ALEC pats itself and GA governor on back for bill allowing health insurance sales across state lines

[highplainsdem]

Another smug press release from ALEC, commending Georgia's governor and legislators for copying ALEC's model legislation for their House Bill 47, which Governor Deal just signed into law:

http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/05/e1089245/alec-commends-georgia-governor-and-legislators-for-passing-patient-cen

I posted about this bill a month ago, after the Georgia state senate passed it but before the governor had signed it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x921658

That topic links to an Atlanta Journal Constitution column by award-winning columnist Jay Bookman, who started by quoting state Sen Steve Thompson: "You can fix ignorant, but you can’t fix stupid. And this bill is just stupid."

As Bookman reminded readers, bills like this mean the health insurance industry will follow the example of the credit card industry:

The credit-card industry offers a more recent example. In 1980, New York-based Citibank went shopping for a state that was willing to enact extremely lenient laws covering the issuance of credit cards. It found a willing partner in South Dakota, which was starving for economic development. The state agreed to rewrite its banking laws, dropping interest-rate ceilings and other consumer-protection regulations, in exchange for getting a few hundred well-paying jobs.

“Citibank actually drafted the legislation,” then-Gov. William Janklow recalled later. “Literally we introduced it, and it passed our legislature in one day.”

Something similar will happen with health insurance, if ALEC has its way. From the press release:

Fifteen states have introduced in the 2011 session. Wyoming became the first state to pass the model in 2010, and this year, Oklahoma is expected to send a similar bill to the governor's desk.

ALEC is encouraged by the signing of this bill, proud of the legislators who helped enact it, and looks forward to more patient-centered, free-market health care legislation in all 50 states.

Of course the result will no more be "patient-centered" than the changes in the credit-card industry were "consumer-centered" -- this is all being done for corporate profits.

[truth2power]

1. That whole "sale across state lines" thing is pernicious...

The voters should be careful what they wish for. This is about free-rein for insurance companies to screw their customers.

[Fridays Child]

2. Of the top ten signs that your country is a fascist state, this could be number one.

“Citibank actually drafted the legislation.”

[highplainsdem]

4. Many ALEC bills are basically drafted by private-sector (corporate) members.

ALEC likes to point out that their model legislation gets final approval from a board consisting only of public-sector (legislator) members, but in fact the legislation never gets to that stage unless it's been approved by the relevant private-sector task force whose corporate interests the legislation affects.

ALEC is sort of the Walmart of lobbying -- cheap and convenient for the corporations and right-wing donors, who are happy to pay for the lavish conferences and "scholarships" to reimburse legislators for travel, hotel and other expenses to get there.

[KansDem]

3. Typical GOP attitude: "States' rights" until a buck is to be had then it's "What state lines?"

Watch for the health-insurance industry's "race to the bottom."