SHOP Act - Small Business Health Insurance (credit, free-market, profit)

[skchi]

I just learned about the SHOP act, which is supposed to help small businesses afford health insurance. From what I've read, it seems like a good plan. Small businesses would be able to get together to forms groups. There are also proposals for tax credits for health care premiums.

The Senate bill has already been introduced, and I believe the House bill will be introduced tomorrow.

If you're familiar with the bills, what do you think?

[maf763]

If it's as you describe, it makes sense to me and seems long overdue. Do you know if people would get guaranteed coverage through the plan?

[harry chickpea]

What I think is that businesses and groups should be BANNED from providing health insurance. ALL policies should be individually funded, to FORCE the insurance companies into reasonable and fair premiums. Imagine what would happen if the boards of directors of the insurance companies were not able to get discounted plans or have the companies pay for their insurance. The cost of insurance would drop like a rock, and people would be far more responsible in their ues of their policies.

[texdav]

What I see coming isn't anything but a tax on small businesses to fund a government program and a reduction in medical care as we know it;to one of more rationed care decided by computer programs on care.Basically its a system that takes test and procedures out of the decision making of doctors really.

[maf763]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

What I think is that businesses and groups should be BANNED from providing health insurance. ALL policies should be individually funded, to FORCE the insurance companies into reasonable and fair premiums. Imagine what would happen if the boards of directors of the insurance companies were not able to get discounted plans or have the companies pay for their insurance. The cost of insurance would drop like a rock, and people would be far more responsible in their ues of their policies.

If you're talking about regional pools of users where individual risk would be diluted, then I would tend to agree. If you're talking about individual policy-holders and not pools, then the main result would be millions who would not get coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions.

[harry chickpea]

Therein lies the basic problem with insurance in the U.S.. It is an entirely socialist concept. Trying to make it into a capitalist "for-profit" business venture perverts it, just like having the government set prices on goods perverts the free-market economy. The big difference is the added result that human lives are placed in jeopardy.

[Flower25]

Making health insurance more affordable, predictable, and accessible for small businesses and the self-employed would be a good start in reforming the broken helath insurance system in this country.