tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post6719165046135519377..comments2024-03-28T15:17:43.056-04:00Comments on Stayin' Alive: The (very) visible handCervanteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302076828795198187noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-31076135334984991982010-01-19T06:56:00.081-05:002010-01-19T06:56:00.081-05:00There's a movement to radically change Califor...There's a movement to radically change California government, by getting rid of career politicians and chopping their salaries in half. A group known as Citizens for California Reform wants to make the California legislature a part time time job, just like it was until 1966.<br /><br />www.onlineuniversalwork.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-20888512286466729962009-12-31T21:47:08.264-05:002009-12-31T21:47:08.264-05:00Hi. I'm a state insurance regulator (property-...Hi. I'm a state insurance regulator (property-casualty). I've seen this thought experiment before, but our conclusion has never been that competition hurts the consumer. Competition drives more accurate pricing and also possibly reduced expenses. When a risk characteristic is supported by an increased risk of losses, we consider the increased rates "fairly discriminatory".<br /><br />Why are more accurate rates beneficial? Because with these risk characteristics, the pool of insureds sharing these risk characteristics support their own extra costs. Should young adults have to support the extra costs of 50+ adults, or should 50+ adults pay 30% more in insurance to cover the extra costs of this age group? There is reasoning behind both sides, but in general 50+ adults have much more wealth and incur much greater costs on the system and therefore it would seem reasonable to charge them more.<br /><br />Should slim people be charged extra to support the increased costs on the medical system imposed by overweight people? Should the costs of careless drivers be supported by careful drivers?<br /><br />With few risk characteristics, insurance encourages moral (and particularly morale) hazard.<br /><br />A health insurance system which is highly tailored to specific characteristics is not necessarily a death spiral. It could encourage healthier habits. Currently I think most states don't allow many risk characteristics in healthcare insurance.<br /><br />If you don't like the idea of charging more for old people, an age lock-in could be developed. I've seen these in pet insurance where age doesn't affect the price. In effect the insured pays extra when the pet is young in order to keep the same price when the pet is old. Considering that people have trouble saving, this might be best.<br /><br />I do agree that a universal health insurance system is likely better, but it is not accurate to say that competition is bad. The US doesn't have enough competition.<br /><br />Obviously, health insurance doesn't work for chronically ill people. There is no question that a separate government program is necessary for them. However, in the meantime we shouldn't be encouraging obesity (which contributes to most chronic conditions such as diabetes, - these people should pay extra, somehow.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Ben CreasyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-43542220417426319932009-12-29T09:25:01.803-05:002009-12-29T09:25:01.803-05:00Just one more crime perpetrated by our broken poli...Just one more crime perpetrated by our broken political system. This one just happens to be publicly visible.Cervanteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11302076828795198187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9263167.post-8458149623990442922009-12-29T08:24:13.529-05:002009-12-29T08:24:13.529-05:00From an article in the Guardian about Vic Chesnutt...From an article in the Guardian about Vic Chesnutt:<br /><br /><i>Chesnutt struggled with depression, but also with the cold hard fact of his medical bills. In 1996, Madonna, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage and many more recorded a Chesnutt tribute album, to benefit a fund for musicians' health costs. More than a decade later, the singer-songwriter was allegedly being pursued for $30,000 (£18,799) in hospital fees. "There's nowhere else in the world that I'd be facing the situation I'm in right now," he said in an interview earlier this year. "[Outside of the USA,] they cannot understand what kind of society would inflict that on their population."</i>C. Coraxnoreply@blogger.com