That's cause you are an old fart, government worker, right Hawk??
Well I am yes but that's not why, do you remember back when the Braves were first getting to be good back in the early 90's (come on, you know you do) and the Tomahawk Chop thing made the politically correct crowd all up in arms, and some Native American groups were angry, etc.? Do you remember how the smartest group of them responded? There was a group of Cherokees up in your state (you are from NC, right??) who made and sold like 30,000 foam tomahawks. Who was the smartest group during the protest? Those who bitched and moaned and got some air time or those who got creative and prospered from the deal? Well apparently some insurance companies in AR got creative and agreed to do the state employees insurance, under the umbrella requirements of the ACA and now our coverage is literally about 1/2 of what it was. The deductibles and copays are all a little different some are a little higher others are a little cheaper so I think it will balance out for the most part.
You see I'm not an insurance or economics expert like some of you guys but I do know greed when I see it. The insurance companies had a super sweet deal the old way, they made profits off of other people's suffering and kicked people with serious health problems off their coverage and left them to die (what is this but a death panel???) and they didn't like anyone messing with their sweetheart deal. Well some other companies came along, saw they could make money by guaranteeing the coverages, etc. and made the deal, leaving the old crew wondering what happened.
Remember when I criticized insurance companies as making a killing at other people's expense and someone (Toma4life I think but I won't swear to it) came in with the Repub talking point that they really didn't make much at all, on a few cents per unit or some such nonsense? Well the insurance companies just break it down like that so they can appear like paupers. Wal Mart breaks their stuff down into units too and I don't think any of us would say they aren't making money, would we?
Remember David14? I haven't heard anything from him in a long time, I hope he's OK these days. Remember one of his biggest problems facing this nation was public sector unions and how they were so greedy and were unfair in how they had guaranteed government jobs but wanted to almost hold the government hostage for even more money? Well what has the insurance company club done over the years? They're just operating at the supply end of things, just like the oil companies, the big banks, etc. Repubs don't seem to mind (and correct me if you're not in with them on this) when greed gets out of control at the supply end of the chain, only when it's perceived to exist at the demand or lower socio-economic end of the chain.
