Organization: Penn State University
From: <DGS4@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: ABORTION and private health coverage -- letters regarding
 <sandvik-140493233557@sandvik-kent.apple.com> <1qk73q$3fj@agate.berkeley.edu>
 <syt5br_@rpi.edu> <nyikos.735335582@milo.math.scarolina.edu>
Lines: 41

In article <nyikos.735335582@milo.math.scarolina.edu>, nyikos@math.scarolina.edu
(Peter Nyikos) says:
>
>In <syt5br_@rpi.edu> rocker@acm.rpi.edu (rocker) writes:
>
>>In <1qk73q$3fj@agate.berkeley.edu> dzkriz@ocf.berkeley.edu (Dennis Kriz)
>writes:
>
>>>If one is paying for a PRIVATE health insurance plan and DOES NOT WANT
>>>"abortion coverage" there is NO reason for that person to be COMPLELLED
>>>to pay for it.  (Just as one should not be compelled to pay for lipposuction
>>>coverage if ONE doesn't WANT that kind of coverage).
>
>>You appear to be stunningly ignorant of the underlying concept of health
>>insurance.
>
>Are you any less stunningly ignorant?  Have you ever heard of life
>insurance premiums some companies give in which nonsmokers are charged
>much smaller premiums than smokers?
>
>Not to mention auto insurance being much cheaper for women under 25 than
>for men under 25, because women on the average drive more carefully
>than most men--in fact, almost as carefully as I did before I was 25.

As many people have mentioned, there is no reason why insurers could not
offer a contract without abortion services for a different premium.
The problem is that there is no guarantee that this premium would be
lower for those who chose this type of contract.  Although you are
removing one service, that may have feedbacks into other types of covered
care which results in a net increase in actuarial costs.

For an illustrative example in the opposite direction, it may be possible
to ADD services to an insurance contract and REDUCE the premium.  If you
add preventative services and this reduces acute care use, then the total
premium may fall.

These words and thoughts are my own. * I am not bound to swear
**      **      **       **          * allegiance to the word of any
  **  **  **  **  **  **             * master. Where the storm carries
    **      **      **               * me, I put into port and make
D. Shea, PSU                         * myself at home.
