Archive for January 2011
Pre-existing condition discrimination
There’s a lot of hand-wringing and complaining about insurance companies discriminating on the basis of pre-existing conditions. Here’s one example:
New report: 129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition could be denied coverage without new health reform law
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new analysis showing that, without the Affordable Care Act, up to 129 million non-elderly Americans who have some type of pre-existing health condition, like heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis or cancer, would be at risk of losing health insurance when they need it most, or be denied coverage altogether.
This is indeed a serious societal problem, one that needs attention.
However, following that logic, we’ll be able to buy auto insurance after our car has been wrecked or stolen; fire insurance after our home or business has burned down; or life insurance after we’re dead.
