Okay, I am not Marcellus who spoke of corruption in the State of Denmark in the wonderfully written Hamlet. The old Bard had it right when he spoke of rotting from the head down. In this case, the health-care industry.
Amazingly, six giants of the industry promised (vowed) to find a way to lower health-care premium costs to about $2,500 per year for a family of four. In a vaguely written letter to Prez. Obama, they boldly stated that such a reduction could save over $2 trillion in 10 years. Suggesting that they (heroically) will save the nation's deficit.
This is where is gets confusing. Maybe you can help me get the concept. Here I have degree in economics and I am still wagging my head in bewilderment. So maybe you could can clear up the math for me.
They said they will find a way to squeeze 1.5% from their savings per premium per year to generate this huge sum. That's right 1.5%. Oh, Boy!
Follow me on this: My health insurance cost me a little more that $12,000 per year. This great industry says it will pull a whopping $120 from that sum and put it in a fund to help generate $2 trillion.
Every year my premium costs explode in increments of $500 to $1,000 units.
Are they saying they won't increase health care cost over the next ten years and hold all variables?
That's the problem. They aren't saying a damned thing. Much like Marcellus, I suspect something is rotten because I smell a huge damned rat
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Del,
ReplyDeleteI am very afraid this is a case of "Greeks bearing gifts." The Health insurance giants are working damn hard to stop a public plan and to prevent strong government controls
What worries me most is I'mrapidly losing faith in Obama. I see him comprimising with big business and with Bush Doctrine all over the place.
If he "comprimises" on health care and lets the corporations keep running things .... we are doomed!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you again. I thought I had lost you.
Sadly, our breath of fresh air in the White House has grown stale vis-a-vis the compromising on almost every issue. His latest gaff is with the terrorist issue. If he relents (I think he will) then nothing gets accomplished and Dick Chaney wins.
Del and Matt,
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that this President is a consensus builder and it is part of the way he works to get what he wants done. I don't, like some, believe that he is perfect, no I think he makes plenty of mistakes, I just don't think this is one of them. Health care is very important to the future of this nation and the conservatives are going to do everything they can to stop any possible single payer system from getting passed. Believe me, they will lie, cheat, steal and possibly even kill to stop socialized medicine. I believe that Obama believes get some of what we want out of them and the American people will realize socialized medicine it the way to go, then the conservatives won't be able to stop it from passing later on.
I have to agree with you Thunter. Powerful lobbyists and their right-wing allies will stop at nothhing to prevent any health care reform. We have quite a fight coming!
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeleteYou do know that this fight has been going on since November of 1945 that Harry S. Truman introduced the idea in a speech he gave before Congress? It has been a long hard fight and one I am sure will continue. If there is one thing I know, true conservatives hate the idea of helping the common man out in any way and the current crop of neo-conservatives are worse. Check out my blog if you get a chance. http://awellinformedcitizenry.blogspot.com If you like we can link to each other. I already went to your site and like it a lot.