Slog - Comments on The Morning News

Comment by Lenny

Lenny — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:53:42 -0800

Re: higher health insurance premiums for women--What about males who are charged higher car insurance premiums because they're male??? I see no problem with this!

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:10:56 -0800

The problem with charging women more is that it is a penalty for women seeking more preventative care. The inherent short-sightedness of the insurance industry has created a perverse incentive to increase your risk of an expensive illness in order to save a little on short term costs. Blue Shield is probably betting they can drop you when you get a serious illness. Or they, like most corporations, can't think much beyond the next few quarters.

The larger problem is that as insurance approaches perfect knowledge of each individual's risk, they approach a perfect premium in which you will reimburse them for exactly as much as all your claims will total. It stops being insurance and becomes a savings account where the insurer collects the interest. Come to think of it, aren't "health savings accounts" the conservative solution?

Comment by PC

PC — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:14:22 -0800

@2 you are correct.

It's not insurance.

Insurance covers risk.

As health care advances it's virtually near certain each of us will live long enough to get a costly disease/heroic care at the end costing $350,000 and up.

Not a rick, like a lightning bolt striking your home.

So let's just call it socialized medicine OK?

"Insurance" is a business and in the proper field there's nothing wrong with the market supplying it. This isn't a proper field for insurance.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:25:06 -0800

PC, a proper role for you in a discussion of insurance would be for you to spread rumors of scandalous videos of Blue Shield executives. Fake smears are your specialty, not facts.

Comment by Balt-O-Matt

Balt-O-Matt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:26:00 -0800

The Cookthink link is broken, yo.

But I'm totally going to have to make that cantaloupe soup recipe.

Comment by lostboy

lostboy — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:00:01 -0800

Said Bush:

"I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine Americans when I eat dinner at the White House.... And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President."

Ok, where exactly is the alleged joke? Or the oh-no-he-di'int!-oh-yes-he-did!-worthy offense? All I see is a painfully banal compliment.

It was fun writing this comment at 19:00 last night, though. Love the RSS feed!

Comment by kinaidos

kinaidos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:01:00 -0800

One of the best things about prosciutto or serrano is how it makes a nice Fino Sherry seem appropriate for breakfast.

Comment by Anon

Anon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:41:18 -0800

... and as the men get older they pay more than women, ECB. Why does it always have to be about sexism with you?

Comment by max solomon

max solomon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:57:39 -0800

men DIE sooner, so that's not exactly fair, either.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:15:46 -0800

@2 is right.

It's also a surtax based on the fact that women get pregnant (a major cost), which is not something a society should make any surcharge for.

Comment by ECB

ECB — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:50:02 -0800

@ 10: No, it's not. Read the article - Blue Cross does NOT pay for anything pregnancy-related.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:50:30 -0800

@10

No, it's not, Will. Read.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:26:32 -0800

I stand corrected - you're talking about Cali's Blue Cross, whereas that's illegal in WA state and thus not excluded in the policies offered in THIS STATE.

Oh well.

How come nothing on the upcoming mass arrests of drivers using cell phones?