2010-02-21

Obama's Health Insurance Reform

The president's proposals for health care reform do not do nearly enough to control premium increases for those with insurance. I fully expect my premiums to continue to go up under an Obama-type plan. It seems very likely that they would go up even more rapidly for many folks with insurance because now higher-risk people will be added into the risk pool. In addition, it is odd to me that the President's plan continues with allowing age discrimination in premium rates (although it does put some limits on that age differential). I am overall very disappointed. I also feel that the emphasis on a bipartisan bill, with Republicans marching in lockstep opposition, is in reality a shrewd scheme to provide cover that will allow the Democrats to pass more conservative legislation. I don't buy it. We have 57 Democrats in the Senate, and if we use reconciliation we only need 51 of them for a better plan. I think LBJ would have done that, and many other things as well.