Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Nationalsocialized Medicine: Wishful Economics

As the timetable churns onward, health insurance companies have been adjusting their benefits -- and rates -- in an attempt to comply with the Congressional mandate* and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will have none of it. "There will be zero tolerance," she fumed in a letter to an industry lobbing group, "for this type of misinformation and unjustified rate increases." Michael Barone has more. From (supposedly) good intentions to unveiled threats, just that fast. (And what's Ms. Sebelius' business background to know what constitutes an unjustified rate increase? Exactly zero! This doesn't keep party hacks from piling on, of course.)

More here, with further links. It all reads like a lost chapter from Atlas Shrugs. Welcome to the Randian Years.
_____________________________
* You will note I still haven't said "Obamacare." Yeah, the administration pushed it, but Congress could've said no. Could've gutted it and let insurance companies sell across state lines. Instead they made a big mess even bigger. Mr. Obama & Co. gave 'em the dynamite, but Congress set us up the bomb.

11 comments:

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

"NaziMed" works for me.

Divemedic said...

I have had the feeling of living in a Rand novel for years.

Tam said...

Wesley Mouch is going to be the next mayor of Chicago!

perlhaqr said...

Tam: "Health Czar"

B said...

You have a point, instead of "Obamacare" it should be "DNCcare"....or just tell the truth...."the thin end of the socialist wedge".

The Jack said...

"Welcome to the Randian Years."

This needs to be a tag.

Yup, good intentions cover everything. Afterall it's all for the greater good.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

I dislike "Randian Years" because, well, I dislike Rand.

Heinlein called it best: "The Crazy Years".

And can we stop calling these people "czars"? The better term is "commissars".

Tam said...

"You have a point, instead of "Obamacare" it should be "DNCcare"....or just tell the truth...."the thin end of the socialist wedge"."

The thin edge was way back there somewhere between the 16th Amendment and the Social Security Act. I'd say we're getting to the fat part of the python, here.

Ken said...

Mouch for Chicago? Sure...we've already got Ferris as regulatory zampolit.

perlhaqr said...

Nathan: Love Rand or hate her, if you've read Atlas you can't deny she called this one on the nose.

WV: "propheez" -- The new medical nostrum guaranteed to help you make those predictions for the future without straining! Yes folks, try new ProphEez!

Ken said...

@perhaqr, you said it. I bet there were a lot of people rolling their eyes and saying, "Oy vey, here comes that bugnuts crank Ezekiel again," around the marketplace back in the day.