Well... At Least He Was Honest... Sort Of...

[WillyT]

Blue Cross CEO: Health reform needed minus public option
February 19, 2010 5:52 PM

Brad Wilson, who became the head of this state’s largest insurer Feb. 1, stopped by the Times-News on Friday for a discussion about the insurance industry, healthcare reform and the future of healthcare in North Carolina. Blue Cross Blue Shield insures 3.7 million statewide and has 4,600 employees.

<snip>

NO PUBLIC OPTION

Wilson says the public option would introduce unfair competition to private insurers.

“If the government is your competitor, it’s an unfair competitor. They don’t have to pay taxes. They have no concept of overhead. They can always have a cheaper product … and they don’t have to balance the books at the end of the year,” Wilson said.

<snip>

Link: http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/blue-31821-reform-ceo.html

At least he didn't say that it would be inefficient, bloated, government takeover, and filled with "death panels".

:shrug:

[leftofcool]

1. Translation: I won't be able to keep my big salary if there is a public option

[gateley]

3. +1 and fat bonus check.

[Vincardog]

20. Translation The Government can do it better and cheaper than we can and we would have no right to

loot and pillage.
OH NOES!!!

[roguevalley]

21. I think he should remember what the pugs said when they told the

car companies to go to hell: compete or die, motherfuckers. Should apply to them too.

[gateley]

2. "... the public option would introduce unfair competition to private insurers"

Are we to take pity on the very industry that has watched us die just to further their profits? Is THAT fair?

I can't tell you how angry his statement, and that sentiment, make me.

It's always about the almighty dollar, even at the cost of people dying. :grr:

[Amonester]

7. Yep. They know they R true 'Death Panel$' and they don't care.

They'll soon issue threats about cutting all Campaign funds (that is, their customers $$$$$$ they don't Really need) to all politicians who would 'perhaps' be tempted to vote for the PO.

[WillyT]

11. Great Point, gateley !!! - Absolutley... Powerful... Point !!!

:applause::applause:

:yourock:

:kick:

[WillyT]

12. And... Here's A Picture To Go With Your Point...

:shrug:

[JDPriestly]

13. Non-profits don't pay the taxes that for-profits pay, yet no one complains

that non-profits compete unfairly.

Lots of our hospitals are non-profits. No one claims that they are unfairly competing with for-profit hospitals such as those owned directly by for-profit health insurance companies.

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. By "unfair competition" he means it would put his sorry ass out of business.

Kinda like when Fat Tony Scalia said that counting the votes in Florida would "do irreparable harm to Mr. Bush". (By preventing him from stealing the election).

[pinto]

4. LOL. Foot. Mouth.

:eyes:

[SlingBlade]

5. Remember when we used to BITCH about insiders like this

writing Energy policy ?

Change you can believe in with a big side plate of Hope.

[Frustratedlady]

6. It would be interesting to know how much they actually pay in taxes.

Every year at tax time I think of GE and how they used to work the books to get by without paying taxes. I'm sure it was all legal. <wink wink>

Do they still?

[kestrel91316]

8. The public option for medical care is JUST AS EVIL as public universities.

Disclaimer: I attended an evil state university for all 8 years of my higher education.

[David Zephyr]

9. K&R. It's the ONLY reason they oppose it.

Thanks for the story.

[sandnsea]

10. Private hospitals compete against public hospitals

and non-profit hositals, just fine.

Then again, non-profit hospitals aren't much cheaper than private hospitals either.

[JDPriestly]

14. It is likely that if for-profit hospitals did not have to compete with non-profits,

they would be more expensive. In any case, if you pay with private health insurance, the health insurance company gets a cut.

[sandnsea]

17. Possibly, should have a study

Should also have a study from non-profits on exactly how much they spend processing claims, doing bookkeeping, chasing accounts, dealing with collections.

I think if one of the respected non-profits came out with a number on how much they could save if they didn't have to deal with billing or worry about insurance paying for a procedure, it would be really helpful.

I think the breaking point will be when more people decide the level of care won't decrease as pay goes down and services goes up. I really think creating all these free clinics is actually going to be harmful in the long run. Those are the exact facilities middle class people think of when they reject single payer. I'd like us to implement the doctor in the ambulance, like they have in France. All these folks who are crowding ER rooms could be seen by a doctor or paramedic. Lots cheaper, better use of resources. There's a very small town about 15 miles from me and I thought it would be a perfect place to test something like that out.

[Arkana]

15. You're right, Mr. Wilson--and that is EXACTLY

why we need a public option.

So that you and yours are no longer the richest 5%--and so that you can NO LONGER screw people out of coverage because it's not cost-effective.

[Marr]

18. But I thought the private sector was more cost-efficient and cheaper?

I thought we were supposed to support outsourcing everything because fatcats do things so much better, so much cheaper?

[gleaner]

19. He didn't say it, but I bet he wanted to. n/t