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Strategies & Market Trends : Waiting for the big Kahuna -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: fred woodall who wrote (90860)	10/26/2009 6:28:52 PM
From: GROUND ZERO™	5 Recommendations Respond to of 94695

If people were allowed to shop for a better coverage across State lines, then that would immediately reduce costs and eliminate the within State monopolies... the reduced costs would come from the nationwide competition between health care insurance companies who would want to jockey for the best position in a buyer's market... competition works and so does a free market if the communists in Washington don't get their grubby hands on it... the liberals are owned by lawyers, this is why tort reform is not even mentioned in any health care reform initiative... all of Washington is corrupt, starting with the head... GZ

To: fred woodall who wrote (90860)	10/26/2009 6:59:14 PM
From: puborectalis	4 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 94695

Why “Across State Lines” is NOT A GOOD IDEA With Healthcare Insurance Thu, 2009-09-17 13:22 — Wise Merlin Do you remember when Credit Card companies COULD NOT offer credit across state lines? It was a long time ago. The banking industry lobbied for years to take that restriction away. Then in 1979, the Congress passed a law to allow financial institutions to offer Credit Card loans across state lines. The PROBLEM WAS that the law allowed a financial company to utilize the “home state” (such as South Dakota) laws to govern the credit card interest rates across the country. This resulted in many Credit Card companies relocating to states that had the LEAST RESTRICTIVE LAWS on interest rates and credit card fees and rules. Suddenly an individual state HAD NO POWER to restrict credit rules for its citizens. Interest rates shot up, consumer protections dwindled away, and fees ballooned upward. Then the federal government stepped in and DID NOT ALLOW states to prosecute Credit Card companies for fraud, eliminating state’s rights. That IS EXACTLY what will happen to healthcare insurance IF “across state” restrictions are lifted in this country. All of the state laws governing insurance will be wiped out. The insurance laws will suddenly become the “lowest common denominator” of restrictions and protections for the consumer. This will allow HEALTHCARE INSURANCE COMPANIES to make more PROFITS (just like credit card companies), mislead more consumers, embed hidden restrictions in insurance contracts, driving UP the cost of healthcare. It WILL NOT benefit individuals and families. The insurance industry KNOWS THIS and that is why the industry (and Republicans) is pushing this approach. The ONLY WAY to allow insurance policies to be purchased across state lines is to MAKE SURE the consumer’s home state laws and restrictions take precedence and MUST BE honored, NOT the state where the insurance company resides. Otherwise, the insurance companies will gouge everyone JUST AS the credit card companies have done.