Thoughts on Health Care "Reform"

Where to begin?

First off, my general feeling is that is a big step towards socialized medicine... where government decides who gets covered, medical advances cease, waits for surgery increase, and taxes skyrocket.

With passage of the law, people will have to buy health insurance or pay a fine to the government. At the same time, insurers can't deny people with pre-existing conditions. The fine is much less than the cost of healthcare insurance. What's the downside for someone to pay then fine and then get insurance once they get sick. Insurance works by people paying a small premium to offset the risk that they would need to cover large expenses. You can't call an auto insurance after you get in an accident or get homeowners insurance after your house burns down. Insurance rosters will be made up of a greater percentage of sick people than they have been. As a result, insurance companies will have raise premiums faster than before the law.

Is this naivete on the part of Pelosi and Obama or is it designed to collapse the healthcare insurance companies? If a law was passed that prevents the insurance companies from fiscally surviving, then the government can step in a take them over.

Bart Stupak caved and got his 30 pieces of silver. He got a face saving "executive order" to implement the Hyde Amendment, but it won't trump law.