Matt Taibbi:: "going to force people to become customers of private health insurance companies"

[Techn0Girl]

On Bill Moyer's Journal, Friday 12/18:
via Crooks and Liars (with video) http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/33612

MATT TAIBBI: Well, I think what most people should take away from this is that the massive subsidies for health insurance companies have been preserved while it's also expanded their customer base because there's an individual mandate in the bill that's going to provide all these companies with the, you know, 25 or 30 million new people who are going to be paying for health insurance. So, it's, obviously, a huge boon to that industry. And I think Wall Street correctly read what the health care effort is all about.

...

BILL MOYERS: So are you saying that this, what some call a sweetheart deal between the pharmaceutical industry and the White House, done many months ago before this fight really began, was because the drug company money in the Democratic Party?

...

MATT TAIBBI: Yeah, and this was Howard Dean's point this week was that this individual mandate that's going to force people to become customers of private health insurance companies, the Democrats are going to end up owning that policy and it's going to be extremely unpopular and it's going to be theirs for a generation. It's going to be an albatross around the neck of this party.

Everyone is against this bill except the WhiteHouse, the DLC and the Insurance companies who's stocks just rose to a 52 year high (google it!) last Friday.

NOW Hates it
The AFL-CIO hates it.
The SEIU Hates it
Howard Dean Hates it.

and Matt Taibbi get it smack on target with Bill Moyers.

Think about this next November.
Think about this real hard.

The Democratic Party seems to have sold us out on this one.

Whenever the DLC Cheerleaders remind me how much worse this could have been under a Republican administration I feel like a rape victim who is being told to be grateful that at least she wasn't beaten.

[postulater]

1. Maybe since the Senate stripped the public option

the House can strip the mandate.

Then we can deal with both of them later.

[meow2u3]

3. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

No tickee, no washee. No public option, no mandatory insurance.

[Parker CA]

5. In all of the discussions I've seen in the news this hasn't been mentioned

by any congressional Dems. This seems to be the most simple solution and one, which if fought, would expose very clearly those on our side and those on the insurance/phrma side.

Remove the mandate and this is a much more solid bill.

[Parker CA]

6. In all of the discussions I've seen in the news this hasn't been mentioned

by any congressional Dems. This seems to be the most simple solution and one, which if fought, would expose very clearly those on our side and those on the insurance/phrma side.

Remove the mandate and this is a much more solid bill.

[Oregone]

2. Ive never seen such a young guy with such a bad comb-over

[jtrockville]

4. It's as if people writing the bill don't see any problems with insurance.

Anyone see SICKO? The folks in that movie couldn't get the health care they needed, despite having health insurance. Forcing more people to buy health insurance doesn't mean more people will have health care.

Maybe that's why so many groups are against while the insurance companies rejoice.

[stray cat]

7. People should be able to opt out and pay cash in advance for any services

It would be smart for them to have sufficient funds in an account with a card on hand to prove there is cash in the case of a health emergency.

[bvar22]

9. YES. It would be smart to be RICH!

How silly of me not to see that.

[phasma ex machina]

13. +1 Ergo Ameria's Ivy League. nt

[leftstreet]

10. We just need to Mandate Wealth!

That would do it

[Vidar]

8. K&R.

[amborin]

11. k&r

[invictus]

12. kick