April 26, 2012
Michelle Obama exults over the way "insurance companies will now have to cover basic preventive care--things like prenatal care, mammograms, contraception — at no extra cost."
Right. She didn't say free. She said "no extra cost." Key word: extra. The cost will be bundled into the price of insurance, which you will be required to buy, whether or not prenatal care, mammograms, and contraception are in the range of things you might need or want. That's the beauty of it. Because it's not an extra cost, it's not an avoidable cost. Everybody into the pool.
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63 comments:
The way out is probably to change the requirement so that the policy must cover exactly nothing, and must be exactly free.
If you don't buy one, you get fined zero.
It's all as the secretary shall determine.
Of course there is extra cost, just not paid for directly by the women consuming the goods and services. Somehow these libs don't quite understand that this sort of thing does cost money, and that money has to come from somewhere. They can't overcome or contravene the laws of economics just by yelling "price fixing", which seems to be their only approach to trying to fix the market inefficiencies, etc. that they continue to introduce. And, then, they have the audacity to blame Bush for why the economy hasn't recovered.
Now, what is a little bit of a disappointment is that MO used to "work" in the health care industry, and should have understood this. I think by now, that many of us consider much of the left Orwellian, and their claim to be "reality based" is just one of the things that supportsr that belief.
Biden; This is a big fucking deal.
Michelle: This is a big deal, fucking.
I think that what is most egregious here, at least to me, is that this is such a naked play for reelection. The entire population of this country is going to pay for this, so that Obama can get himself reelected by pandering to young unmarried women, by giving them something that appears to them to be free.
I've never seen a single argument that in any way shows why women's healthcare, in particular, should be subsidized.
It's fucking patronizing. I am sick of Dems acting like women are children that must be cared for by others, and doublely sick of women taking the bait.
Anyone who thinks that women should be equal but also buys this crap is a hypocrite and should be ashamed.
She appears to enjoy jawboning the press and stirring up resentment. I think she influences POTUS in this regard.
Everybody into the pool.
Hey - wait - that's my line!
Outside of very limited catastrophic care plans, is there any insurance that doesn't already cover these things?
The essence of modern "liberalism."
"Where's my free stuff!?!?"
Amazing how it's all free.
No budget. No reality. Hike those taxes and call it "free". Hike those fees and call it "free".
Print more money and call it "free". Force someone else to pay, and call it free. Then, after it really starts to stink, pull out the democrat fear and loathing card.
Democratz ecomonix.
The War on Math continues.
Oops, I just noticed the "contraception" slipped in there at the end. So there is one new thing. Figures after the last go round, that this time she'd try to hide it inside other more reasonable items.
Bruce Hayden said...
I think that what is most egregious here, at least to me, is that this is such a naked play for reelection.
Why let a crisis of your own making go to waste?
Candy Everybody Wants
If lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give 'em what they want.
Hey, hey, give 'em what they want.
So their eyes are growing hazy 'cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.
Well, hey, give 'em what they want.
If lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give 'em what they want.
So their eyes are growing hazy 'cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.
Well... who do you wanna blame?
Hey, hey, give 'em what they want.
If lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give 'em what they want.
So their eyes are growing hazy 'cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.
Well... who do you wanna blame?
Well, feminist law made men pay for children they hadn't fathered, might as well have all men pay for sex they'll never have.
Yes, and we soon will be told that housing and food and water should come at no cost. There is a name for a system like this.....it starts with an "s"....what was it again?
I've never seen a single argument that in any way shows why women's healthcare, in particular, should be subsidized.
Lyssa, I think the idea is that 'preventative' care would not require a co-pay, not specifically womens issues, that's just what Michelle is focused on. (now why contraception is 'preventative' or why it's better to pay a copay when you have the flu than when you get a mammogram is another question).
I don't know what the big deal is about co-pays, but that was my understanding of this whole deal. All that means, though, is that people have to pay for it up front rather than when it happens.
The latest meme from the left is that if the "Affordable Care Act" *giggle* is struck down or repealed, the GOP will steal all your lady parts.
Oh y-e-a-h!
Mooshelle is just as informed about insurance and economics as her husband!
What a pair they make!
I think the government should mandate the auto companies to put pinstripes on all new cars at "no extra cost". I think the government should mandate HBO with all cable subscriptions at "no extra cost". I think I should always get mushrooms on my steak at "no extra cost". Man, what a great way to run a country!
Meanwhile federal agencies are issuing guidelines cutting back on the frequency of pap smears, mammograms and prostate screenings.
New Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Call for Fewer Pap Tests
Pogo said...
"...might as well have all men pay for sex they'll never have."
By "all men" I'm sure you mean "all men and women".
Contraception is "preventative care".
That says it all.
Birth control wants to be free!
Free stuff is what our government is for, right?
The Obamas are working the standard TV ad offers that in exchange for paying a sum of money for A ( plus handling charges), you will also be given B absolutely free.
Hope and Change are back. Hope it's true and change into a scarcity world t6hat requires secret police, death panels and an army of government watchers such as the Secret Service and the GSA.
I expecting Obama to start finishing up his speeches with:
And if you call in the next 8 minutes, we will include, free of charge, a Snuggie / Pocket Fisherman combo and pay for the shipping!
I like those scooter commercials where grandpa said his scooter didn't cost him a dime.
When women demand free birth control, I feel less valued - like a cheap piece of meat with a wallet. It's hurtful.
Leo Getz: Look at this robe isn't it great? Hey! I ordered room service, you want some? Its free!
Sgt. Murtaugh: It's not free, its paid by the taxpayers.
Leo Getz: Oh its the same thing!
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 2
You know what's really weird about that? The scene where Riggs meets Murtaugh, in which Murtaugh tries to tackled Riggs, popped into my mind this morning, without reason one, and I've not been able to get rid of it since.
Much like a song stuck in your head forces you to go listen to that song to exorcise it, apparently, I'm gonna hafta dig some 80's buddycop tonight.
Ann's point is totally undermined by the fact that insurance companies jumped to cover contraception on their own when the religious-affiliated institutions screamed about having to cover it. Private insurance companies had no qualms about providing that coverage *at no extra cost*. I guess they're in on the big-government conspiracy too?
Michelle should have exulted at how the health insurance industry in this country is treated overall. Nevermind the fact that her and her idiot husband have hobble 280 million people to try and save the alleged 30 million who they claim don't have health insurance. On top of the fact that now when you saddle the insurance companies with procedures that are generally not inclusive of a health insurance policy, you've increased the cost of premiums. Then to say, "oh sure, they will include these things at no extra cost." Really, you fucking idiot. Firstly, health insurance companies cannot operate across state lines. Therefore they are locked in their respective operating states. That already stagnates competition and the demand for lower costs. Now, UrkleCare will effectively, if allowed to remain as law, will render them extinct in 5 or so years and leave the government as the sole provider of health insurance. Clap for yourself, you pinch-faced scowling bitch.
"... Much like a song stuck in your head forces you to go listen to that song to exorcise it, apparently, I'm gonna hafta dig some 80's buddycop tonight."
I like the first one but the second one seemed more slapstick.
I've been opposed to the whole thing...but I did get a free shingles shot.
Thank you Obama!
"... Privateinsurance companies had no qualms about providing that coverage *at no extra cost*.."
Having worked in insurance for over 15 years I can assure you the insurers aren't providing additional coverage at no extra cost.
Doesn't matter what the product or service is, when it says free or no extra cost its because its already built into the price.
"Private insurance companies had no qualms about providing that coverage *at no extra cost*. I guess they're in on the big-government conspiracy too?"
Of course, Jim. The insurance companies don't have a problem with mandated coverage. Any business, loves to have their product mandated by government. They aren't gonna pay for it; they sell it. We pay for it.
Well, at least they're not trying to perpetuate the fiction that ZeroCare will lower costs. That's progress.
I suppose.
Ann Althouse said...
Everybody into the pool
Just like the one in "Thunderball".
The utter stupidity of it all is that even with very-high-deductible policies preventative care is covered.
We carry a $10K-deductible with Blue Cross, and for the entire family (children included) it's way less than $3,000 per year. All the female annual exams, mammograms, and such are covered. All the baby exams and immunizations are covered. One preventative exam per year for me is covered. Any other medical services are deeply discounted to the insurance-negotiated price, usually by about 65 percent.
And my wife has a cancer history.
Obama supporters should STFU and get smart about shopping for medical insurance. It's out there.
Unfortunately, their real desire is to take over one-sixth of the economy.
Have you noticed how they're attempting to seize all the essentials? Energy. Health. Banking. ... and now Food.
"... Just like the one in "Thunderball"..."
One of my favorite Bond movies.
My company provided heath insurance has risen dramatically since Obamacare passed, and it's pretty hard to argue with them about the need for higher premiums. This has been a gold strike for them. Of course the company and the employees are not happy about it. They don't want to be forced to buy things they don't need or would rather buy for themselves for less, but the insurance companies and the politicians love it. They wrote it together for themselves, not us.
I really have no idea without economic growth policies where this money is coming from.
Seriously.
Obama has no plans to generate economic growth. None. He never has. Taxation does not encourage growth. Spending AHEM borrowing does not encourage growth.
No one in his administration even uses the damn word.
"... Have you noticed how they're attempting to seize all the essentials? Energy. Health. Banking. ... and now Food..."
And the sad part is a sizeable chunk of the electorate is on board with that.
Ann's point is totally undermined by the fact that insurance companies jumped to cover contraception on their own when the religious-affiliated institutions screamed about having to cover it.
They did?
Ann's point is totally undermined by the fact that insurance companies jumped to cover contraception on their own
Most insurance companies have been covering contraceptives for ages. The new thing is only about co-pays! 10-20 bucks for most people.
The utter stupidity of it all is that even with very-high-deductible policies preventative care is covered.
I love my HDHC policy, too, but Obamacare will do away with that option. Not that I know that for sure, but anything sensible gets blown away by Obamacare.
I should say the only new thing in addition to being REQUIRED to do that and a host of other things. So basically, this awesome law will make your insurance costs higher up front and lower at the doctors office. Does anybody thing that is going to end up being cheaper?
Our local BC/BS offers many plans, each with several options, so there are literally dozens of different configurations available to the consumer. I recently did some what if pricing and discovered that - all other things equal - adding maternity benefits to a plan increases the premium by 50 percent! Now once we're all in the pool, the increase shouldn't be 50%, but I wonder how thrilled single men and the post-child bearing will be with the jump in premium that they will bear for a benefit they cannot receive.
Also, what are the betting odds that the ins Co's will be blamed rather than one size fits all policymaking?
There is no added co-payment, but there is an added charge. Its the increase in your premiums.
Pay now or pay later, or have everyone pay. Those are your only options.
Economic illiteracy is a huge problem in this country. It is a result of the left having marched through the institutions.
The reason you are seeing mandates become such a big issue is that government is bankrupt so to give away bennies in return for votes politicians have to make us pay for these things ourselves while taking the credit for themselves. They just divide everyone up into groups and tell one group something is free while making another group pay for it and then try to reverse the groups later so everyone feels like they got one over on everyone else.
This sort of thing appeals to stupid people like that Fluke chick. They never stop to think that if they are getting $9 of birth control every month then they are paying $9+ in premiums over the course of their lifetimes. They get the benefit now but later when they have no need of it they are still paying for it for everyone else. In the end they come out behind because they could have just paid directly for the product or services they needed without another layer between them and the supplier.
Insurance only makes sense as a means of paying for huge and rare occurrences where everyone pools the risk. That is why it is called insurance. Duh...
As any parent of a teenaged son can confirm, once the boy gets his driver's license, your auto insurance goes up a great deal. It goes up a lower amount for teenaged girl drivers because as a group, they tend to have a lower accident rate. It's only reasonable that those who have fewer claims pay lower insurance premiums - except when it comes to health care. Women as a group consume about 1/3rd more health care than men. However, to charge them higher health insurance premiums is somehow wrong. It's like if a group of women want to form a business or club that caters only to women, that's fine. However, if a group of men what to exclude women for whatever reason (recent case Augusta), that's somehow wrong. A little consistency would be appreciated.
"... A little consistency would be appreciated..."
Wait, are you suggesting a level playing field and equality?
What kind of radical thinking is that?
Wait, are you suggesting a level playing field and equality?
Nonsense. Even when the field hockey shoe is on the other foot, we know it's not about equality.
"Private insurance companies had no qualms about providing that coverage *at no extra cost*. I guess they're in on the big-government conspiracy too?"
Of course, Jim. The insurance companies don't have a problem with mandated coverage. Any business, loves to have their product mandated by government. They aren't gonna pay for it; they sell it. We pay for it.
oh woop I meant to add to my last post:
And then guys like Jim, who advocated the mandate, come along and bitch about corporate influence in goobernment.
When did I advocate the mandate?
As usual, you're flailing.
Rick67:
Yes, it does. Their perception of reality is skewed to fulfill their dreams of instant gratification. There is also a side-effect, which people who claim an adherence to evolutionary principles will not acknowledge. Through artificial selection, our numbers are diminished, and our future is less than certain. Rejecting the natural order has a way of shifting preference to individuals and groups who engage in behaviors compatible with the natural order. The eugenics philosophy has been realized through a progressive deception and pandering to individuals' baser desires.
Evolutionary dysfunction is a choice, with a progressive number of Americans choosing to contribute, and our government has elected to subsidized it.
Everything she mentions is health care for women. The war against men rages on.
I really have no idea without economic growth policies where this money is coming from.
Heliocopter Ben and the printing press.
Yeah it's all that new free stuff that caused my health premiums to go up almost 40%.
Everything governemnt touches it forks up.
Jim:
I guess you also believe the insurance companies will not raise their rates to cover the added cost of covering children up to age 26.
Holy cow. I have to pay quite a bit extra for a maternity rider on my health insurance. Now all of you have to pay for it? That doesn't seem fair. I feel like I'll be obligated to have everyone over for pie and have to send Christmas cards with family pictures to the whole country.
I like pie. Free pie is my favorite flavor.
It's "no extra cost" pie.
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