I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: We are not out of the woods. It is wholly possible, and perhaps even likely, that the Dems will now turn to a limited version of health-care legislation designed and labeled as “insurance reform” that is, sharp limitations on underwriting combined with guaranteed-issue and no-cancellation regulations.
In other words, no denial of coverage based on medical condition. This would yield a massive adverse-selection problem: No one would sign up for coverage until they developed expensive medical conditions. Even accident victims would be invited to sign up for “insurance” shifting their known costs onto others as they were wheeled into the emergency rooms. This, of course, would destroy the private-insurance sector, leaving only government to fill the void. Voila! Single-payer by stealth.
Public-opinion polls show overwhelming support for such regulations, and Republicans in Congress would be hard-pressed to oppose them. But oppose them they must, for this path would lead inexorably to the nirvana of health-care socialism that the Left has been dreaming about for decades. It is our responsibility to provide congressional Republicans with the requisite education.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
Danger Ahead
Benjamin Zycher
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: We are not out of the woods. It is wholly possible, and perhaps even likely, that the Dems will now turn to a limited version of health-care legislation designed and labeled as “insurance reform” that is, sharp limitations on underwriting combined with guaranteed-issue and no-cancellation regulations.
In other words, no denial of coverage based on medical condition. This would yield a massive adverse-selection problem: No one would sign up for coverage until they developed expensive medical conditions. Even accident victims would be invited to sign up for “insurance” shifting their known costs onto others as they were wheeled into the emergency rooms. This, of course, would destroy the private-insurance sector, leaving only government to fill the void. Voila! Single-payer by stealth.
Public-opinion polls show overwhelming support for such regulations, and Republicans in Congress would be hard-pressed to oppose them. But oppose them they must, for this path would lead inexorably to the nirvana of health-care socialism that the Left has been dreaming about for decades. It is our responsibility to provide congressional Republicans with the requisite education.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.