Mr Obama does not mention the company by name. He does however deprecate advocates of insurance deregulation calling "less oversight and fewer rules ...the fox-guarding-the-henhouse approach to health insurance reform." He says deregulation --of current monopolistic insurer practices-- "would segment [sic] the market further." More interesting, he associates "bargaining power" of government or "big company" benefits planners opposed to insurers to the "negotiating power" of an individual member or an insurers' actuarial pool (market "segment") defined by age, location, income, plan design, and pre-existing medical condition-- rather than that purchasing power exemplified by single-payer, federal administration of managed care insurance models Medicaid and Medicare. And he of course continues to gloss guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewal provisions of coverages with premium "affordability" these bills purport to establish.Source
While I can support Mr Obama's intention to reassure employed, insured citizens that legislative opponents misrepresent substantitive health insurance regulation, I still cannot support either his alternative explanation of insurance reform or the inexplicable urgency of passing this bill, this week. I reviewed H.R. 3590 this week and it is evident to me that since 24 Dec., House intransigence and popular agitation have produced some beneficial alterations to the senate language. So-called debate must continue and senators up for re-election forced early and often to reveal their hands to constituents.
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legitimate "process arguments" "illigitimate" process arguments, Rules Committee "psy-ops" reconciliation tactics Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
article, "Market power".
Individual buyers (policy holders) whether not grouped by community- or experience-ratings (risk) participate in an insurance market as individual price takers. First, Baucus bill Romneycare does not alter the market power of individual buyers; it in fact formalizes inelasticity of demand or zero pricing power viz. insurers. Second, actuarial classification of individual buyers by insurers does not solve or eliminate agency inequities identified as monopolistic practices if individual buyers are prohibited by law from uniting their insurable interests and purchase decisions; it in fact formalizes insurer price discrimination and scheduled rate adjustments, while imposing an annualized debt limit on insureds' cost-sharing obligations for consideration of guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewable policy ownership; and it in fact only empowers medical goods and services producers that are state contractors bargaining license, limit cost plus 175% mark-up. Thank you. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
