House GOP pens 230-page health bill draft

Originally posted by Daedalus24
reply to post by sos37

 

How is telling insurance companies they can't deny people coverage even though they've been paying into the system for years based on something such as taking preventive-aids medication after being raped going to hurt a multi-billion dollar-profit-making-a-year health insurance provider? How can anyone with a heart rationalize that as bad for business???

I understand that. I also understand that insurance companies are run by ultra-greedy men who won't compromise their bottom line.

I'm fine with telling an insurance company that they cannot deny coverage to an individual based on pre-existing conditions. I really am. I've no love for those greedybloodsuckers (no pun intended).

But think about what I said earlier. What does someone who is exploiting the system do when you close a loophole? They find other loopholes!

Question: Why would an insurance company deny coverage to an individual with a pre-existing condition?
Answer: Because there's a good chance that individual will cost a lot more to cover than another policy holder who has no pre-existing condition.

Question: What is an insurance company going to do when you tell them that they CANNOT deny coverage to an individual because of a pre-existing condition?
Answer: They know it will cost them money, so they will look for ways to recoup those "losses" in other ways.

Question: In what other ways can insurance companies recoup these "losses"?
Answer: They can increase premiums for everyone or a group of people; they can agree to cover a high risk individual for a lot of money; or (the worst outcome in my opinion) they can negotitate (ration) the healthcare that a doctor is "allowed" to give to that high-risk patient, telling the doc what they will and will not pay for ahead of time, which effectively limits what the doc may be able to do to help, unless of course the doctor is willing to see the patient at their own cost and expense.

Morally: I agree 100% wih you - Insurance companies shouldn't be so damned greedy. They should charge a flat rate for everyone and cover every American citizen who needs healthcare.

The losses they incur covering patients with medical needs can be made up by healthy individuals who don't see the doctor because they don't have a need to see one. Of course, I haven't crunched those numbers but I suspect you would need to lower the cost of drugs, medical equipment and medical services to bring this all inline, but ideally that's how it should be done.

[edit on 4-11-2009 by sos37]