June 24, 2009 7:34 AM

Romney To Obama: Stay Out Of Insurance Biz

By
Sean Alfano
Topics
Health Care
5062173Mitt Romney has some advice for President Obama: Don't get into the insurance business.

The former Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor offered his insight on the president's health care reform plan in an exclusive interview with The Early Show Wednesday.

As governor, Romney helped the state achieve a form of near-universal health care, though he emphasized that his plan did not involve the government becoming the source of insurance for state residents. "That's a mistake," Romney said, alluding to Mr. Obama's plan, who is trying to extend health benefits for more than 50 million uninsured Americans.

A recent CBS/New York Times poll reports 50 percent think the government would be better than insurance companies at providing medical coverage.

Romney, vehemently disagreed. "It's the wrong way to go," he said.

The former GOP presidential hopeful also applauded Mr. Obama's latest comments on Iran in which he said he was appalled at the regime's treatment of protesters. Romney said he was glad he finally did "rise to the occasion."

You can watch the full video of Romney below, which follows a report on yesterday's press conference:



Add a Comment See all 53 Comments
by say__what July 10, 2009 11:30 PM EDT
My wife who is a lowly special ed teacher with a masters degree has to pay $800 a month for my son and me. If we didn't need health care, it would be free for her. that's $9600 a year, do you think somebody is making a profit on that?

Mitt Romney is an idiot, we need what the rest of the world has, single payer health care now!
Reply to this comment by say__what July 10, 2009 8:16 PM PDT


Good point - but remember who your wife works for - the GOVERNMENT! That is the problem here. My insurance premiums of $200 a month (Medical/Dental/Vision family coverage) would go way up if Obama's plan passes. One of the ways Obama is looking at funding this massive plan is to tax corporations benefits provided to employees. Free enterprise? Not so much. If anyone was paying attention to Romney's health care plan, they would see that it increases competion, which lowers cost.
Reply to this comment
by jacquelynbrowne June 27, 2009 1:04 AM EDT
If you are uninsured and does not have insurance, you should check out the website http://UninsuredAmerica.blogspot.com - jacquelynbrowne, California
Reply to this comment
by IAmForLiberty June 26, 2009 9:04 AM EDT
Can you imagine how different things would be if Mitt Romney were currently our president. I can. The stock market would never have dropped below 10,000. GM and Chrysler would have already been thru bankruptcy and would be back on the rise, we wouldn't be talking about "Crap and Trade", there would be no attempted Government takeover of our health care system and the same gender attracted military personnel would remain in the closet. President Romney would have been working to limit Government instead of destroying the United States of America. I am praying for Romney in 2012.
Reply to this comment
by Solarrays247 June 24, 2009 11:10 AM EDT
by rednomo June 24, 2009 7:10 AM PDT
According to a recent report, the United States has $480 billion in excess spending each year in comparison to Western European nations that have universal health insurance coverage. The costs are mainly associated with excess administrative costs and poorer quality of care.

The United States spends six times more per capita on the administration of the health care system than its peer Western European nations.


Fierce Healthcare reports the following top 10 insurance company CEO salaries for 2008.

* Ron Williams - Aetna - Total Compensation: $24,300,112.
* H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA - Total Compensation: $12,236,740.
* Angela Braly - WellPoint - Total Compensation: $9,844,212.
* Dale Wolf - Coventry Health Care - Total Compensation: $9,047,469.
* Michael Neidorff - Centene - Total Compensation: $8,774,483.
* James Carlson - AMERIGROUP - Total Compensation: $5,292,546.
* Michael McCallister - Humana - Total Compensation: $4,764,309.
* Jay Gellert - Health Net - Total Compensation: $4,425,355.
* Richard Barasch - Universal American - Total Compensation: $3,503,702.
* Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group - Total Compensation: $3,241,042.

When American patients trust their health to a for-profit insurance company, they?re doing nothing less than gambling with their lives in a game where the odds are stacked in favor of the insurance company.

These are salaries reminiscent of the AIGs, the Goldman Sachs, the Merrill Lynch?s, and other Wall Street CEOs who also pillaged from the American taxpayer and turned around and gave themselves and their executives multi-million dollars bonuses.

The Single payer, health care option initially proposed by President Obama on his campaign trail is merely health coverage, like Medicare, but it is for anyone who wants it. Single payer eliminates insurance companies as pricey middlemen. The government pays care providers directly. It?s a system that polls consistently have shown the American people favoring by as much as two-to-one. Of course, it is this option that these CEOs and Congress are fighting against because it means less profit for health care companies who favor their bottom line over quality, more affordable health care coverage.

The existing health care option proposed by Congress, the GOP and Sen. John McCain falls short, (and they know it) because:

* Many Americans, especially American families, cannot afford the insurance premiums offered by employers. As cost of housing, fuel, education, food, insurance continues to rise; salaries across the board have been stagnant or declined.

* Health insurance continues to increase, and rise without question and Americans who lose a job, or self-employed, work part-time, retire or divorce are cut off by employer health care coverage, if they even had it.

* No American can actually afford COBRA insurance, the premiums are cost prohibitive and employers know it.

* The Republican, GOP plan to force Americans to buy health coverage and giving them a small tax break means these same families who cannot afford to buy health insurance now, certainly cannot afford to buy the more expensive insurance under their plan.


Excellent post, rednomo. Thank you.
Reply to this comment
by Dave_P6 June 24, 2009 11:08 AM EDT
Yes, the last thing we should do is fix health care. Is there anything the Republicans aren't wrong about?
Reply to this comment
by realist24 June 24, 2009 11:06 AM EDT
When will you people that keep make snide remarks about Romney being rich and being born into a rich family quite whining! Did his money buy him his grades he obtained at Harvard as he completed at Law and Business program with him graduating *** laude from the law school and he was named a Baker Scholar for graduating in the top five percent of his business school class.
He ran successful businesses that saved many jobs and created even more. Yes they did cut some jobs but created many times more than they cut. Besides would it be better for the whole company to shut down and loose ALL of the jobs.
If it weren?t for the Romney?s of America who would run, own and operate theses companies that employ the workers. If it is so easy how come everyone isn?t doing it?
Argue his position on not having the government run healthcare if you must but quit whining because he made something of himself. His current financial situation is the result of hard work and dedication.
So, before you chime off about his money take a look at his accomplishments and his resume. I for one think he has every right to offer his opinion on healthcare and that is because of his experience and expertise, not because he is rich.
Saying he doesn?t know because he is well off is a pretty weak argument.
Reply to this comment
by wdrussell1 June 24, 2009 11:03 AM EDT
Romney-I have great health care, I don't know why people are complaining.
Problem is, he really doesn't know.
Reply to this comment
by Solarrays247 June 24, 2009 10:55 AM EDT
by rednomo June 24, 2009 7:10 AM PDT
According to a recent report, the United States has $480 billion in excess spending each year in comparison to Western European nations that have universal health insurance coverage. The costs are mainly associated with excess administrative costs and poorer quality of care.

The United States spends six times more per capita on the administration of the health care system than its peer Western European nations.


Fierce Healthcare reports the following top 10 insurance company CEO salaries for 2008.

* Ron Williams - Aetna - Total Compensation: $24,300,112.
* H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA - Total Compensation: $12,236,740.
* Angela Braly - WellPoint - Total Compensation: $9,844,212.
* Dale Wolf - Coventry Health Care - Total Compensation: $9,047,469.
* Michael Neidorff - Centene - Total Compensation: $8,774,483.
* James Carlson - AMERIGROUP - Total Compensation: $5,292,546.
* Michael McCallister - Humana - Total Compensation: $4,764,309.
* Jay Gellert - Health Net - Total Compensation: $4,425,355.
* Richard Barasch - Universal American - Total Compensation: $3,503,702.
* Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group - Total Compensation: $3,241,042.

When American patients trust their health to a for-profit insurance company, they?re doing nothing less than gambling with their lives in a game where the odds are stacked in favor of the insurance company.

These are salaries reminiscent of the AIGs, the Goldman Sachs, the Merrill Lynch?s, and other Wall Street CEOs who also pillaged from the American taxpayer and turned around and gave themselves and their executives multi-million dollars bonuses.

The Single payer, health care option initially proposed by President Obama on his campaign trail is merely health coverage, like Medicare, but it is for anyone who wants it. Single payer eliminates insurance companies as pricey middlemen. The government pays care providers directly. It?s a system that polls consistently have shown the American people favoring by as much as two-to-one. Of course, it is this option that these CEOs and Congress are fighting against because it means less profit for health care companies who favor their bottom line over quality, more affordable health care coverage.

The existing health care option proposed by Congress, the GOP and Sen. John McCain falls short, (and they know it) because:

* Many Americans, especially American families, cannot afford the insurance premiums offered by employers. As cost of housing, fuel, education, food, insurance continues to rise; salaries across the board have been stagnant or declined.

* Health insurance continues to increase, and rise without question and Americans who lose a job, or self-employed, work part-time, retire or divorce are cut off by employer health care coverage, if they even had it.

* No American can actually afford COBRA insurance, the premiums are cost prohibitive and employers know it.

* The Republican, GOP plan to force Americans to buy health coverage and giving them a small tax break means these same families who cannot afford to buy health insurance now, certainly cannot afford to buy the more expensive insurance under their plan.



Thank you, rednomo. It is refreshing to actually see facts.
Reply to this comment
by specialty8 June 24, 2009 10:49 AM EDT
Obama can't fix nothing, goverment getting involved will just make things worse.Just look at the stimulis bill Obama shoved through congress, a total dissaster with no results. 3 million new jobs was a new laugh like when he said pay as you go.
Reply to this comment
by ramos1129 June 24, 2009 10:45 AM EDT
Romney simply cannot be trusted. While running in the GOP Presidential primaries, he railed againist the evils of illegal workers. What he did not disclose is, at virtually the same time, he was employing illegals to work on his estate.

As to patriotism. Neither Romney nor his four adult sons have ever served one day in the military. Not even the guard.
Reply to this comment
by specialty8 June 24, 2009 10:51 AM EDT
Ok,I will go with that. How many days has our new celebrity in cheif done?
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