Goozner: strategies to defend healthcare reform

In his very informative healthcare newsletter GoozNews, Merrill Goozner discusses the various threats and strategies arising from the Republican control of the House. He makes the very provocative point that supporters of the the Healthcare Bill should be willing to throw out the so-called "Individual Mandate" (IM) which requires that everyone have health insurance. This is the centerpiece of the opposition and the subject of the main legal challenge (lawsuits by around a dozen state Attorney's General) to the overall bill. Goozner reminds us that the IM was initially opposed by Obama when he campaigned (and was supported by Clinton), and was thrown in mostly to appease the Insurance Industry. Since this industry was among the many that helped campaign against Democrats -- and hence against the bill -- in the last election, they are hardly owed any loyalty.

If the Dems join the PTR (Party for The Rich) to jettison the IM, then the Insurance Industry will have to go through 50 state insurance "exchanges" in order to obtain premium relief to pay for those with pre-existing conditions who buy insurance -- which the companies are mandated to sell -- only when their conditions warrant it. This would be a nightmare for the companies since they would have to publicly display their costs and policy specs.

Goozner also has a discussion of this, as well as "defunding" issues, in the latest Fiscal Times.