Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Angry Bear: Open Thread

I ran across an intelligent diary on MyDD this morning (I know, I know – no sense saying it) from Bruce Webb.  Bruce is a regular at the Angry Bear Blog.

Angry Bear is the product of a half dozen Ph.D economists, an historian, and financial professionals. The writers provide individual perspectives on broad sectors of the economy based on their unique training. They look at topics as varied as worldwide trade and industrial production and US government programs and regulations like Social Security.”

In no particular order our current economists are Cactus, Divorced one like Bush, Ken Houghton, Spencer England, Stormy, Robert Waldmann, Tom Bozzo, Linda Beale, and Rebecca Wilder. Bruce Webb has added his expertise in particular on Social Security and current healthcare debate. Rusty(formerly Save the Rustbelt) adds his expertise on the health industry and mid-west. Noni Mausa is a professional writer and poet, who brings us a dose of reality.

I’ve invited Bruce and the Bears (now there’s a band name) to mix with Mooses all they like.

Bruce points out that there is more to HR.3962 than left blogistan has taken note of:

Most important AND most overlooked sentence in HR3962

SEC. 102. ENSURING VALUE AND LOWER PREMIUMS.

(a) GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.–Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 2713 the following new section:

“SEC. 2714. ENSURING VALUE AND LOWER PREMIUMS.

“(a) IN GENERAL.–Each health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the small or large group market shall provide that for any plan year in which the coverage has a medical loss ratio below a level specified by the Secretary (but not less than 85 percent), the issuer shall provide in a manner specified by the Secretary for rebates to enrollees of the amount by which the issuer’s medical loss ratio is less than the level so specified.

Most of the criticism of HR3962 coming from the left revolves around the belief that the House bill has no premium and so no profit controls, that it in effect delivers millions of Americans into the hands of insurance companies who can continue to raise premiums at will while denying care by managing the risk pool in favor of those unlikely to make claims. This just is not true, not if the provision in this one sentence is properly implemented. In a stroke it guts the entire current business model of the insurance companies, based as it is on predation and selective coverage, and replaces it with a model where you can only make money by extending coverage to the widest range of customers and or delivering that coverage in a more efficient way.

Smart bears they got around there…


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 100 Comments

100 comments

  2. sricki

    I will have a look, and if no one objects today, I will add them to the blogroll tonight — or someone else can do it sooner… whatever, I’m not picky. ; )

    Interesting and somewhat reassuring to see their perspective on HR3962. I will admit I am highly critical of the bill (from the left), but I have largely kept my concerns to myself, hoping that it will be better than nothing. There are times when I fear it won’t, though, and in light of that, I am glad that at least a couple of our progressive House members voted against it (Kucinich, Massa), since we had enough votes to pass it anyway. I am heavily in favor of single payer and had hoped for a strong public option in lieu of that, and it has been difficult for me to watch our side make compromise after compromise. I’m deeply afraid that it will get butchered even further as the process moves along, until the end result is largely useless or a boon to the insurance companies.

    The health care debate has disheartened me on many levels. The ignorance of many of the people in this country is astounding, and the power of the insurance companies and their lobbyists is terrifying. Sometimes I just feel like closing the laptop, shutting off the TV, and crawling into a hole to escape it all.

  5. DTOzone

    but I think it’s basically just worthy of an open thread comment. I wandered over to MyDD and my jaw dropped when I saw this;

    http://www.mydd.com/story/2009…

    It starts off with;

    Our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are war criminals.

    Wait it gets worse. Apparently one of the commenters is a veteran of Iraq/Afghanistan and wrote this;

    Thanks (none / 0)

    should I surrender to the Hague now or are you going to turn me in?

    by ND22 on Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 09:41:38 AM EST

    the diarist had the audacity to respond;

    Re: Thanks (1.00 / 2)

    It would be a start if you wrote a letter to the editor of an important news publication recognizing the error of your ways. I think that might discourage other young men and/or women from emulating your morally wrong choice.

    by fairleft2 on Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 11:36:16 AM EST

    …wow

  7. HappyinVT

    whitehouse.gov is going to be doing video updates during the president’s trip to Asia.

    Earlier today, the President left for Asia, stopping over in Alaska before heading to Tokyo, Japan.

    During this trip, we’re going to try something new.  To offer an inside perspective to everyone back here in the U.S., Ben Rhodes, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, will provide frequent updates on the trip.

    Here’s the first installment.  Frankly, I hope the dude’s delivery gets a tad more exciting as he gets the hang of this.

  8. HappyinVT

    here’s my favorite song of the moment (subject to a whimsical change at any moment.)  The video ain’t much unless you don’t know the lyrics.

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