either. Worse, I don't want my insurance company or any "gatekeeper" deciding if/when I'm sick enough to require specialized care.

It really bugs me to know that all these years I struggled to get by without health care now they want to force feed it to me. For the most part I've lead a fairly healthy lifestyle. Well, physically anyway.

I'm concerned about the issue of bankruptcy though. If you don't have anything to lose, why fear it? Those who can afford health care or a decent insurance should never fear bankruptcy, unless they allowed their wallets to guide them into avoiding insurance. That gamble cost them and I'm to feel sorry for that? I went all these years without insurance and I can assure you bankruptcy didn't enter my mind. What could they possibly take from me? My car?

This article is a bit scary:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_48/b

Credit Scores & Medical Care

we dont have health care  he works for a guy whos too small and too cheap to get it  for his drivers
we dont expect the welfare system to pay for us .;
we pay outta pocket when we go to a dr as is now
no welfare here for us

The insurance deal is such a scam, when they lobbied government to make it law that everyone have auto insurance they said it would lower everones premiums if we all had coverage, well that never happened.

I think insurance should be a regulated non-profit if it's going to be forced on us.

Right now I just have major medical, I pay the first $1,500 per year, then 90/10 until I pay $500 more before everything is paid 100%, and a perscription card that is a $500 out-of-pocket per year.

The thing about insurance companies checking your credit score is crap.  Their theory is that the lower your credit score the more likely you are to file a claim.  So, because you have lousy credit, a lightening bolt is more apt to strike your house or the neighbor's tree fall on your house?  Because your credit stinks you are more likely to run over a nail, blow a tire and run into a street light pole?  Where do they come up with this sh*t?  My credit isn't perfect but in 30 years of driving, I've had one claim for less than 2K.  The only home owners claim I made in 20+ years of homeowners\renters insurance is when someone broke into my house.  I'm guessing that was MY fault that the burglars picked on me because I have less than perfect credit?

I think the next time I go insurance shopping, I'm going to get my list of prospective insurers Dunn & Bradstreet reports and let the worst ones know their insurance should be cheaper because their D&B sucks.

Chef, I agree that the equating credit score with likelihood of making a claim idea sounds like BS, but remember, these are billion dollar insurance companies.  An actuary somewhere charted credit score vs. claims made and found a correlation.

"I think insurance should be a regulated non-profit if it's going to be forced on us."

Damn straight.  Is that not similar to other national health care systems, Canada, France, etc? 

I just had to switch auto insurance, I was with esurance for $257 for 6mos., they raised me to $337, I called and asked why the big jump, they said Illinois passed a law that allowed them to raise it 6%, I said $80 bucks is not 6%, she said, well that's the new rate.

I found a place called The Hartford for $238 bucks.

AIG did the same thing to me last year.

And Country Companies the year before that.

The only wreck or claim I've ever had was back in '84, and have not had a ticket for years......... that they know about.

Auto Insurance is a total scam. Here's what I love; I have almost 2,000,000 miles driving, accident free, in a semi, none of which counts towards my auto insurance, but the color of my car does??