Senate healthcare bill now relies on regulation

[SHRED]

This will have loopholes the size of Texas.

Our "leaders", including the President, are apparently not working for the majority of us in this tattered Democracy.
If they did they would have crafted a Bill that reflected what the majority of us CITIZENS wanted: Medicare-for-all or, short of that, a strong public option.
Every poll I saw wanted it so.

I am so disgusted.
It's real simple folks, they are suppose to be working for us and instead we get nothing but them babysitting private insurance with a wink and a nod.

Senate healthcare bill now relies on regulation
Without a 'public option' to compete with private insurers, the government would instead police the industry. But do regulators have enough authority to make a difference?

By Noam N. Levey

December 18, 2009

Reporting from Washington

When Senate Democratic leaders agreed this week to remove a public insurance plan from their massive healthcare bill, they did more than quash a liberal dream of expanding the government safety net. They effectively pinned their hopes of guaranteeing coverage to all Americans on a far more conventional prescription: government regulation.

The change sprang from a compromise made to placate conservative Democrats wary of a new government program. But shorn of a "public option," the Senate healthcare bill has reverted to a long-established practice of leveraging government power to police the private sector, rather than compete with it.

Despite the resistance among Republicans and conservatives to more government regulation, even the insurance industry has agreed to broad new oversight of their business in exchange for the prospect of gaining millions of new customers.

MORE:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-health-assess18-2009dec18,0,5056746.story

[sweetladybug]

1. All I can say, is when this health care bill passes without a public option

I will never never never vote again. I've had enough. I thought Democrats would do what is best for MOST of the people but instead they are in the pockets of big businesses.

[subterranean]

2. I'm sure the lawyers of the insurance companies are already busy

working on ways to exploit all the loopholes.

[leftstreet]

3. LOL In the same way they regulate banks?

:rofl:

[Jamastiene]

4. At first

At first, they'll regulate it. Then, later, when the political winds shift and another conservative is elected, they'll de-regulate it. Then, we will face some hefty ass increases. I've seen this before in the past with other things. I wonder if someone will think to tie them in for x number of years on the regulation.