Comments on: Can The Republicans Fool Enough Of The People With This Report? http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092 Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:46:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: » Health Care Reform Opponents Try To Buy Report From Economist To Support Their Views Liberal Values http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227117 » Health Care Reform Opponents Try To Buy Report From Economist To Support Their Views Liberal Values Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:21:05 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227117 [...] Can The Republicans Fool Enough Of The People With This Report? [...] [...] Can The Republicans Fool Enough Of The People With This Report? [...]

]]> By: Caroline Smith http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227045 Caroline Smith Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:42:33 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227045 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">MT @matttbastard: "We need 2look beyond the ? of whether #hcr costs money 2looking @ the probs which must be solved." http://is.gd/4VJfE #p2</span></span> MT @matttbastard: "We need 2look beyond the ? of whether #hcr costs money 2looking @ the probs which must be solved." http://is.gd/4VJfE #p2

]]> By: Matthew Elliot http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227046 Matthew Elliot Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:32:29 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227046 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">"We need to look beyond the question of whether #hcr costs money to looking at the problems which must be solved." http://is.gd/4VJfE #p2</span></span> "We need to look beyond the question of whether #hcr costs money to looking at the problems which must be solved." http://is.gd/4VJfE #p2

]]> By: Eclectic Radical http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227031 Eclectic Radical Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:29:46 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227031 Exactly so. Exactly so.

]]> By: Ron Chusid http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227030 Ron Chusid Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:16:03 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227030 This can pretty much be summed up in one line from your comment: "The effect of lowering the regulatory barriers established by some states would be a ‘race to the bottom.’ " Insurance companies would only need one state which would permit them to do what they want without protections for those who purchase the policy. Perhaps if health care reform is passed with nation-wide restrictions on insurance companies this might not matter, but at present this would greatly worsen the problem. This can pretty much be summed up in one line from your comment: “The effect of lowering the regulatory barriers established by some states would be a ‘race to the bottom.’ ”

Insurance companies would only need one state which would permit them to do what they want without protections for those who purchase the policy. Perhaps if health care reform is passed with nation-wide restrictions on insurance companies this might not matter, but at present this would greatly worsen the problem.

]]> By: Eclectic Radical http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092&cpage=1#comment-227029 Eclectic Radical Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:09:38 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=11092#comment-227029 Without wanting to be too much of a broken record, Republican tort reform is very different than meaningful and productive tort reform.   Because I essentially agree with you on the practical side of tort reform and my arguments are mainly political arguments related to the policy actually implemented by Congress if they chose to pursue tort reform and the precedents established, I will not beat the dead horse.   Instead I'll talk about market reform, which is the GOP's magical <em>panacea</em> for health care costs. I am entirely certain that, while it would not have the kind of levelling effect on costs they claim, market reform as advocated by the Republican Party would certainly significantly reduce the cost of health insurance for the average consumer. It would also tax employer-provided health care benefits across the board in the hopes of driving employees receiving health care benefits at work into the private market in the interest of destroying the employer-provided insurance system. While I have been highly critical of this system, one must replace it with universal health care... not a 'free market' scam.   The effect of lowering the regulatory barriers established by some states would be a 'race to the bottom.' Low cost junk policies reminiscent of the garbage auto insurance sold to low income drivers in states that mandate auto liability insurance would become the norm. Every plan that would provide substantive benefits would become, effectively, a 'Cadillac plan' out of reach for most consumers in much the same way comprehensive collision insurance is too expensive for the average driver in such states.   Substantive health care reform will require either substantive increases in the marginal income tax rate or a dedicated tax for the purpose of funding health care. Democrats are currently taking the easy way out by trying use a punitive tax on corporations that do not provide insurance to their employees  in order to fund a public option and/or subsidies for individuals to buy private insurance. When one considers the economic burden that the employer-paid health care system places on American business now, one can see why this is a bad idea.   However, if one considers the wages that would no longer be taken from one's paycheck to pay for health insurance, the economic benefits of easing the burden on American business, and the money the consumer saves in premimums and deductibles then one will find that the socialist solution is the best solution for America's free market.   Without wanting to be too much of a broken record, Republican tort reform is very different than meaningful and productive tort reform.
 
Because I essentially agree with you on the practical side of tort reform and my arguments are mainly political arguments related to the policy actually implemented by Congress if they chose to pursue tort reform and the precedents established, I will not beat the dead horse.
 
Instead I’ll talk about market reform, which is the GOP’s magical panacea for health care costs. I am entirely certain that, while it would not have the kind of levelling effect on costs they claim, market reform as advocated by the Republican Party would certainly significantly reduce the cost of health insurance for the average consumer. It would also tax employer-provided health care benefits across the board in the hopes of driving employees receiving health care benefits at work into the private market in the interest of destroying the employer-provided insurance system. While I have been highly critical of this system, one must replace it with universal health care… not a ‘free market’ scam.
 
The effect of lowering the regulatory barriers established by some states would be a ‘race to the bottom.’ Low cost junk policies reminiscent of the garbage auto insurance sold to low income drivers in states that mandate auto liability insurance would become the norm. Every plan that would provide substantive benefits would become, effectively, a ‘Cadillac plan’ out of reach for most consumers in much the same way comprehensive collision insurance is too expensive for the average driver in such states.
 
Substantive health care reform will require either substantive increases in the marginal income tax rate or a dedicated tax for the purpose of funding health care. Democrats are currently taking the easy way out by trying use a punitive tax on corporations that do not provide insurance to their employees  in order to fund a public option and/or subsidies for individuals to buy private insurance. When one considers the economic burden that the employer-paid health care system places on American business now, one can see why this is a bad idea.
 
However, if one considers the wages that would no longer be taken from one’s paycheck to pay for health insurance, the economic benefits of easing the burden on American business, and the money the consumer saves in premimums and deductibles then one will find that the socialist solution is the best solution for America’s free market.
 

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