Insurance Industry Insider: No Public Option: "We Win"

[kpete]

December 07, 2009

Insurance industry insider: 'We win'

With the Senate shifting sharply away from a "pure public option," an insurance industry insider who has been deeply involved in the health care fight emails to declare victory.

"We WIN," the insider writes. "Administered by private insurance companies. No government funding. No government insurance competitor.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1209/Insurance_industry_insider_We_win.html

[Cerridwen]

1. Gawd, I hate politico. Gawd, this guy is right. n/t

[MisterP]

2. but it's REFOOORM! it's being OBSTRUUUCTED! that means anything under that label must be good! nt

[Selatius]

3. At any rate, it appears the combined bill will feature a very limited Public Option. It's weak.

The middle class will be shouldered with an insurance mandate, and the poor will get subsidies to purchase private plans. All of this will be done on taxpayer dimes. The richest one percent could care less because the premiums never hurt them because unlike most workers, their wages actually rise faster than their premiums, and some of the rich run these insurance companies, so they get full coverage with no strings attached anyway.

[jtrockville]

4. Can't these insurance scumbags just rob us the old fashioned way

and leave our health care system to the health care professionals?

[sendero]

5. Of course ..

... they win. They always win. Our government is bought and that is that.

[AnOhioan]

6. Not surprised...this was the obvious end result.

It is also why I am lukewarm on "reform".

[Skittles]

7. no shit

[UP_4012]

8. Yeah, sane people take reform with a grain of salt.

Sometimes, the end product of a reform can be catastrophically worse than what was in place beforehand.

[andym]

9. If we can't get a public option, I hope we get legislation

that regulates the profit right out of them. Make them all offer a basic plan at no profit, with tight price controls on premiums, and govt negotiated rates for services. Make them into the "public option" and make their regular policies compete with this basic plan. In other words, help them to self-destruct and actually provide reasonable service.

[Dragonfli]

10. A Public Option (for all mandated) OR NO MANDATES - I say take that to the table!!

I will be among many not to be there when they need canvassing again (or votes) if they don't start voting like Democrats!

[NYC_SKP]

11. That's it? Two sentences? Politico? Meh.

And, an anonymous insider...

Insurance industry insider: 'We win'

With the Senate shifting sharply away from a "pure public option," an insurance industry insider who has been deeply involved in the health care fight emails to declare victory.

"We WIN," the insider writes. "Administered by private insurance companies. No government funding. No government insurance competitor.”

Posted by Ben Smith 04:11 PM

Okie Dokie :eyes:

[SandWalker1984]

12. If the insurance corporations win, the Democrats WILL lose ...in 2010

If people are forced to buy mandated insurance but have no option but private, for profit insurance, then the Democrats will lose power -- again.


Guess they don't care as long as the corporate donations roll in.


If the Democrats are no better than the Republicans, then why the hell should I vote for them? Screwed is still screwed, whether the blue team or the red team did it to you.