Thursday, July 09, 2009

Insurance Company Profits More Important Than Good Policy

Jane suggests health care reform as stimulus. But it's also good long term structural economic policy, both lowering the amount of GDP sucked up by the insurance company skimmers and making it possible for people to do crazy things like start a small business without worrying (as much) about the consequences of getting cancer.

So while proper health care reform probably would provide a quick stimulus, so would paying people lots of money to dig holes and fill them up again. Health reform also has tremendous long term value.

Every semi-intelligent senator knows - and some have basically admitted! - that there's a choice between good policy and health insurance company profits. Some of them think the latter should have a pretty high priority, when in fact it should not be of any concern at all.