Health Insurers may have shot themselves in the foot

Although their actions shouldn't have come as a shock to anyone at this point in the game the health insurance industry may have (if you'll pardon the expression) shot itself in the foot on Monday. By releasing an obviously biased report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers that the typical family premium in 2019 could cost $4,000 more than projected, if the current House and Senate bills pass, they may have inadvertently provided the best reason for reinvigorating the almost dormant public option.

While dismissing the report's findings as typical of an industry that seeks to protect its profits [above all else], the New York Democrat [Anthony Weiner] also made a fairly salient point. The analysis basically assumes that insurers will raise their rates because the finance committee won't make the pool of consumers more desirable for them. All of which lays out the logical case for providing consumers with a cheap and available alternative, set up and administered by the federal government. (Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/12/weiner-ahip-report-makes_n_317561.html).

There are obviously two reasons for this stupidity, either they're desperate and know that this time something will pass or their rapaciousness knows no bounds or both. Now we'll see if the Democrats have (to quote a Hillary Clinton supporter in the last campaign) the testicular fortitude to actually pass even an emasculated bill.

The Ed Show on Blue Dog Dems and the public option in healthcare reform

Here's an excerpt from last night's (Friday) Ed Schultz Show on MSNBC. Schultz talks about the Blue Dog Democrats and the public option in the healthcare reform package (not single payer, which we should have, but perhaps a step in the right direction). Schultz also interviews Rep. Keith Elison (D-MN), a real progressive Democrat and two fast-talking Blue Dogs. You know the type, "Yes I'm in favor of a public option, But." And, in the end, that "but" will eviscerate the healthcare reform legislation. All progressive people need to make sure that their representatives in the House and Senate know they will not get our votes if they vote against a public healthcare option (even if they believe their real constituents are the moneychangers.) (If your reading this on FaceBook, please go to http://contestedterrain.blogspot.com/in order to view video.)

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