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nano111 | 12 years ago

"All she had to do was move to a state with 'community rating'", is that it?

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graycat|12 years ago

In simple terms, yes. Or if she is really sick, just show up at the emergency room of any Hill-Burton hospital. The US healthcare system is a patchwork with problems, but broadly for people with serious, e.g., life threatening, medical problems, we don't turn them away -- first cut, broadly, with holes in the cloth.

But in the case in the Obama town hall, supposedly the woman could pay a reasonable amount for health insurance. In that case, just move to a community rated state, wait whatever waiting period if any, get medical insurance at the same rate as everyone else in that 'community rated' state, and be fine.

Could argue that in part Obamacare is a path to 'community rating' for all the states. But some of the states don't want community rating -- as far as I can tell, really only the richest states want that.

My view, in brief, is that Obamacare was not about healthcare. Instead, Obama wanted to play politics and, generally, just wanted a bigger Federal Government to have still more ability to play politics. Nancy wanted a big case of 'socialism' -- Nancy just dreams of socialism, in particular of Big Daddy Big Federal Government taking care of everyone and making everything 'all right', especially for insecure, single women with small children. Really Nancy wants to use the Federal Government to establish a lot of 'social and cultural values' that would conflict with 'limited government'. Nancy wants a big, security blanket, socialistic government providing a basic level of material support and quality of life for everyone.

I could agree with Nancy except I fear that her hands on the economy would make the economy so sick it couldn't provide what she wants, that is, she will choke the goose that lays the golden eggs. If Nancy could actually do a good job, then we have something to discuss; I just fear that Nancy will make a mess, a disaster. To me it's first mostly a matter of simple competence at execution and not 'political principles' or 'social philosophy'. I just think her boat will leak and not float.

And, yes, even if in simple terms the execution is good, there will be the issue of motivation -- if the 'floor' provided by the Federal Government is high enough, then a lot of people will try less hard and the goose will lay fewer golden eggs.