Next Up for the Nanny, Food

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benjamen

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http://www.usnews.com/news/business...-soda-ban-could-another-blow-for-drink-makers
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-31/soda-ban-new-york-city/55296248/1
http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11553-the-coming-food-police

Did anyone not see this coming? If governement is providing health care, they now make what you eat thier business.

“When government pays for your health care, it will inevitably be drawn into regulating your personal life. First, politicians promise to pay. Then, they propose to control you. Where does it stop? If we must control diet to balance the government's budget, will the health squad next ban skydiving and extramarital sex? How about another try at Prohibition?"

“Under the rules, grandma’s fresh-from-the oven banana bread can be declared contraband, while some Kellogg's Pop Tarts are deemed wholesome."
 
I think we also need a global internet forums police. Lots of thought/speech crimes are beeing comitted on these extremist websites where people talk about such dangerous things like freedom, self-suficiency and monetary alternatives.
 
Saw it coming and frankly think it's almost the best reason to be opposed.
The other contender for #1 is that this bill hands the job to the very same insurance companies that cause the high costs.

Let's face it, if you went into a shop to have your car fixed, and they gave you no price estimate upfront other than "possibly unlimited" - would you go to that shop?

If you saw what those MRI's etc were really being billed at, and had to pay yourself, would hospitals have 3-4 machines apiece mostly sitting unused? No, they'd maybe have one, mostly unused. Or would you willingly ask for sweeping batteries of tests that cost you $100 each for 25 cents worth of chemistry? Hell no, you'd look for a more competitive price on this stuff. But since insurance A: doesn't show you the real bill - or at least you don't have to pay it directly, you don't care - if it was coming straight out of your pocket, you, like them, would demand lower prices. But the insurance companies don't even pay that much - they get negotiated price reductions on the order of 40% - and don't want more because guess what - the state guarantees them "cost plus fixed fee" when it's rate regulation time - so they want high costs as this boosts their fixed percentage of costs profits.

I know this due to another cool story I gotta write up for here about my little experience uninsured in the hospital after a high power rifle bullet tore off one side of my face and head...the billing was amazing (ly bad), and I actually got the hospital agent to admit that no insurance company would have paid that at face value, and told me the number. I did (much) better, but that's part of the cool story.
 
Saw it coming and frankly think it's almost the best reason to be opposed.
The other contender for #1 is that this bill hands the job to the very same insurance companies that cause the high costs.

Let's face it, if you went into a shop to have your car fixed, and they gave you no price estimate upfront other than "possibly unlimited" - would you go to that shop?

If you saw what those MRI's etc were really being billed at, and had to pay yourself, would hospitals have 3-4 machines apiece mostly sitting unused? No, they'd maybe have one, mostly unused. Or would you willingly ask for sweeping batteries of tests that cost you $100 each for 25 cents worth of chemistry? Hell no, you'd look for a more competitive price on this stuff. But since insurance A: doesn't show you the real bill - or at least you don't have to pay it directly, you don't care - if it was coming straight out of your pocket, you, like them, would demand lower prices. But the insurance companies don't even pay that much - they get negotiated price reductions on the order of 40% - and don't want more because guess what - the state guarantees them "cost plus fixed fee" when it's rate regulation time - so they want high costs as this boosts their fixed percentage of costs profits.

I know this due to another cool story I gotta write up for here about my little experience uninsured in the hospital after a high power rifle bullet tore off one side of my face and head...the billing was amazing (ly bad), and I actually got the hospital agent to admit that no insurance company would have paid that at face value, and told me the number. I did (much) better, but that's part of the cool story.

Say hello to medical tourism!
http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/s...medical-care-overseas-including-one-surprise/
 
Thanks a lot, Bin Laden! /sarc
 
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