Member of the reality-based community of progressive (not anonymous) Massachusetts blogs
Sorry for the lack of posting lately, I’m dealing with my car, work, family, my car…yeah, I did a little damage to it last week by rear-ending someone (nothing too serious, at low speeds, no one was hurt, but oh lordy, do I have the worst luck with cars lately).
So I get on Lowellsun.com and the first thing I click on, the snark-o-meter goes off.
Study: All Mass. residents should insure themselves
BOSTON — Massachusetts could provide health insurance to all its citizens by increasing health-care spending by as much as $2 billion annually and by requiring all individuals to purchase their own insurance, according to a report by the state’s largest HMO.
The state now spends one quarter of its $23 billion budget on health care.
The report by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts said it’s unlikely that Massachusetts would achieve universal health care unless every person were required to carry health insurance, just as every automobile owner is required to have auto insurance.
“It is simply not possible to achieve universal coverage without requiring the purchase of insurance,” the report stated.
Uh…anyone else see what’s wrong with this picture? An HMO did a study and said…”Force people to buy my product!” But wait, there’s more…
Gov. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, threw his support behind the concept. He said his own health-care plan would require that people either obtain health insurance or maintain adequate savings to cover their medical expenses.
Anyone else now unsure of whether or not Mitt is a whore for the business interests as well as the right wing?
[powered by WordPress.]
43 queries. 1.614 seconds
June 22nd, 2005 at 7:49 pm
To take it even further, the Governor said that anyone who can afford to buy the insurance will be required to do so and if they refuse their state income tax refunds and/or pay checks will be attached.
(He didn’t outline what income level he believes people are well off enough to afford it)
You are exempt if you can show you can pay for health care on your own (read that rich people need not worry about it)
And, there is no provision regarding employers in these plans so there are concerns that companies will just drop health coverage for employees since the state will require the workers to pay for it themselves.
June 22nd, 2005 at 7:53 pm
test?
June 24th, 2005 at 4:04 pm
I think you are wrong. BCBS, Harvard Pilgrim are non-profit organizations and simply price to cover costs and maintain a reasonable warchest in case of a catastrophic event in Massachusetts and we all needed healthcare at once.
Mitt’s proposal is actually pretty good. It helps get rid of the deadbeats who can pay, but don’t. We end up paying for them. It is called responsibility. No where in the plan does it say the totally impoverished will be denied healthcare. I also don’t see the overused comments that it is pro-business, when it really is pro-little guy who is fed up with the escalating costs of paying for healthcare.