Aside from the obvious power grab that is HR3200 (and if you don't think that the Federal government dictating the standards that insurance companies have to meet through a government appointed commission isn't a power grab you're fooling yourself) the fact that while everyone is having a grand old time demonizing the existing system, they're paying no heed of those people that work in, with and around the existing system!
I'm one of those people. I work for a Professional Employment Organization - a company that provides it's clients with outsourced Human Resources services, including payroll, tax compliance, benefits management and consolidation and human resources services. We are a for-profit version of the "Co-Op". Our clients employees work under our Federal ID, we take those numbers to insurance carriers and get a good reduced rate. That rate then gets passed back to our clients. This allows a pizza shop with 5 employees the ability to offer the same medical insurance at the same rates as a company with 800 employees and 20 locations! A public option or the "non-profit co-op" would destroy our industry and put me out of work. It would also put a serious dent in the Chamber of Commerce organization, which offers insurance to its members in much the same way. Since my job is directly threatened by this proposed legislation, I've got no problem at all with corporate money being spent to fight it. Yes, the system needs to be fixed, but there are many other ways that it could be done. In some cases, they already exist. In New York state there is something called "Healthy New York." It's stated goal: to provide affordable health insurance options for those who do not have it. They have low cost plans for low income families and some free care as well. It's problem? There's an upper limit to the income level that falls below what most independent contractors make in the state. Are there problems? Sure. Is it worth my job? Doubt it. Hatton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:302250 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
