No Wonder Romney Never Discusses His Healthcare Plan…
Shikha Dalmia, senior analyst at the Reason Foundation has the latest figures on RomneyCare, and they don’t look pretty.
“…premium increases of 12% for this year — double last year’s national average.”
“The state health-care bill for fiscal 2008-2009 is expected to touch $400 million — 85% more than originally projected.”
“Before the hike, the cheapest plan for uninsured couples in their 50s cost $8,200 annually. Now, unless government bureaucrats hand them an exemption, they might well find it cheaper to pay the penalty — up to half the price of a standard policy — than purchase insurance. That is, pay to remain uninsured. This is legalized extortion: TonySopranoCare.”
I have said many times that Mr. Romney’s healthcare plan that he signed on his way out the door in Massachusetts (billed as his “signature accomplishment” at the time) was inherently anti-competitive/anti-free market and would inevitably lead to contrived scarcities, inflated costs, and higher prices for consumers- the same things that always result from socialistic/command style systems- not to mention that inconvenient little fact that it established $50 dollars a pop abortions as a “healthcare benefit.”With all the talk about Romney being the only “economic conservative” it bears mentioning that his actual record tells a very different story.
Tom Blumer of Bizzy Blog has more
And more from CNSNews.com here
Economics, Politics, health care | Gregg | 
January 31, 2008 1:04 pm
The coercion is what’s mind-boggling to me.
[...] You doubt? Grasp the full impact of what Shikha Dalmia says in his Wall Street Journal op-ed today (HT Gregg at Pundit Review). [...]
Gregg:
Curious what your thoughts are with it seeming that McCain and Romney are the last men standing. You have said before you are not a big fan of McCain. Just curious.
terry
Gregg - just a comment. I designed health plans for 10 years here in Mass. While 6% may be a nationwide average, a Mass. average increase is more like 15 - 20%. A 12% increase is really damn good. Check with business owners, and ask.
Please keep in mind - the mandate is to bring healthy people into the system to spread the risk; right now, only the sick buy expensive Mass. policies, exacerbating the spiral of costs. If you want to take the risk - OK, we’ll just intercept your tax refund to fund the free care pool, where you will receive care as an unisured person when you fall off a ladder, tear your ACL and need $15,000 of surgery - formerly subsidized by the taxpayers.
Dear Mr. Porcupine,
(Is that your real name?) Let me put it to you this way. Since you said you do health insurance, then you know people with pre-existing conditions do NOT get covered. You also know that the cost of lawyers has not been calculated into the amount the doctors have to pay for MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. Why didn’t you fix that? Are you a democrat?
I do not believe you worked as an insuring. If you did, was it for cars? You seem to have the disallusion that if everyone paid their hard earned money on something YOU wanted them to but they had chosen NOT to spend it on, then life would be grand. Um…what is the definition of a socialist again?
Dear Gregg,
GREAT POST. Keep up the great work of getting the word out.