According to the latest Rasmussen poll:
Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters nationwide say laws should be changed so that health insurance companies are subject to anti-trust regulations. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 12% disagree, while 23% are not sure.
Anti-trust laws are intended to prevent companies and other business entities from working together in ways that limit competition.
Support for putting the health insurance companies under the anti-trust umbrella is consistent with another survey finding: 66% say free market competition between insurance companies will do more than government regulation to reduce health care costs. Just 23% believe more government regulation is the way to reduce costs, and 10% are not sure.
Seventy-three percent (73%) also favor another measure designed to spur free-market competition by allowing people buy health insurance across state lines. Just 20% are opposed to that measure
Well, that’s a good sign.
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Conservatives often claim that it was liberal/anti-market forces wanting to deny insurance coverage across State lines, but really that was obstructed more by the anti-trust exemption and cross-State regulatory issues. (Look that up, I think I’ve got the gist of it.) Reinstating the anti-trust rules, and allowing interstate competition go hand in hand, but the issue of varying State rules is still a problem (perhaps solvable.)
I think the OP may not appreciate the implications of the idea of allowing the insurance companies to compete more – yes, the public thinks that would help and likely so, but that isn’t inconsistent with a “public option.” The PO ironically is a sort of meta-competition, like having an orange compete against apples that otherwise only compete against each other. I think it’s a good idea since it gives the insurers a non-profit entity to have to benchmark against. I think can survive even then, from having more healthy subscribers who won’t take as many payouts.
tyrannogenius
November 20th, 2009 at 2:33 am
It is about the health care. American’s are believe in the personal freedom.I also agree about that support for putting the health insurance companies under the anti-trust umbrella is consistent with another survey finding….