Can they be serious? Put aside the absurdity of the notion that a public plan would operate just like Blue Cross or one of the others. (After all, the whole purpose of the public plan is to transfer wealth among constituencies in ways that market competition precludes.) Instead, consider the implications of the assertion that premiums in the public plan would be higher than those for the average of the private plans. That means automatically that only the sickest patients would opt for the public plan, even if guaranteed-issue/community-rating regulations were applied to the private plans. And the public plan is supposed to operate like a business, covering its costs? Please.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
Only the Sick Need Apply
Benjamin Zycher
Can they be serious? Put aside the absurdity of the notion that a public plan would operate just like Blue Cross or one of the others. (After all, the whole purpose of the public plan is to transfer wealth among constituencies in ways that market competition precludes.) Instead, consider the implications of the assertion that premiums in the public plan would be higher than those for the average of the private plans. That means automatically that only the sickest patients would opt for the public plan, even if guaranteed-issue/community-rating regulations were applied to the private plans. And the public plan is supposed to operate like a business, covering its costs? Please.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.