On 10/11/2009 9:48 AM, shannon talley wrote to EARL CROASMUN:

~> Hi Earl,
~> 
~> I believe a public option is necessary.  In addition to the
aforementioned information, I 
~> would add the legislation also prohibits insurance companies from
denying coverage to 
~> those with pre-existing conditions.  This one issue is at great odds
with the Republicans.  
~> I don't really understand why because by definition, it turns the
insurance company into 
~> a death panel for many with extremely debilitating conditions.  I
personally know or are 
~> related to a dozen people affected by this one rule who are walking
around without 
~> insurance.  Of course there must be some company ready to take them in
but with 
~> premiums in the thousands per month the cost is unreachable.  The public
option 
~> provides for those people and will drive the overall cost of health
insurance down.  


I absolutely agree that people with pre-existing conditions are in a tough
spot, and I would have no problem with a law that said when someone moves
from one insurance company to another the old company (who will now be
paying out nothing for the problem that they WERE covering) has to
compensate the new company for taking on their risk.

This is also one of the problems that was SUPPOSED to be solved decades ago
when there was a big switch from individual policies to group policies. 
Insurers were supposed to insure an entire group, and include those with
pre-existing conditions, because the extra cost got spread around to
everyone in the group.

But the "public option" does nothing to help people with pre-existing
conditions.  The government insurance company is supposed to COMPETE with
private insurers, not help them out by taking the uninsurable off their
hands.  If it only took high risk people, it would have to charge the same
kind of rates as the private companies.  And the law that is being debated
can be passed without any public option in it, and the part on pre-existing
conditions would still be there.
 
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