Thursday, January 14, 2010

Democrats’ Alternative to Government-Run Insurance: More Government-Run Insurance

As Democrats continue their attempts to draft a health care bill behind closed doors, several press reports – including an article from this morning’s Wall Street Journal – have indicated the Administration’s preference for the national exchanges included in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962).  However, the provisions establishing a national Exchange in that bill include another noteworthy provision: The bill prohibits the purchase of private, individual health insurance.  Specifically, Section 202(c) of the bill (page 100 of the House-passed legislation) notes that beginning in 2013 (when the Exchange comes online in the House version) “individual health insurance…may only be offered” through the national, government-run Exchange.

Thus, if the press reports are accurate, Democrats could be about to “sacrifice” their government-run health plan by requiring individuals to purchase coverage through a government-run Exchange – and create a “Health Choices Commissioner” (aka the new federal insurance “czar”) whose job it will be to PROHIBIT people from choosing to buy health insurance outside the federal government’s purview.  Somewhere, George Orwell must be smiling.