After Passage, Health Insurers Pivot, Prepare To Back Health Care Reform

“Enroll now to take advantage of our April Fools’ Day Savings Spectacular! And remember, it’s the law.“

Surprise! Br’er Rabbit likes the briar patch.

An acquaintance from a health insurance company sent me an email this morning asking if I’d like to be on one of their death panels. It’s a part-time gig and the pay is not great, but I may do it just for the “life-or-death” power trip.

Michael, I’m shocked at the total lack of skepticism in your story. Isn’t this really just an example of an industry trying to take advanatge of a massive subsidy it was just granted? The industry always wanted the individual mandate, it was the chief prize. This is not a public education campaign, it’s outright advertising for the industry’s own interest and products, being sold as support for government action,

I was talking with a couple of friends who are illegal immigrants and they can’t wait for this thing to kick in. The fact that it provides full coverage for illegals plus covers cosmetic surgery at 100% means my one friend can finally get that nose job he’s been wanting for years.

I’m getting a free cosmetic abortion even though I’m a guy.

If the end result is the same, what difference does it make what AHIP’s motivations are? The more people that pickup insurance, the better off we all are. The fringe benefit is that if the industry gets behind it, the more likely it is to succeed and the more successful it is the less likely it is that it can be repealed. Not that I think it’s likely that the bill would be repealed but Republicans can’t argue that the bill will usher in Armageddon if it’s actually working.

I’m handing out coupons for “free abortions” thanks to this bill. Young women are snapping them up faster than folks grab those free samples of Starbuck’s coffee on street corners. And all these young women are waltzing away, singing, “Now I can have unprotected sex!” And none of them were wearing wedding rings.

@charlieromeobr: It makes a difference because our work isn’t done. The mandate without a public option is, in the end, a subsidy to private industry. That’s a situation we should probably work to remedy. The industry wants this to work because signing everyone up will increase revenues and because it will end any future talk of a public option (if the privates can get everyone covered why would we need it?)

But there’s still a moral issue that needs to be addressed. If the government requires everyone to carry insurance as a condition of living in America than the government should provide an option to compete with the private industry. We shouldn’t lose sight of that.

I’m shocked, shocked that corporations want to make money! Where are we, the United States?

Some of them weren’t even wearing wedding dresses. Or… dresses at all!

A doctor friend called me this morning, all excited, and told me that every hospital in the country is on a “Code Red” alert due to the coming Armageddon. I’ve already reserved an ambulance because they’re going to be hard to come by when this thing hits.

Does it cover “male enhancement”?
How ’bout little blue pills?
Could it be that this just a conspiracy to divert the attention of the Tea Partiers? Didn’t we try that in Afghanistan, after all?

I’m shocked, shocked that a legal cartel of corporations in possession of anti-trust exemptions want to make money through direct government intervention in the marketplace on their behalf! Where are we, the United States?

As i explain in the piece, the insurance industry interests are unchanged: During the debate over the bill, insurers argued that the individual mandate needed to be stronger–meaning more people would be covered. The enrollment effort is simply an effort to get more people covered. Same game, same effect on insurance company bottom line. The more people enrolled, especially younger/healthy people, the better off the insurance industry will be.

Thanks for answering comments, MS.

I guess my beef is you never once use the phrase subsidy, which is what the insurers are after and you don’t explore what they’re tying to do — stave off a public option later… The HCR debate isn’t over yet!

It must cover “male enhancement.” Last night I saw for the first time a commercial with Jimmy Johnson for some kind of pill for that. The commercial may not be new, but I hadn’t seen it before. Maybe it’s a new gig for him now that people are thinking about health and what they can get covered. Tea Partiers looking for silver linings?

You have illegal immigrant friends? hahaha. OK, yeah, sure. Even though even *legal* immigrants will have to wait 5 years to be covered by this. Nice try.

Thanks so very much for responding to commentary, Michael Scherer, it is greatly appreciated.