Of course WellPoint studies are going to "show" that...it's in their interest to do so. Never mind that private insurers have already noted that they WILL raise premiums in (timing) conjunction with reform, to make it appear as though the hikes are a result of the reform. It's a scare tactic to keep control in the hands of big insurance...which is costing the nation more in waste and poor health care coverage and practice than any reform will EVER cost us. - ProsePetals (aka Denise)

But if they raise rates a lot, people will just switch to the public option. - Andrew C

Exactly, Andrew. And because of that reality the prices will not increase exponentially. - MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)

That is not going to be the case, the Gov option will be deliberetely under priced for the purpose of getting people on the Gov plan as I am sure that many employers will be happy to unload people onto the Gov plan to save a buck and all the while we will not see an equivalant increase in our pay so in effect we will see our compensation reduced. To suggest that the Gov will magically make everything cheaper defies reality and history, all you have to do is look at Medicare for an example and guide, the average cost per recipient on medicare is higher than the average premium for private insurance in the USA, Medicare is paying out more than it takes in in taxes (most people define that as bankrupt) the unfunded liabilities for SSI and Medicare is more than $60 trillion dollars or $170,000 per person in the USA above what we currently pay in taxes. - Brian from FreshFeed

To put the $170,000 into perspective that would pay for my health care premiums for 34 years! I find it amazing that people want us to believe that Gov will be cheaper when they have saddled every US citizen with the equivalent of 34 years of private health care premiums even after taking 15% of our lifetime earnings! - Brian from FreshFeed

$170K thats one ride in ambulance to ER, admission Cardio Intensve Care and that triple bypass - WarLord

Doesn't matter, Obama care passes defeated filibustered whatever - "for profit" healthcare is unsustainable I give it 5 years and Medicare will be extended to all ages - WarLord

Another thing that bugs me is how the left say that private insurance is so bad and wasteful yet nobody from their side has seen that as an opportunity to enter the market themselves and provide a better service which would trounce all over the current flock of wasteful, evil insurance COs. They have billionaires like Soros, Google founders, Jobs willing to poor 100s of millions funding Dem campaigns yet they can't and will not fund a venture with so much obvious potential? - Brian from FreshFeed

Brian my union is self funded in our health care insurance for our members but then the right aint much for unions doing good so its pointless to call you on the dumbness of your statement. Oddly enough the day we went self funded the insurance company we'd been using rebid the contract at a 50% reduction in their fee. Amazing coincidence - WarLord

Funny how the crickets are chirping... - ProsePetals (aka Denise)

Who says that we are not for union workers doing good. We refer mostly to the rediculous situations like the auto COs having to pay people to do nothing without time limits to find work or even being required to take a job, deliberate efforts to prevent productivity like making sure workers did not do anything but their specific and limited function even when they had extra time during slow periods, etc... I am all for people trying to get the best deal they can but you have to admit these things along with others have helped lead to our lack of competitiveness and innovation in the manufacturing sectors, just take a look at how many people the Japanese auto makers employ in the US. - Brian from FreshFeed

You mention that the day you went self funded your costs went down, that is exactly our point, we should promote more competition and options by allowing competition across state lines, allowing more consumer choice in what type of insurance they buy rather than highly regulated markets where Gov mandates your coverages which would be like writing a law requiring all auto manufacturers build BMW or Mercedes type cars and then accusing them of gouging consumers and pricing low income earners out of the market. - Brian from FreshFeed

Brian you asked why nobody entered the market if insurance rip off people, I answered that many unions do directly compete avoiding paying profits and hue CEO comp package. State Regulation is a different article that gets in the guts of coverage MN as do many states spcify a list of illnesses that must be covered I wouldn't trade MN list for the crappy Texas list not so BTW consumer choice is BULLSHIT unless we all go to medical school or do you imagine that there are many companies offering Radiology - in Metro Area one company provides ALL the radilology imaging service at all the hospitals.. Compettion not so much and BTW patronizing about unions was just as bogus as your compettion meme. But once pre-existing conditions are no longer a factor in getting coverage won't matter will it the profit motive for denying coverage goes away. Not the GOV costing you money so much as the CEO Gulfstream needing gas - WarLord

@War Lord: you say that private insurance is not sustainable but you have yet to explain to us just how you come to the conclusion that Medicare and SSI type Gov run systems are. At least when a private Co charges too much I have the option not to buy it while when the Gov does the same I will be prosecuted and imprisoned if I refuse to buy what they are selling. Take SSI, if you make 50K for 40 years you will pay $250,000 for SSI & $140,000 for Medicare & we still owe $170,000 each in unfunded liabilities, that's another 7% of your 40 years of earnings, you add it all up and were paying 26% of our income for retirement benefits that millions of us will never see a dime of (those who die before retirement), millions more will only see a little return (will die within a few years of retirement) and you call that sustainable? You can buy 20 years worth of premiums after retirement and still have $430,000 (that is with no earnings from investing it) left to cover you're retirement expenses but instead we give it to the Gov and they spent it and issued us IOUs that are worthless. I love the Left's definition of sustainable. - Brian from FreshFeed

It's just amazing that people think the government can run healthcare efficiently. The majority of people in America have health insurance, but as usual, everyone has to be screwed so the government can take over. - Spencer

Spencer, your faith in private insurance would be cute if you weren't effectively advocating for a lot of people to suffer recissions and procedure denials. - Andrew C from Android

Faith has nothing to do with it. I just have enough common sense to know the government would handle it worse. If you think denials and such won't happen under the government, you are sorely mistaken. - Spencer

Of course denials will happen, Spencer. However, the common sense you're quoting here is inapplicable -- read this to understand a few of the problems with private insurance (and no, you're not the person I was addressing in the blog): http://therearethornstoo.blogspot.com/2009... - ProsePetals (aka Denise)