Unintended, but not unexpected consequences. There's much worse to come...and not just with this misbegotten monstrosity of law.

For decades now, each new "law" attempts to rectify the unintended consequences of previous legislative effluvium. But that process has gone on long enough that it is, unfortunately, about to end.

...Badly.

Several companies, all at the same time? That's either coincidence, or collusion. And I don't believe in coincidence.

We need single-payer. Make these insurance company executives find *honest* work.

Unbelievable, the press just won't grow any balls. the 2 most used excuses for this "administration" are:

"unintended consequence"

"teachable moments"

politely, the rest of the world would accuse any other person responsible as "screwing up", you can insert your own word for screwing.

this is what happens when you keep ram rodding things through without regard for consequence. this man is either an imbecile or traitor

Don't worry Obama has a plan. He will subsidize the Insurance Companies. He will pay for it by taxing us more. Standby it is coming...you wanted change and you got it.

By the insurance companies own admission this only affects only 8% of their business, yet they are going to try to make a HUGE deal in an effort to scare everyone into giving them full control over our medical care. Of course the anti-Obama people will jump on this to again try to scare everyone and claim Obama will just keep taxing us, when in fact Obama is trying to make the tax breaks he has instituted permanent while allowing the tax breaks W. bush instituted for the rich to expire.

I'm not taking either side here, in fact I think both sides are misrepresenting. These kids with really, really expensive medical conditions were, ultimately, being treated somehow, by someone. If there are uninsured, the treatment was probably later than it should have been, so it was even more expensive. Who has been picking up that tab?

I wouldn't mind shifting funds from whatever programs were paying up until reform and temporarily "subsidizing" the insurance premiums for these children. (It isn't like they had a risky lifestyle that led to their conditions, and not all parents can make enough money to pay for insurance for an "expensive" child.)

And that's my biggest question about this reform. Medical conditions are expensive. We've not created any more of them, we're just shifting who pays (more private insurance and less government funds such as federal and state-subsidized children's health programs). Why is the projected cost of the reform so high? Shouldn't it net out and the total cost actually drop?

I guess I'm the naive one. The truth will come out, in time.

Hmmm,

I don't see how the insurance companies will be able to effect any exclusion of children based on their medical condition. If I understand the part of Health Care concerning children correctly, no health insurer can deny coverage to any child, especially due to pre-existing conditions.

Some one help me understand this better.

Are the insurance companies saying they won't write any new policies for children as individuals, and they must be covered under a parent or guardian's policy? or are they excluding coverage for children period with only employer-plan coverage accepted?

I do not understand how they will circumvent a very specific policy enactment once it goes into effect

This just goes to show that the insurance industry has no concern what so ever for their policy holders. This is a decision intended to frighten their policy holders and avoid any doing the right thing in advance of the implementation of the Healthcare Bill. This just goes to show some control over these greedy companies was long overdue. If they would do this in the face of Government controls being implemented, what would they due to helpless individuals. The Healthcare Bill is not perfect in many respects, and any replacement should be with a single payer plan.

My only question to all posters, those that have and those that will, is why does anyone expect that this wouldn't happen? These kids are going to have to be covered when the law takes effect, so this is a preemptive strike to keep profits up and coverage down as long as possible. Any and all comments are acceptable, except for those that are inflammatory.

Democrats and Republicas, Liberals and Conservatives, all those with a position please take notice. All laws have unintended consequences. Sometimes the consequences are good, sometimes bad. A civil discussion on this is welcome. Polemics are not. There is always truth of some kind in a position, be it one side of the discussion or the other. Stick to the truth, ot at least the truth as you see it, about the bill.

Please don't include those comments that are inflammatory. And please don't include half-truths. We'll find out how this new law plays out when it becomes law.

Insurance companies protect their profits, but children left uninsured end up on medicaid.

Did anyone ever think about how that pushes up the cost of medicaid and we all pay for it.

Maybe profit is not the best motive in all industries, particularly health insurance.

This is the reason we need a public option for health insurance. Businesses are only interested in the bottom line and will never regulate themselves in a way that will benefit the general public. Socialize medicine, nationalize oil, and get rid of private armies like Blackwater.

Price controls ALWAYS eventually cause some kind of shortage.

That economic principle eludes the current administration. But the people they govern will get a graduate level course in this aspect of human behavior. So be it. You wanted change -- you're going to get an improvement in your economic understanding.

People have forgotten that this is "insurance." I don't see a problem with an open enrollment period. When you buy and sell insurance you evaluate risk. Guarantee issue does not give the seller the opportunity to evaluate risk. Instead, I could pay nothing into the pool and then when I get sick go get my policy and use it. Essentially letting everyone else in the pool pay for me while I contributed nothing to them. Don't worry, we will have it with the health care reform laws, it will just cost us all A LOT more.