-By Warner Todd Huston
There has been a lot of talk about mandates emanating from the federal government to force each of us to buy healthcare insurance but what do those mandates do to the insurance itself? And are they even Constitutionally justified?
First of all we need to remind everyone that these mandates cannot possibly be Constitutional. After all, the Constitution does not give Congress the power to demand that the citizens buy a certain product. The Constitution only gives Congress the power to tax, not to serve as an arm of any industry. These mandates will essentially make the federal government an insurance salesman and this is most certainly unconstitutional.
Still, even if we are unfortunate enough to be burdened with this new system, what will it do to our insurance companies?
One thing that will happen is that smaller insurance companies will likely disappear as the new federally forced requirements on what health insurance will cover is promulgated. Being that this is far more a political process than a medical one, Congress will force insurance companies to offer far more services than they normally would for a low-end plan (Such as abortion, transgender services, sex change operations, a full range of mental health services and other such medically unnecessary elective services) This sort of wide coverage will price smaller insurance companies out of business.
Now, one of the supposed goals that Obama has with this socialized healthcare policy is to increase competition. This goal is unreachable, however, if only the largest insurance companies can afford to abide by the lavish new coverage that Congress will force them to offer.
With this policy Obama is essentially colluding with the largest insurance companies to increase their market share and power. This is in direct contravention to his claims and he knows it, too.
Another thing that will happen is that the federal government will be the nation’s defacto insurance company regardless of where you get your insurance. This is because the federal government will be setting all standards, rules, and procedures. Private companies will not be allowed to set the rules for their own businesses.
It might seem as if you are doing business with a private company. Your premiums and bills will be handled by your own insurance company, certainly. But, in truth, the whole industry will be run out of Washington and the individual insurance companies by subsidiaries of the federal government.
It is a false front, a shell game that the government will be perpetrating on the country. The truth is there will be no such thing as a private insurance company once the abomination of Obamacare passes in any of its forms.
Finally there is the unconstitutional “fine” to be forced upon the citizen that refuses to buy a government approved insurance policy. This is not an “excise tax” as the Baucus bill claims it to be. It is a penalty for not participating in a government approved capitalist activity. Again, this is most certainly unconstitutional.
Unconstitutional or not, this Congress is not interested in the rule of law. This Congress is only interested in expanding its power over each of our daily lives.
Conservatives and true Americans everywhere MUST oppose this mad powergrab. It is the single most un-American idea that has come down the pike in decades.
(Cross posted at HealthcareHorseRace.com.)
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as NewsBusters.org, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.
He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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