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Originally Posted by Redux
I dont think ending exclusions on pre-existing conditions, requiring caps on total out-of-pocket expenses, eliminating cost-sharing (no co-pays or deductibles) for preventive care, mandating a required level of basic benefits are minor reforms.
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They are if you are trading profits to the insurance industry for them at the expense of all the other elements of the medical system who will have to take cuts or pay more for others to get the benefit and funnel profits to the insurance industry.
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Of course insurance companies will "come out ahead" if an additional 30+ million people, mostly employees in small businesses currently w/o insurance, will have access to affordable health care through new programs like the health insurance exchange. The point it to make it affordable by forcing greater competition.
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Which is why it really is not reform.
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How else would you propose providing coverage to those millions?
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Everyone pays the same percent of their income to get the benefit. And or a user tax on goods and services akin to the VAT in the UK.
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Or for those w/insurance, how else do you rein in the spiraling costs and/or provide greater choice of the current employer-based, private provider system.
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Much more comprehensive reform than that proposed by any plan being offered by Congress who is merely pandering to the insurance industry while they try to sell a bandaid to the American public. I promise this will have significant unintended consequences which will be difficult to recover from.
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The only other solution is even greater federal regulation of the insurance industry or to do away with insurance companies completely.
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Both of those options are quite good.