SOTU Healthcare

[hmkpoker]

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To be honest, I don't understand what problem Bush is trying to solve with his plan.

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The same problem all insurance regulations try to solve: the insurance companies aren't making enough money. I got health insurance in NJ for a little less than $200/month on a PPO plan through NJBCBS. It was about the simplest plan they offered, covering me for serious emergencies. High deductibles, no chiropractic, etc. Before that I was on my empolyer's health plan, which was a "bargain" at $350-$400 month, and covered me for all kinds of crazy stuff that frankly I didn't need at all. The employer's incentive (like most employers) was to provide as much health insurance as possible for the tax deductible. All the employers start doing this, and voila, everyone is forced to buy more health insurance than they need, and the insurance companies laugh all the way to the bank with their government-created cartel.