Thursday, November 20, 2008

Health Insurance Companies Want Mandates

Wow. This news puts our primary season debates about mandates in a new light, huh? I think it's interesting that in this case, the interests of insurance companies and citizens may be aligned (though insurers are still strongly against price controls), given something I recently read (can't remember the source) arguing that insurance companies are in danger of sinking themselves with premiums that are reaching a breaking point. At a certain point, premiums get so high that companies that have already passed on a lot of the cost to their employees figure it's no longer worth it to buy insurance. And then what do insurers do? Mandates look pretty good if they may save your business. Having recently been on the anxiety-inducing open market for health insurance, I do think it would be a step forward to just know that you have a guarantee, regardless of the price.

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