By Jack Hough
SmartMoney
December 22, 2009
America is getting augmented health care for Christmas, it seems. But of course, whether the changes count as reform is a matter of opinion.
Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute, a think tank that calls itself libertarian, wrote that the bill is… “a massive $450 billion bailout for private insurance companies that will drive health insurance premiums and taxes higher…”
Insurer shares, in particular, are zooming. There are three reasons. First, stripped from the Senate bill is the so-called public option — a government health plan that threatened to undersell private insurers. Second, a proposed $6.7 billion industry tax is now likely to be phased in only gradually beginning in 2011, which should give health plans enough time to raise prices accordingly. Third, individuals will be required to purchase insurance — a fine deal for insurance sellers — although critics say the penalties for noncompliance are weak, suggesting many individuals will prefer to remain uninsured.
Below are three health-care companies whose shares are soaring…
Aetna
Stock gain since end of October: 31%
Cigna
Stock gain since end of October: 29%
WellPoint
Stock gain since end of October: 28%
http://www.smartmoney.com/investing/stocks/3-stocks-soaring-on-healthcare-bill/
And…
Health Care Stocks Booming
The Kudlow Report
CNBC
December 17, 2009
Larry Kudlow: I want health care to grow. I want government health care to be limited. I want our private health care to grow and soar with technology and baby boomers and rising incomes. I want health care to be a third of the economy. I just don’t want all this taxing and spending.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1362269505
Comment:
By Don McCanne, MD
Many individuals, including single payer supporters, disagree with the decision of PNHP’s leadership to oppose the reform bill currently before Congress. There are two basic issues that need to be sorted out: 1) the beneficial measures in the bill, and 2) the structure of the financing system.
The beneficial measures, such as expanding community health centers and reinforcing our primary infrastructure, we support. These measures, several of which were independent bills added into the omnibus package, should be taken out and immediately enacted separately.
The expansion of health care financing, based on private health plans, is quite another matter. In spite of the various pilot proposals in the legislation, health care costs are expected to continue to increase at rates well in excess of the growth of the GDP.
The only truly effective way to control the growth in government spending that would result from the subsidies used to purchase the private plans would be to allow the subsidies to increase at a slower rate than the rate of increases in the premiums (and the proposed indexing would do that). That shifts more of the premium costs to the individuals. The only truly effective way that the increase in spending on insurance premiums can be slowed is to shift more of the costs to out-of-pocket expenses for individuals who need health care (and the low actuarial values in the legislation would do that).
The proposal begins with a financial burden that is so great for middle and upper-middle income individuals and families that tens of millions will not be able to afford coverage. The private insurance model crafted will continue to expand that burden, adding more to the ranks of the uninsured, whereas underinsurance will have become the national standard (because of the low actuarial values). After another decade or two of this we may be ready for reform that works, but at the cost of tremendous unnecessary suffering and grief.
If you enjoy suffering and grief, then support the bill before Congress. As Larry Kudlow says, let’s make health care one-third of the economy, but without all the taxing and spending. Look how well it’s working for Aetna, Cigna and WellPoint. The private insurance-based bill will work just fine, providing we tell Tiny Tim and the others like him to go to hell.
A personal note:
Obviously I’m angry. I’m especially annoyed with our friends who should know better who keep telling us that we will have nothing if this bill fails, or that we are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, or that our second choice is the status quo, or the rest of the crap that provides them with an excuse for being strange bedfellows with the private insurance industry.
Right now I’m especially emotional. Today is our granddaughter’s tenth birthday. She was recently in intensive care with newly diagnosed Type I diabetes. Decisions now about how birthday cake will fit into her medical regimen are hardly a glimmer of the future she faces.
When we inevitably depart, my wife and I want to know that we have in place a quality health care system that will always be there for our granddaughter when she needs it. It’s what any of us would want for our loved ones. Since she herself likely will never have to face rationing based on ability to pay, I feel comfortable that she will receive the care that she should have.
But what about the others? What about hard working American families who will not be able to afford the private insurers’ ticket to health care? What patchwork system will they have to take care of their ten year old granddaughter with newly diagnosed diabetes? I want a quality system to be there for them as well, and for everyone.
We can no longer allow the mediocre to be the enemy of the perfect. We know how to fix our dysfunctional health care system, and we can do it now. If you’re not ready to support that, then you go to hell!
And… oh yes… Merry Christmas!