General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I don't think the Health Insurance Reform Act was a great progressive achievement. [View all]Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)According to the Washington Monthly circa 2005, the purpose of the original HCR bill as drafted at the think tank stage (basically what got passed, MINUS the public option, which Dems said was essential to the success of the effort in order to provide a Matrix-style out clause for the 5% of those poor who were willing to endure public scrutiny to prove that they should not be fined for failing to carry private insurance, but should be made eligible for a means-tested public option instead) --
-- the purpose was to secure the profits of the Health Insurance Industry (which was in danger of bankruptcy when Baby Boomers retire) by creating a "captive pool" of young, healthy consumers (the "deadbeats" who are not currently insured because they can't afford it and are willing to take the risk (which centrist Dems in favor of state control for individuals but not corporations call "endangering others" -- by risk-taking, i.e. "the nail that stands up must get hammered down."