[saden1]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Clearly, you pay the 750/year until such time as you need coverage. At which time, you buy just enough coverage to pay for whatever the problem is. Use of pre-existing conditions being prohibited (sec. 211), I wait until the last possible moment to purchase coverage. Why pay 1,400+ (more as time goes by) for a service I don't need?

All these little tricks aren't some new revelation but that's not going to stop the mob from thinking itself clever. Tricksters should be weary of traps.

Far be it from me to give advice that contradicts a lawyer's advice but I would be remiss if didn't. I guess you haven't heard of a nice little section titled "Sec. 2702 Guaranteed Availability of Coverage." This section clearly establishes an enrollment period much like your employer's enrollment period and if you miss it without extraneous circumstance you are shit out of luck. That is to say you will be on your own in purchasing insurance with your pre-existing condition at a hefty "free-market" price.

If a healthy young person does as you suggest they would be out $750 annually without the benefits of coverage, and when they get sick and decide to get insurance they might as well offer a kidney as payment. The best coverage they will be able to get is through the high risk insurance pool.

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

As to where the $750 goes, why does that matter? If I don't use the health insurance, the 1,400 gets me no benefit and neither does the 750. If I have to piss away money, I'll piss away the least amount possible.

If you're implying that the 750 will be going to offset insurance costs, perhaps it will be used to offset some of the public option costs but it certainly won't affect private insurance. So, in many cases, before premiums for private insurance to significantly increase, private insurers will get many new insureds just as those insureds need expensive coverage. This will continue until premiums catch up with the mandatory services.

It matters where that $750 goes, it matters very much. You see, the government isn't providing the insurance itself, it's merely providing the rule book for insurance companies to follow. That $750 will eventually end up going to some insurance company and it's coming from a poor sap they didn't provide any service to but is still paying into the system. Of course if said sap decides to use emergency services he will probably utilize that $750 he paid and then some.

There is no public option in this bill, only healthcare exchange where most insurance companies if not all will no doubt participate in. And of course participating in the exchange will impact the private insurance companies button dollar. Now if people and employers dump companies that aren't participating in the exchange in favor of those that are imagine they're doing it out of self-interest. The point is there's absolutely nothing preventing companies from participating in the exchange there's nothing wrong with purchasing coverage though the exchange.

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

hmmm, I may have to rethink starting that insurance company.

The health insurance industry is still a free market though it is regulated. Get in the game and if you strike it rich save the Redskins from Snyder.


p.s. Thank you to all you young healthy lads who plan on paying that $750 fine, and good luck, you're bloody well going to need it.