Comments on: Dean: Give Americans A Choice, ‘I Don’t Think We Should Impose Single-Payer On Everybody’ http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: geoff thomas http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/comment-page-1/#comment-119515 geoff thomas Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:19:56 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/#comment-119515 Ok- I'm a Deaniac from way back- the man is a clear crisp thinker and obviously knows more than I do. On the other hand, the insurance companies are slicker than gooseshit- and quite capable of gaming the system in ways that any reputable thinker could not begin to dream up. see:http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883149,00.html So my concern is how do you prevent the insurance companies from sucking up the profitable healthy customers while dumping the 'adverse risks' on the public plan- there's a zillion ways to do this with price and marketing and slimy tricks. they've done it already- witness the dumping of the sickest onto medicaid and medicare while private insurers concentrate of healthier current workers. they are on record hating cobra too. Ok- I’m a Deaniac from way back- the man is a clear crisp thinker and obviously knows more than I do. On the other hand, the insurance companies are slicker than gooseshit- and quite capable of gaming the system in ways that any reputable thinker could not begin to dream up. see:http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883149,00.html
So my concern is how do you prevent the insurance companies from sucking up the profitable healthy customers while dumping the ‘adverse risks’ on the public plan- there’s a zillion ways to do this with price and marketing and slimy tricks.
they’ve done it already- witness the dumping of the sickest onto medicaid and medicare while private insurers concentrate of healthier current workers. they are on record hating cobra too.

]]> By: jps http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/comment-page-1/#comment-118887 jps Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:51:10 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/#comment-118887 P.S. When I wrote, "Under single payer, there is technically no community rating," I should have also said, "because people generally pay different amount of taxes per our long-standing progressive income tax at the federal level." P.S. When I wrote, “Under single payer, there is technically no community rating,” I should have also said, “because people generally pay different amount of taxes per our long-standing progressive income tax at the federal level.”

]]> By: jps http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/comment-page-1/#comment-118886 jps Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:50:00 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/#comment-118886 This sounds like the impression I got when I read about Stark's plan: very nicely transitional. I hope Stark has a substitute into Conyers' language for those aspects. It seems like a reasonable enough amendment and I am looking forward to that debate, too. Disallowing the decision as to whether to accept a new patient based on a pre-existing condition is reasonable at both the regulation and legislation levels, and a stated goal of Congressional leaders (which means Congress, as this is going through in the budget bill) and the Administration. I thought "community rating" was something else. Under single payer, there is technically no community rating. Under a transition to single payer, insurance companies can convert their subscriber base to single payer if that is the most economically viable option for them. Then then can find jobs making windmills or plug-in hybrids instead of charging huge sums keeping people from medical care. This sounds like the impression I got when I read about Stark’s plan: very nicely transitional. I hope Stark has a substitute into Conyers’ language for those aspects. It seems like a reasonable enough amendment and I am looking forward to that debate, too.

Disallowing the decision as to whether to accept a new patient based on a pre-existing condition is reasonable at both the regulation and legislation levels, and a stated goal of Congressional leaders (which means Congress, as this is going through in the budget bill) and the Administration. I thought “community rating” was something else. Under single payer, there is technically no community rating.

Under a transition to single payer, insurance companies can convert their subscriber base to single payer if that is the most economically viable option for them. Then then can find jobs making windmills or plug-in hybrids instead of charging huge sums keeping people from medical care.

]]> By: A Nurse http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/comment-page-1/#comment-118885 A Nurse Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:45:59 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/#comment-118885 A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT SINGLE-PAYER REFORM WOULD BE MAJOR STIMULUS FOR THE US ECONOMY and would provide: ** 2.6 Million New Jobs, ** $317 Billion in Business Revenue, ** $100 Billion in Wages, and ** $44 Billion New Tax Revenues You can find out more about this study here: http://www.CalNurses.org/ The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2009/january/nurses-to-congress-expanding-medicare-could-reverse-job-losses-and-repair-our-broken-healthcare-system-and-safety-net.html A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT SINGLE-PAYER REFORM WOULD BE MAJOR STIMULUS FOR THE US ECONOMY and would provide:

** 2.6 Million New Jobs,
** $317 Billion in Business Revenue,
** $100 Billion in Wages, and
** $44 Billion New Tax Revenues

You can find out more about this study here: http://www.CalNurses.org/

The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2009/january/nurses-to-congress-expanding-medicare-could-reverse-job-losses-and-repair-our-broken-healthcare-system-and-safety-net.html

]]> By: stateofthedivision http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/comment-page-1/#comment-118833 stateofthedivision Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:56:44 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/04/dean-single-payer/#comment-118833 The key is community rating all around. Without it, Medicare stands to be at a disadvantage. The elderly utilize more health care services. Should Medicare be the only choice for those with pre-existing medical conditions, that will impact the cost of Medicare for the average citizen. If there is no community rating, I want to buy into the federal government employee insurance program, not Medicare. The key is community rating all around. Without it, Medicare stands to be at a disadvantage. The elderly utilize more health care services. Should Medicare be the only choice for those with pre-existing medical conditions, that will impact the cost of Medicare for the average citizen.

If there is no community rating, I want to buy into the federal government employee insurance program, not Medicare.

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