Health Law Turns Obama and Insurers Into Allies

[joeybee12]

WASHINGTON — As Americans shop in the health insurance marketplace for a second year, President Obama is depending more than ever on the insurance companies that five years ago he accused of padding profits and canceling coverage for the sick.

Those same insurers have long viewed government as an unreliable business partner that imposed taxes, fees and countless regulations and had the power to cut payment rates and cap profit margins.

But since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, the relationship between the Obama administration and insurers has evolved into a powerful, mutually beneficial partnership that has been a boon to the nation’s largest private health plans and led to a profitable surge in their Medicaid enrollment.

The insurers in turn have provided crucial support to Mr. Obama in court battles over the health care law, including a case now before the Supreme Court challenging the federal subsidies paid to insurance companies on behalf of low- and moderate-income consumers. Last fall, a unit of one of the nation’s largest insurers, UnitedHealth Group, helped the administration repair the HealthCare.gov website after it crashed in the opening days of enrollment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/us/politics/health-law-turns-obama-and-insurers-into-allies.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Quelle surprise...of course health insurance companies are going to defend a law that makes them money!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Anytime a corporation provides services at the government's behest we have

codified profiteering.

It's not that hard to predict. If the corps don't profit they don't provide the service the government promised to oh-so-many constituents; ergo, the corps must profit. The government thinks it gets to tell the corps who is in charge but as soon as the law is signed it is the pols who become beholden lest they be publicly humiliated. That swings the advantage to the corps.

It's a large, glaring, incandescent marquee screaming, "WELL DUH!" to anyone who opens their eyes and looks past their blinders.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. "When were they ever at odds?"

Last Saturday. They couldn't decide if they were going to have dinner with the in-laws or stay home and watch the game.

[joeybee12]

4. They weren't, and that's why the House's endless votes to kill Obamacare

were all just political theater...their insurance overlords never would have let them.

[Trajan]

5. Obama, insurers, and a good many in the BOG ...

Hand in hand in hand, skipping through DUs dusty aisles ...

[Autumn]

6. What's not to love? An entire nation forced to buy your product.

If the consumer can't afford to pay for the product the government will pay for it. It don't get any better than that.