For some reason I was thinking about Health Care reform ideas that could improve competition

[LeftyAndProud60]

Now this may be stupid, but please hear me out and tell me if the ideas are dumb or not.

1. Make all insurance companies exempt from paying federal taxes just to start off.

2. Give them incentives to create pools for high risk people or people w/ pre existing conditions.

3. If they don't, u tax them. If they do, u let them keep more of their money. The larger the pool, the bigger the tax break. The weaker the pool, the more you tax them.

4. Whenever rates are raised over a certain thresh hold, u tax them.


the main idea is to re-work the tax structure just for the insurance industry since they're really the only industry where life or death could depend on them.


Is this even doable, or am I out my mind? Maybe it's already in this current bill and I don't know about it.

[DJ13]

1. #2 is a bad idea

"2. Give them incentives to create pools for high risk people or people w/ pre existing conditions."

The insurers would pool them together, and nobody could afford the premiums.

A better idea would be to force the insurers into eliminating separate pools (making one singular insurance pool so to speak) so that the risks are spread out, creating lower premiums for everyone.

Edited to add.... and make those tax credits you suggest contingent on them taking everyone, pre existing included.

[LeftyAndProud60]

2. Makes sense. U would have ot have healthy people in the pool, to bring down cost. I get it. nt

[sandnsea]

3. Or require them to include everyone

And instead of giving them direct tax credits, give low income citizens the assistance so more people will be covered and the insurance company will get the same economic benefit as a tax credit.

[Gman2]

4. Thats piddly, go single payer and eliminate workmans comp.

transform it into negligence insurance. And it pays only pain and suffering. You health care is already covered. Small business in particular would benefit.

[Oregone]

5. Insurance doesn't need innovation, multi-tiers, profit, competition or private industry to be useful