Back in September I wrote:
Even if rates don’t go up because of an individual claim, I’ve heard that rates may be charged by your community demographic. Could that mean, for instance, that residents in Fallon, because of the leukemia cluster will pay higher rates than people in my town? Or will it mean, as you get older, you move into the “higher risk” category, and up your rates go, regardless of whether or not you make any claims? Of course, what I’ve “heard” and what is “real” may be two different things. Or not. I don’t know, because we don’t yet have a bill
Further, and this is the kicker, Obama’s pledge that no federal funds will go to fund abortions and the odious “conscience rules” will remain in place is a huge red flag. Will this be the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent that will allow the forced birthers to demand that no insurance company cover any abortions at all in the off chance that the woman’s premium is being payed by a tax-payer funded “tax credit?” It’s the global gag rule come home to roost.
Well, now we have a bill.
Global gag rule come home to roost? Check. And if you think this is coming out in conference, you’re delusional. The Stupak amendment’s torch is about to be picked up by Senators Bill Nelson (D) and Bob Casey (D) in the Senate. And we all know where Harry stands on choice don’t we?
Higher rates via demographic? Check
Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the house bill *only* makes older people pay twice as might [BL: note: should read "much"] for health insurance as older [BL note: "younger"] people. These are the figures:
under the House’s 2-to-1 cap, a 20-year-old would pay $3,169 in annual premiums and a 60-year-old would pay $6,339 for comparable plans, if they both had incomes above the subsidy-eligible level. Under a bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee, which had a 4-to-1 age-rating ratio, the 20-year-old would pay $2,258 and the 60-year-old would pay $8,357.
Hope and Change vs the Status Quo? Status Quo wins
All the Democrats were using some odd rhetoric on TV today. When asked directly if they would vote for a bill that had a Stupak amendment they kept saying that they were going to work to make sure that they “preserved the status quo.” The president said the same thing:
“I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill,” Obama said. “And we’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.
Saying the bill cannot change the status quo, the President said “there are strong feelings on both sides” about an amendment passed on Saturday and added to the legislation, “and what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we’re not changing the status quo.”
Joe Cannon envisions another scenario:
Under today’s system of socialized emergency medicine for the poor, she probably would go to the hospital within 24 hours. But under Pelosi’s plan, she knows that stepping into that hospital mean paying an unpayable fine, because she can’t afford to be on a health plan. And she’s terrified to fill out any forms giving out her personal information, because the last year she filled out a tax form was the year she “fell off the grid.”
So she stays home, spitting out her saliva every minute, unable to sleep, feeling ready to die. Maybe she ends up doing just that.
Well, screw Ellen. She didn’t pay taxes. She didn’t really contribute to the economy. It’s not as though society owed her a decent job or a social safety net. Let the bitch die. Too bad the taxpayers have to fork over the money to put her underground.
