Consumer Protections

It's no secret that liberals love to regulate business. Federal agencies such as the FTC and the FDA serve to protect consumers from purchasing products that the federal government deems unacceptable. I recently asked a group of liberals if they thought these agencies were beneficial to society, and the answer was an emphatic and unanimous, "YES." Basically, they said we can't possibly be required/allowed to figure out what's safe for ourselves.

So why did this same group of liberals tell me that we need to legalize drugs? If it's, "My body, my choice," regarding illegal substances, why shouldn't the same be true for corporate regulations? Both serve to protect the citizens of America so why is one set of rules 'good for us' while the other is just a silly, out-dated law?

Seems a little hypocritical to me, but liberals aren't really known for their critical thinking skills. Keith Olberman or Jon Stewart told them that corporations are evil so they'll probably stick with that.

Massachusetts and Health Care Reform

We all know that Obama passed his health care reform (though I’m sure very few people actually understand what was just passed), but I want to discuss the similarities between what Obama signed and what Massachusetts has already implemented.

Both plans include a mandate for individuals to purchase insurance. Both levy fines on businesses if they don’t offer coverage. Both will be heavily regulated by the government. Both offer large tax-payer subsidies and Medicaid expansion. Both remove insurance companies’ rights to deny people with pre-existing conditions.

Shouldn’t we be able to look at MA to get an idea of what will happen when this plan is implemented nationally?

MA was spending 33% more than the national average before RomneyCare (the highest of any state), and in 2 years, it increased an additional 23% under RomneyCare (the national average being approximately 6.5% per year).

Very recently, insurers proposed 274 premium increases to help cover costs – 235 of which were rejected by MA regulators. Many private insurance companies have had to close shop, leaving big non-profit companies like Blue Cross and Harvard Pilgrim. The rates have gone up dramatically and without the ability to raise premiums, the non-profit companies will either have to close down or ration care.

Can anyone explain to me how Obama’s national plan won’t end up the same?