We know they're out there, but we don't agree with the Dems that government
issued health care is the answer for them. For too long, insurance
companies have operated under different rules than most businesses. Go to
any of the cities that headquarter several of the large insurance companies.
The biggest, most lavish buildings are either banks or...you guessed
it...insurance companies.

Because of special protection they were granted under the McCarron-Ferguson
Act, insurance companies aren't subject to the same Federal anti-trust
regulations that all other companies operate under...rather, they are
governed by state laws. Consequently, they pick and choose the states they
want to operate in so as to maximize their profits. When one state passes
laws that might squeeze their profits, they pull out...or skyrocket the
premiums.

One answer is Association Health Plans (AHP's) that allow a group to buy
across state lines. Also, the Federal government ought to consider
repealing, or reforming the McCarron-Ferguson Act, and taking some of the
regulation back under Federal control. This is the one exception in which I
feel control by the Federal government rather than state governments is the
answer.



"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
ralph wrote:

lazarus wrote:

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 02:00:24 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Hooda Gest wrote:



Even those "millions" have access to health care. What they don't
have
is
health care insurance and many of them CHOOSE not to.

Oh? Many? Is that an unsubstantiated "many?"

Let's see...how many of those many are in the "I can pay for a
health
insurance premium...or...I can pay the rent..."

Some choice.

It's seldom a choice between rent and insurance. More like insurance
and
nintendo/new car/big screen tv/$150 Nikes.



I have none of those, still can't afford insurance. Quite luckily, my
wife has insurance.

Tell me how someone working minimum wage is supposed to afford
insurance? Especially if their company doesn't offer it?

if you need it and your employer doesn't offer it you can't buy it. HMOs
aren't crazy.


I work with people almost every week who are marginally employed and who
have neither health insurance nor access to reasonable health care, if
they have access to any at all, especially dental health care and mental
health care, for themselves and their children.

Conservatives like to pretend such people don't exist, but they are out
there, by the millions. My wife spends almost half her time treating
people without means or insurance, more of her time trying to find
specialists who will help the indigent and even more time trying to
arrange "hardship" meds for patients who simply have no ability to pay
for medications and who have fallen through the rapidly disappearing
holes in what used to be a safety net.

There are millions and millions of residents of this country without
insurance or access to health care. They're out there...among all of
us...despite the crap spewed by those Conservatives who don't give a
damn about society or its ills.



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