Insurance companies want something for nothing

Insurers, scrambling to prevent real health-care reform in a public insurance option, or worse, a single-payer system, have come forward with a plan in which they say they'll accept all comers in exchange for a government mandate that everyone must buy insurance.

But as David Lazarus points out, their plan lets them scale prices based on benefits. So, basically, you'll be required to buy a policy, but if you want insurance that actually covers you if you get really sick, you'll still have to spend big bucks:

"If all Americans were required to purchase health insurance from private companies, the industry would still offer as little coverage as possible for the most amount of money. These people have businesses to run, after all, and their track record speaks for itself....

"It wouldn't guarantee the best possible coverage for the public. Nor would it improve things for the millions of people who have insurance but are still one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy.

"To solve these problems, we'd need clear criteria from the government as to what should be covered and at what prices. And if we're going that far, I have to wonder why private insurers even need to be part of the equation...."

What he said.

Is there anybody — anybody not connected to the insurance industry, that is — who sees a plus in what insurance companies bring to health care?