Rob Schofield is dazzled by the idea of "mental health parity" — a regulation that means IF you buy health insurance at all, you are forced also to buy health insurance that covers mental illness (Read: expensive). Schofield’s also disappointed that it may be thwarted in the legislature. We can only pray. But in timeless lefty fashion, Schofield blames the insurance industry. The truth is, BC/BS enjoys a virtual monopoly position here in NC for the individual and small group markets. They probably will benefit from the legislation unless this is the one healthcare mandate that finally drives the "death spiral" — i.e. when people simply go uninsured because the mandates have driven up the price too much. (Then unhealthy people stay in the pool, driving up costs further, encourage yet more people to forego insurance.) This is the kind of stuff do-gooders-by-non-voluntary-proxy like. They don’t care that their utopian health insurance is unaffordable. (Schofield claims that mental health parity will decrease hospitalizations. Maybe. But I doubt it’ll make up for the 5-10 percent increase in premiums.)
Hey Progressives: I don’t want to buy mental illness insurance. Can’t you respect my preferences?
(I’ve argued elsewhere that mental health parity is insane.)
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