Evidently not. Here's the new bright idea: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700118_pf.html
Clinton Health Plan OutlinedThere's the spectrum of Democratic opinion for you: Hillary thinks people ought to be forced to pay a lot of money to insurance companies, and Obama thinks they should be forced to pay slightly less. I also like the driver's license analogy -- perhaps the Clinton/Obama administration will require us to have a license before we can operate our bodies.
All Americans Would Be Required to Have InsuranceDES MOINES -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's sweeping health-care proposal, which she plans to unveil today, would require every American to carry health insurance.... The centerpiece of her "American Health Choices Plan" is an "individual mandate" requiring everyone to have health insurance -- just as most states require drivers to purchase auto insurance....
[T]he Democratic presidential contenders have been united in advocating universal coverage. They have parted ways on certain specifics, including the individual mandate -- the plan offered by former senator John Edwards (N.C.) includes one, while the proposal outlined by Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) does not.... Obama... has said that individuals cannot be forced to purchase insurance until the cost of coverage is substantially reduced.
Some of my lefty pals have been scratching their heads about why Hillary would "repeat the same mistakes" she made in 1994. But that's not what she's doing. She's repeating a triumph. She delivered the goods to the insurance companies then and she's raring to do it again.
Comments (5)
Amen, brother! It's depressing how mis-remembered the Clintons' 1992 health-care hit-job has become. They absolutely succeeded at what they were aiming to do, which was legitimize "managed care." It's even more depressing that people are going to let them rerun the whole racket. And this time, the pre-election promise is substantially worse than in 1992, when single payer was at least a hint!
Mandatory private health insurance will turn the uninsured into "bums" unworthy of coverage: "You didn't obey the law and spend $500 a month for 'catastrophic care' coverage with a 25% co-pay? OK, then go die."
Posted by Michael Dawson | September 17, 2007 8:34 PM
Posted on September 17, 2007 20:34
I just gotta love this shit. She wants to repeat the Massachusetts Miracle™, huh?
Too bad I'm turning out to be right about the trend toward forcibly herding people into corporate "customerhood", especially under insurance companies. What's Hillary, the third one of 'em now who's apparently carefully listened to what the People wanted and turned around and did the opposite?
It's like they're so desperate to avoid actually dealing with the real issues around healthcare that they end up looking like...oh, I don't know, cheap insurance hucksters.
...and while I'm thinking of this, why do I have springing to mind a scene from George Lucas' classic "THX 1138"*: over a static-camera shot of brain-numbed, shaved, identially-white-suited people seemingly endlessly ascending an escalator, there can be heard over a PA system the announcement, "...consumption has now been standardized for your convenience..."
*...aside from the original Star Wars, the only other picture Lucas made that I really cared for.
Posted by Mike Flugennock | September 18, 2007 12:09 AM
Posted on September 18, 2007 00:09
But Mike -- they are "dealing with the real issue." The real issue is, how can the insurance companies keep making money?
Posted by MJS | September 18, 2007 12:15 AM
Posted on September 18, 2007 00:15
Come on guys -- you're missing the real play here!
Once they get everyone into a health plan, they nationalize the insurance companies, sell off their assets, and create free universal pre-school day-care with the proceeds.
Posted by plato's cave | September 18, 2007 1:26 AM
Posted on September 18, 2007 01:26
As a regular commentor at a liberal newsblog, I was happy that the Dems won back in November. In a way, I still am. Now I can turn my back on the notion that there's any difference between the Dumbs and ReThugs with a perfectly clean conscience.
Posted by Loveandlight![[TypeKey Profile Page]](../../nav-commenters.gif)
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September 27, 2007 6:25 PM
Posted on September 27, 2007 18:25