Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (7477)	7/9/2009 5:22:48 PM
From: i-node	Respond to of 42652

From the perspective of insurance companies, you are a niche market. They aren't going to spend a lot of time coming up with a variety of plans for your consideration. You say that there are lots of companies who would service you, maybe so. But I'll bet none of them has dozens of options from which you can choose. Again, it is a market that exceeds $100 Billion in annual sales -- not a niche market. Certainly, it is smaller than the market for group plans. But nevertheless, it is totally adequate to establish whether or not such plans offer any systemic advantage over employer-sponsored plans. I'm open to hearing about it. As I previously stated, it may be that some savings can be achieved by individuals "taking ownership" of their plans. But before drawing such a conclusion we would need to see some kind of evidence of it. The argument that a $100 or $120B market of 20 million buyers isn't sufficient as a proof of the concept is incredulous. Our local BCBS has at least 10 plans offering various kinds of coverage for individuals. I would imagine there are easily 50 or 100 such plans available in my state. It doesn't seem reasonable to me that there would be fewer in NYC but I don't work up there so I don't know with any certainty. and if state regulations didn't constrain their options they would come up with more and varied plans so they could better compete.<?I> I do agree about this. There is some simple legislation, I would think, that could instantly increase the levels of competition by removing the state-by-state limitations. I think this should be part of any solution that is enacted.