"Strawmen" against a National Health Insurance system

"Strawmen" against a National Health Insurance system

One of the"straw-man" arguments against a National Health Insurance system is that the government would end up "choosing" who is covered and who is not.

Let's pretend this would happen...at least in a governmental system we have recourse via the democratic process and the petitioning our representatives. They do get involved when you contact them enough.

A recourse far different than these people face if they wanted to take on the private health corporation and it's teams of well funded attorneys.

The fear that some try to install in us by claiming that a NHI system would "pick and choose" who is covered is happening right now in the private, "for-profit" health insurance industry. Their motive? ...profit margins and shareholder gains. Recourse? Hire an attorney and try to fight a multi-billion dollar industry.

The same can be said for who and what can be covered. A NHI would cover anyone and the subscriber would choose their own level of coverage. Currently, health insurance bonuses are paid to those who deny services.

Another straw issue suggests it can't be done overnight. But it could be adoptedtomorrow and made retroactive to yesterday or whenever.

Another complaint is that "I don't want the government involved in healthcare." These are the first to complain if the government does not have enough vaccine or isn't acting quickly enough. Providers will not change. Senators will not be performing brain surgery or collecting list of those who do.

---

From the Los Angeles Times
Health insurer tied bonuses to dropping sick policyholders
By Lisa Girion
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

One of the state's largest health insurers set goals and paid bonuses based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was saved.

Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc. avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006. During that period, it paid its senior analyst in charge of cancellations more than $20,000 in bonuses based in part on her meeting or exceeding annual targets for revoking policies, documents disclosed Thursday showed.

The revelation that the health plan had cancellation goals and bonuses comes amid a storm of controversy over the industry-wide but long-hidden practice of rescinding coverage after expensive medical treatments have been authorized.

These cancellations have been the recent focus of intense scrutiny by lawmakers, state regulators and consumer advocates. Although these "rescissions" are only a small portion of the companies' overall business, they typically leave sick patients with crushing medical bills and no way to obtain needed treatment.

~~~~

If you want to pay insurance companies to broker your health care, be my guest.