Sibelius defends the indefensible

American Thinker ^ | September 28, 2010 | Aaron Gee

[jazusamo]

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius writes an utterly unconvincing retort to charges of thuggery in her threats to health insurance companies, in today's Wall Street Journal.  What is amazing about this display is that she doesn't use the space provided to defend her actions, but to attack and demonize the private health care insurance industry.  Sebelius's writing is entirely unconvincing and riddled with faulty logic.

Sebelius: "Over the past decade, Americans have seen what happens when insurance companies have free rein"

Currently insurance companies are regulated by both state and federal agencies.  Nearly 50% of every healthcare dollar that is spent is controlled by the federal government.  What Sebelius calls "free rein" is in truth attempting to compete in a partially socialized and one of the most heavily regulated industries in America.

Sebelius: "The cost of health insurance has more than doubled"

There are 3 primary drivers of increasing health insurance costs.  Current Medicare and Medicaid don't cover the costs of the care provided to patients that are in those plans. That means that health care providers have to make up those un-recouped expenses by charging more to individuals that have private insurance.  The program that Sebelius is defending exacerbates the problem. 

The other drivers to health insurance cost are demographics and, ironically, good health care.  The baby boomers are entering their 60s and people are living longer, thanks to excellent medical care. The increased lifespan also increases the cost per patient in the twilight years of their life.  The final driver is the fact that new procedures and medicines cost billions to develop.  Our cancer survival rates are the best in the world, but the cost to treat cancer patients with new medicines or procedures has to be high to recoup the investment required to discover them. 

If our HHS secretary truly understood the health care industry, she would understand the cost drivers.  Instead she resorts to demonizing health insurance companies.  She doesn't see government interference in the market as a problem.  Sebelius just repeats the leftists meme " markets have failed Americans time and time again", when in truth the markets have rarely been given a chance.

Sebelius then goes on to try to put a bright and smiley face on a dismal situation, noting that "seniors with private Medicare plans got some news that most Americans haven't heard in years: Their premiums will actually go down 1% next year, even as many of them enjoy better benefits." She failed to note that 25% of seniors that currently use Medicare Advantage plans will loose about 1/3 of their benefits.

None of these arguments have anything to do with the reason Secretary Sebelius wrote the article in the first place.  Remember what started all this?  She threatened insurance companies that dared tell their clients that costs were going up because of ObamaCare.  Now if the Congressional Budget Office reports that ObamaCare will cause a rise in premiums, why can't insurance companies say that?  Inconvenient facts?

An entirely unconvincing performance from a bureaucrat that displays an amazing amount of ignorance of a system that she is supposed to understand.

[Doogle]

Sebelius will leave before the end of the year.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We’ll remember, Kathy...

[muawiyah]

It’s really difficult to say anything about this woman one way or the other. It’s pretty obvious she’s wasted her education, but why is she leaving her mental illness untreated? It’s not like modern medicine doesn’t hold out some sort of hope.

[jazusamo]

Hopefully you’re right, she’s one of Zer0’s true thugs.

[Anti-Bubba182]

She can then go straight to Hell after that.

[the invisib1e hand]

Sebelius will leave before the end of the year.

I don't know how that's supposed to happen, but the sooner the better.

While she's already helped do an incalculable amount of damage to this country, we haven't seen the worst that people like her are capable of.

[Doogle]

Kathy Angel of Death Mengele Sibelius ..will figure out she is in line for being blamed for Odumbo’s health care bill failure.....and will exit stage left.

[jessduntno]

My BC/BS just went up 23% ...

[chickadee]

The Repub who is challenging Senator Russ Feingold is running radio ads that blame Obamacare for higher insurance rates.

Will Sibelius threaten the candidates, too?

[jazusamo]

It wouldn’t surprise me.

GO JOHNSON!

[SandRat]

[RobRoy]

I’ve been saying, for over two decades, that when insurance covers new treatments that older people will get, and those treatments “cost” more than those people earned in their entire lifetime, things will implode pretty darned quickly as more and more people get the treatments.

I think we are seeing that play out. I’m 56 and the number of people I know that have had unbelievable amounts of money spent on their health is really eye popping.

I think part of it is our irreligious society. Christians accept death as a part of life. Agnostics see this as all there is. They want to prolong it as much as possible. I’ve already accepted my mortality and am ready to go when He decides. I’ve told my family that if I am ever diagnosed with cancer I will take no treatments.

I’m making it easy. I have not had a physical since I was in my early 30’s and have no intention of getting one. By the time they catch any cancer in me it will be too late. That’s ok with me and I have excellent life insurance for my wife.

[The Antiyuppie]

“She can then go straight to Hell after that.”

I’m actually wondering exactly where these tapeworms will go and what they will do after they are no longer in government. I think that you have an excellent suggestion.

I took it in the @#$@#$ today, and I didn’t even go to the doctor...we got our new health plan for 2011 - much, much worse AND more expensive, administered by a “new company” that is well known to be the worst in the state... a very bad deal unless your dad has a job and lets you play Xbox in the basement at 25.

I’m actually glad this came out before the election, and I don’t think this was a “coincidence” - between this and the “insurance audit” that shook out a shocking number of ineligible dependents...just made more (R) voters at a left-leaning company. Keep up the good work Democrats!

[Tax-chick]

She is perhaps the most evil person in a desperately evil administration.

I look a little bit like her; maybe I’ll dye my hair purple or something.

[jazusamo]

hehehe

Don’t you dare. :-)

[Tax-chick]

Not until I’m 50. I’ve warned my family that I’m going to be totally silly and embarass the bleeping FReep out of them once I turn 50. In 2016, it all hits the fan ;-).

[Da Coyote]

I respectfully suggest a new method for determining the quality of selected universities:

Step 1: Determine the academic majors and granting institution of EVERYONE in the Obamaloon administration - certainly to include the Dung-Beetle-in-Chief.

Step 2: Avoid them, as they are filled with idiots and imbeciles.

Would you send your children to a science school that taught astrology and alchemy?

Then why would you send your children to a lib arts school that teaches Marxism and other failed philosophies?

[Tax-chick]

why would you send your children to a lib arts school that teaches Marxism and other failed philosophies

I wouldn't. I couldn't stop one from going if they paid cash or had sufficient financial aid, but all our children know we'll only contribute for useful education.

Our son who's a junior in high school wants to major in Hospital Management - a nice, practical subject that is taught at reasonably-priced state colleges.

[Tax-chick]

*snert*

That was supposed to be Hospitality Management, although hospital management is also useful.