Health Care Wins

   For all the fuss and fury about the Affordable Care Act, very little opposition has come from the insurance industry itself. All the dire warnings and complaints have come from politicians. We haven't heard of any from the industry.
   As noted on this blog several days ago, the nation cannot afford not to have universal health care, any more than it should cancel other types of insurance programs.
   At root, the Affordable Care Act is a federal law that requires everyone to have health insurance, and for those who don't have it and can't afford it, there is a government subsidy to help pay for it. The law is no different from earlier federal laws that require everyone to have unemployment insurance, or old-age pension insurance (Social Security), or old-age medical insurance (Medicare). In each of these, individuals pay for coverage, and the fees are deducted from paychecks. Even for retirees, Medicare premiums are deducted from monthly pension payments. There are also laws that require all car owners to have automobile insurance, or homeowners to have fire insurance.
   So the idea of a government mandate for insurance coverage is not new. And in the current debate over health insurance, the industry itself has not mounted serious opposition. Rather, it is a business opportunity. And as with any insurance program, the more people who have coverage and pay premiums, the lower the cost will be as the risk is spread to a wider population.
   Where, then, is the opposition coming from? Almost entirely from politicians who are unable to claim credit for establishing health care for all.
   Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld for the second time the legality of the Affordable Care Act. Even so, the Radical Righteous -- mostly conservative politicians -- immediately resumed their rant against it.
   We have yet to hear any complaints about it from the insurance industry. It is, after all, a lucrative business opportunity, subsidized by government aid when needed.
   So much for the concept of doing business entirely devoid of government influence or intervention of any kind, ever.