Here are their points and my rebuttal
in blue:
Create state health insurance exchanges to allow Americans to compare different private market health insurance policies
Basically, health insurance companies would all re-locate to regulation-friendly states and sell their insurance through this exchange. This would be a huge windfall for these companies as they'd be de-regulated by state governments and be held completely unaccountableGuarantee Americans the same standard health benefits and choices as members of Congress now enjoy
Completely meaningless. You would still have to qualify for coverage.Ensure that no individual would be turned down by a participating exchange insurers based on age or health
So, they'd just find some other reason to turn you down, or charge you more because of your health and/or age.Create a non-profit, independent board to risk adjust among participating insurance companies to penalize companies that "cherry pick" health patients and reward insurers that encourage prevention/wellness and cover patients with pre--existing conditions
Said board will be comprised of former health insurance execs and lobbyists. Gives states the ability to band together in regional pooling arrangements, as well as risk pools, reinsurance markets, or risk adjustment mechanisms to cover those deemed uninsurable.
Gives the states the "ability", not the mandate to do regional pooling. This gives Republicans the political cover for those states that don't give a rat's ass about the uninsurable. Finally, Republicans said their Patients' Choice Act of 2009 would utilize the tax code to give every American, regardless of employment status, the ability to purchase health insurance by providing an advanceable and refundable tax credit of $2,300 per individual or $5,700 per family.
$2,300 a year works out to be less than $200 a month in premiums or $500 for a family. If you could buy individual health insurance for $200/mo. or $500/mo. for your family, then there wouldn't be a health care crisis in the first place. Source:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/05/20/100709.htm