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Irony in Three Parts
The Republican-controlled Missouri House has officially voiced opposition to an individual mandate to purchase health insurance.
Last weekend, Missouri Republicans lauded retiring U.S. Senator Kit Bond. One of the speakers heaping praise on Bond was Catherine Hanaway, who once served as an aide to the Senator and subsequently as Speaker of the State House. Hanaway claimed that Bond was “the inventor of the modern Missouri Republican Party.”
Seventeen years ago, Bond was one of 21 — not two or three, but 21 — Senate Republicans who supported a bill that included … wait for it … an individual mandate.
4 Responses to “Irony in Three Parts”
This still doesn't beat them electing a dead person to the Senate or when the Klan adopted a highway in your state.
Maybe I just still upset about Lawrence?
I don't find yhis very surprising… not only because of my cynical view that all politicians' stated positions tend to shift with the winds, but also because the specific issue of the individual mandate has had members of both parties all over the map. During the primaries, candidate Obama opposed them while Hillary had them in her plan, and he campaigned against her on that point.
The individual mandate is one of those ideas that is pretty unpopular, but it's also a necessary component to make the math work for most plans that seek to expand coverage and prevent sicker people from being excluded for coverage. So it's no surprise that the default position is to oppose it but that at certain times the politicians have to vote for it and hope no one complains too much.
As a former insurance underwriter (not healthcare), I'm really confused about how this is supposed to work. The job of an underwriter is too prevent potential claims from getting on the books. If everyone gets coverage, claims will increase. Increased claims means decreased profits. Decreased profits mean a drop in stock price. Will the entire industry have to create a new business model? Currently, health insurers provide insurance to people with high risk condtions (high risk means the potential for claims) but it's very expensive. Is a cap on premium costs included in the bill? Can anyone direct me to a more detailed article that addresses these issues? Thanks.
The individual mandate is one of those ideas that is pretty unpopular'
The Reps were right before they were wrong. There is an individual mandate in MA, but still plenty of folks refuse to be insured (6%). The weak mandates in the HCB plans now in the sausage machine will still result in millions of those 31 million uninsureds to “bug out” of insurance. – Next stop, the emergency room and purchase of insurance after an illness occurs. Great plan.