Hear that, folks? If you have a brain tumor you shouldn't be entitled to "millions and millions and millions of health care provided." Because you are expendable if you can't afford to pay for that treatment yourself.
Is anyone old enough to remember when someone saying something like this would be scandalous? It wasn't really that long ago -- maybe four years or so. Back then, even Republican John McCain had to produce a health care proposal in order to be a viable candidate. Today, the going line is "Just Die" from these cynical, evil people.
But Dreier suggested that these individuals would be better off enrolling in state-based “high-risk insurance pools,” that could offer coverage to the individuals who are turned away from the individual health care market because they are too costly to cover:
DREIER: And I believe my state of California has a structure in place to deal with pre-existing conditions. It’s a pooling process, which I think is one worthy of consideration, because while I don’t that think someone who is diagnosed with a massive tumor should the next day be able to have millions and millions and millions of dollars in health care provided, I do believe that there can be a structure to deal with the issue of pre-existing conditions.
California has high-risk pools, yes. But before the Affordable Care Act passed, there was no access to them. Believe me, I tried. They were closed because California didn't have additional funds to cover all of the uninsured people with pre-existing conditions.
Then the Affordable Care Act came along and the federal government sent funds so they could reopen. They've helped a lot of people, but nowhere near enough, because they are too expensive. By definition, they're designed to fail because they only cover people who are likely to incur high medical bills - adverse selection.
I'm glad Dreier is headed for retirement at the end of the year. My one regret is that post-retirement and pre-Medicare eligibility, Dreier will still be able to keep his Congressional health insurance. He should partake of the California high-risk pools for a year to learn why I think he's such an odious jerk.
