Democrats vote to raise health care insurance costs

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"The House voted Wednesday to require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both."

Instead of allowing us to continue having the freedom to choose the health care plan best for us, the House (mostly Dems) voted to force us to pay for mental health coverage that we may not want or need. All but 3 of 224 Democrats voting for this new forced coverage. Most Republicans voted against it.

"Opponents warned it could drive up health care costs and force some employers to drop insurance coverage." That means employers who can't afford to cover employees ED problems will no longer be allowed to provide health insurance for their employees to treat real physical problems such as hospital visits, surgery, and other serious health problems.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_ ... h_congress

Well are you saying that the insurance industry has no control over how much it charges people? They make huge profits, and it is not like they are all saying "Oh my god! They want to much from us we can't cover the cost inless we jack up the price!" I think sometimes they might use substance abuse and mental illness to deny insurance claims. They are only in it to make money and they will jack it up or drop you at a drop of the hat if it is more profitable for them to do so.

I think this is a good step towards viewing mental illness just as serious of an issue as a physical one. Some people may be like "Why are they making us pay?! I don't need it." But others might need it. If we based alot of decisions on what one person needed, then alot of people will be without. Plus, someone's health does impact everyone else in a way. I live in a state where mental health and substance abuse is an issue. Alot of times the mental health issure propels people in to substance abuse and addiction. If people felt that they have are more free to recieve help for mental health, then it can only help make a more stable and productive member of society instead of someone possibly unable to contribute and becoming a burden. You have to invest some to get some back.

Personally I wish that people who can't afford health insurance could get assistance by the government to get some affordable health insurance.

Zendell, are you American?

Insurance companies control their own rates, and to include "mental illness treatment" is fair.

All of the screaming about insurance rates going up is bogus, because most insurance plans include mental health coverage already. All the congress did was make sure that applied to all fifty states.

I find it interesting that insurance groups are blaming the Democrats for this vote, when a great number of those votes are Republican.

Must be the Big Insurance wasn't happy their lobbyists were such a failure--all that bribery money down the tubes. For all the money these groups spend on trying to sway politicians to vote in such a way to benefit Big Insurance, they could be covering not just "mental illness" (so what's the difference between "mental" and "physical" anyway? It's a vague line, if any, and it keeps fading with more research).

It was a vote to bring those few insurance companies who didn't provide mental health insurance into line. It was a no brainer.

The choice ought to be client to provider. It is actually government telling client and provider what the deal shall be.

COMMUNISM

Oh well, worked well in Russia, dodnt it?

If their costs go up, they have to raise their premiums. In a competitive free market, the company has little control over how much they charge. Competition pushed prices down as companies compete for business. If companies in one industry are reaping huge profits, other people create companies in the industry and take some of the profits until no one is making a profit. Basic business 101.



An emotional argument, but really not my problem. If you want to set up a charity to offer mental health coverage for those who need it, that is fine with me. What is wrong is forcing people to pay for other people's problems. Currently, you want that coverage, you buy it. If you don't want it, you don't buy it. That's freedom. What your stating is basically, I want something I can't afford so steal someone else's money to buy it for me.



In the US, if you have kids, you can get comprehensive free health insurance if you quit your job and apply for welfare. The government will provide free health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, food stamps, heating assistance and cash assistance that can be used for government housing, spinning rims, booze, illegal drugs, guns, and prostitutes.

John Q is a good movie dealing with this. A poor couple with low income has a child who needs a heart transplant. They can't afford it so the hospital says they can't do it and sent his son home to die. They tried to get help from the government but were told that their income from their low wage jobs was too high to qualify for government assistance. Some of the limits for government assistance are only $9,000/year meaning anyone with a full time job, even if it only pays minimum wage, earns too much to qualify. They told the working couple, too bad, if you didn't work you could get welfare and the government would pay for it but since they both had low paying jobs, their son was left to die.

Yes. I'm American. I have no problem with insurance companies covering mental health. My problem is the government forcing people to either buy it or remain without insurance. Some people will lose their health insurance because they can't afford this mandated coverage. Most importantly, it's another invasion of freedom. If Democrats want communism, they can move to Cuba.


Democrats - 99% voted for it (221 voted for it, 3 opposed it)
Republicans - only 24% voted for it, 76% against it (47 voted for it, over 140 voted against it)

Exactly. We don't need communism in America. The communists should move to Cuba or North Korea.

The bill addresses parity and the false distinction between "mental" and "physical" illness. Where's the distinction? WHo knows, but the funniest comment by some ignoramus representative was all shocked that now insurance companies will have to cover things like Viagra...

One, they already do, and two) Viagra is for an accepted medical condition. HAHAHA.

Anyway, the bill says that conditions must be funded the same. People already have a choice in the level of coverage they buy, and no-one forcing anyone to buy insurance anyway. This bill would only affect a small number of insurance carriers

It still has to get through the senate, and dollars to donuts they'll wait until after the elections to see who wins.

It gets down to pay for it now or pay for it later.

what they signed was that they require insurance companies (including those that didn't previously) to cover mental conditions. Yup, they never miss an opportunity to pass on those costs..

For at least the last 5 years, my insurance covers a lifetime of 28 visits to a psychiatrist (that's between now and they start shoveling earth over me). They might cover some medications, but that's not as likely as you'd think. And every year they cover less of everything.

It's not just about getting the insurance to cover costs that you incur. Some jobs actually hire based on eligibility for insurance. If you have not-covered conditions, you may be passed over. Mental health is physical health.