Baucus Offers Coop Corporafornication

Senator Max Baucus bolstered his status as a For-Profiteer with his coop substitution. Health insurance companies love the wimpy alternative. The Congressional Budget Office said:

The proposed co-ops had very little effect on the estimates of total enrollment in the exchanges or federal costs because, as they are described in the specifications, they seem unlikely to establish a significant market presence in many areas of the country or to noticeably affect federal subsidy payments.

What will America get from the plan? The uninsured won't come close to being covered.

By 2019, CBO and JCT estimate, the number of nonelderly people who are uninsured would be reduced by about 29 million, leaving about 25 million nonelderly residents uninsured (about one-third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).

Note, the number they refer to totals 54 million. Recent data shows 47.3 million uninsureds. That means 6.7 million won't keep the insurance they have now. That's the real aim of reform. Employers want to dump that pesky health insurance benefit. That leaves the individual or government to pick up the slack. The government looks pretty tapped out, so the citizen will garner most of the burden.

Baucus has the individual mandate, complete with huge fines for noncompliance. He can call it a fine, but it's clearly a tax. Expect to pay, and pay dearly. Rest assured the new system will be gamed to the advantage of the For-Profiteers, sponsors of numerous red and blue members of Congress. Dirty Max and his fellow corporafornicators ensure it.

As for President Obama, it's two more campaign promises out the airplane window. Jettisoned at 30,000 feet? Opposition to individual mandate and a government run public option.