Jim Stillman
Nevar
Senator McCain: Let’s deregulate health insurance, it worked so well for banking
September 23rd 2008 01:04
Admittedly, it hasn’t been a good week for the Republicans and their policy of deregulation. John McCain’s suggestion, in effect, to “cure” defects in the health care system in the United States by allowing the fox to guard the henhouse demonstrates an unrealistic belief that private corporations will regulate themselves. Senator McCain has said that the virtual collapse of the economy over the past week was caused, in significant part, because of the monumental greed of the executives in charge of the biggest banks and investment houses in America. At least as to banking and the economy, John McCain has come to realize that governmental regulation and oversight is vital.
(Unfortunately, this same realization has not crossed over in the GOP’s stewardship of the environment, usage of private mercenary armies or in connection with food and drug safety, but that’s fodder for another post!)
Now it turns out that Senator McCain would like to do to health care insurance what his associates and he did to the banking and investment systems. As the Republican has written,
The very sad thing is, through deregulation of the health care industry, more people are uninsured, the under-insured are growing ever more rapidly, and health care costs continue to rise making it affordable for only the few.
But of course, just as with Lehman and Merrill Lynch and the banks, the executives can be relied upon to regulate themselves.
Things are just super, now.
Right?
(Unfortunately, this same realization has not crossed over in the GOP’s stewardship of the environment, usage of private mercenary armies or in connection with food and drug safety, but that’s fodder for another post!)
Now it turns out that Senator McCain would like to do to health care insurance what his associates and he did to the banking and investment systems. As the Republican has written,
Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation
The very sad thing is, through deregulation of the health care industry, more people are uninsured, the under-insured are growing ever more rapidly, and health care costs continue to rise making it affordable for only the few.
But of course, just as with Lehman and Merrill Lynch and the banks, the executives can be relied upon to regulate themselves.
Things are just super, now.
Right?
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Comment by rickb_georgia
What is the source of McCain statement please? I am curious to compare the version of deregulation of the health insurance industry to which your post seems to alude and that which is being discussed by some third party health care revisionists with which I am familiar. There is a lot of disinformation being floated around and I think some of it is just an attempt to garner some 47 million votes.
The health care insustry has problems that go far beyond insurance.
Comment by Anonymous
(I wish I was somehow related to him...)
<Josh>
Comment by Two Guys Sports
Reviews R Us
rickb?
That is the exact quote taken from an article written BY John McCain in an issue of a magazine called Contingencies which was released this past week.
I do contend many of the things he says in the article had to be fed to him, but regardless if he were elected the same people would be feeding him the same crap to do and say. Since he has admitted to not knowing enough about the economy and other areas.
I also must say there was one thing I liked about the ideas in the article. He stated that health insurance should be portable. If you change jobs you should be able to keep the insurance you have, and not lose it just because you left your job for one reason or another.
Here is a link to a .pdf file copy of the actual article in the actual magazine if you'd like to continue your reading. Click here for the article.
Gene
Comment by Jim Stillman
Political Certainty
For the record, Josh is the grandson I mentioned in
Really Long Link
I will be writing more about this extraordinary young man -- and his equally extraordinary siblings and cousins.
Comment by Jim Stillman
Political Certainty
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Or he could be less than candid, now.
Comment by Jim Stillman
Political Certainty
I apologize for the duplicate comments, but the embed didn't "take" because I screwed it up. Mdea culpa.
If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind that Senator McCain’s conversion to an acceptance, if not active advocate, of governmental oversight and regulation of corporate America is a very recent one, there is an interesting video prepared by folks at The Huffington Post. Apparently, somewhere along the road to the election – if not exactly Damascus – John McCain’s outlook and philosophy was suddenly and dramatically changed.
Or he could be less than candid, now.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
What, you don't think corporate health can regulate itself honorably? Where's your trust, man?
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Budget Centsability
Australia used to have one of the best and fairest health care systems in the world many moons ago, but it is sliding into chaos. Our Medicare system used to be amazing. Everyone was entitled to, and received, public hospital treatment which worked well and the people in private health funds used to receive 100% cover in private hospitals, unfortunately this has not been the case for more than 20 years.
Deregulation in any industry is risky at best. In the case of health care it has the potential for absolute disaster.
Comment by jmccaz
Franklin Reines and his ilk are directly to blame. If you think that any republican had anything to do with this debacle, ask yourself why have no investigations been called for.
Frankie baby had 200 million in expenses moved from one year and applied to the next so he and Jamie Gurelic et al could collect excessive cash bonuses. Anytime Godless libs are in charge you can bet that there will be graft.
Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz
NCstuff