Overheard conversations.

"The new right believes every new government program is one step forward on the road to serfdom. They’re winning. But I still don’t quite get it. Do they believe everybody in Sweden is a serf?"



...




No. But after a few moments pause, they probably accept that America -- for better or worse -- is not as homogeneous as Sweden, and a one-size-fits-all solution that might be adaptable to our Northern states, say, might not work when you consider the system as a whole. We've a unique history and pedigree, and now's no time to knock the brash traits that brung us.

Which is to say, if Collins were being honest here and not cleverly playing into the black-and-white game that in another breath she says she dislikes, she might understand the difference between the currently passed systematic healthcare overhaul on faith that it will prove healthy in the long run, and taking incremental steps to cover that percentage of uninsured Americans who are too poor to afford it currently.

Mandatory coverage for pre-existing illnesses: there's a reason, from a financial viewpoint, businesses operate on business principles. Taking all comers, no matter the underwriting process, kinda puts the whole concept of insurance out-of-business. As does making purchasing "insurance" mandatory...

It's solving one private industry's demographic, systemic problem by forcing into the system non-consuming populations (here, generally our healthiest, and youngest) who are expected to pay but not draw back on their dollars. That's the only way it all adds up -- if this percentage non-voluntarily gives up something for nothing, thus shifting the cost burden.

It's like prescribing a 24/7 feeding tube of healthy new customers to an already overstuffed, obese industry.

And nevermind that rising medical care costs, or any way of credibly curbing them, have yet to be addressed. Or that the undocumented "invisible" -- often the poorest and most vulnerable non-citizens amongst us -- will not be required to carry insurance as they are not systematically recognized, nor hopefully with a presumptive humane pattern continuing, will they be turned away from accessing needed healthcare. Those costs will just continue to be borne by the ever-increasing numbers of Americans forced to participate in the private health "insurance" system.



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This is a good place to maybe talk too, about how insurance works -- what takes priority:

If an healthcare-uninsured young person is in a car accident -- or meets that damned hypothetical bus going around the country hitting healthy pedestrians everywhere who don't hear it coming and can't jump out of the way... -- they are treated in the ER, where basic facts are gathered.

When it comes to light the injuries were sustained though a vehicular accident, the vehicle policy is billed up to the Medical Payments policy limits. (My state sets a minimum that insured drivers must carry. Remember: anyone not wanting to buy this insurance doesn't have to; they just lose the privilege of driving.)

If it's not the accident victim's fault -- and I'm going to guess that in a good percentage of the mythical bus hypotheticals, the bus would be liable -- though the patient's vehicular policy is billed and pays off my bills initially, they will always subrogate, or collect, from the liable party. This way, it's between the vehicle insurance companies, and the hospital's bill has been satisfied. If the medical bill is under the auto insurance policy limits, no healthcare insurance is touched -- even for those vehicle, or pedestrian accident victims who carry it.

What if a non-driver, non-healthcare-insured is hit? And he has the i-pod on and steps in front of the bus? OK, then I'll give you, he -- or his mother, father, or responsible guardian taking him as a tax deduction -- will be facing some medical bills. That he'll either choose to be responsible for and pay off, or he'll pass on to others who have voluntarily contracted into insuring themselves.

Or, he might be one of those legitimately poor people who is non-voluntarily uninsured, without resources, who would then be eligible for Medicaid or SSI, should the injuries rise to that level. Help those people. Definitely. With tax dollars. Without bailing out the private insurance industry, or skewing the concept of voluntarily contracting for "insurance" as we know it.

Systematic shakeups too often don't prove to be all they're promised...

What percentage of the often-touted figures of America's uninsured do you suppose this Swedish-like policy of collecting everyone into the nets helps? What percentage of the currently employer-insured? Heck, in my county anyway, many of our poorest are comfortably insured by Medicaid now already: the system in place of reimbursing local dollars with federal, while hurting perhaps, was working.

Up the amounts available to those states and localities where undocumented need, and unmet realities are causing health issues, via Medicaid dollars. That was one non-conservative taxing option. Might not like such an incremental step, but with 60 votes you could have gone incrementally and sold it. Curb/manage costs there, and attempt reform with that population -- already federally controlled. Pass an unpopular bill that affects the least, first.

And you wouldn't have had to do it in the cold, dark middle of the night -- sneaking in like the Grinch and taking from the children's futures -- either.

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ADDED: Why is Brooks always artificially assuming the dominant position in these conversations?

David Brooks: Before I answer that question, let me surmise that you are up in Alaska investigating my theory that Sarah Palin is a Democratic double agent. That’s the only plausible explanation for the last two years.

He's a joke.

Does Collins deliberately play up to him to balance things out, as the unassuming yet powerful liberal to the currently out-of-power conservative? Or are they just replicating the standard Man-woman thing?

I noticed it in the repeated mention when Brooks was vacationing, and then in the deferments in that she's always asking him, promising goodies, soliciting his more able advice. I know the country is going more retro-traditional, and I know Collins came up more a news businesswoman than a writer* -- but this artificial playing up to him and taking the conversation into Dave-Barry-Lite sillyland... I don't know how many people would continue reading once they start charging for pagehits.

*Not that there's anything at all wrong with that; the rarer the talent, the stronger the contribution to the team.