Saving Private Tory

John Tory's platform now includes private healthcare?! First it was the schools, okay, I accept that we need to either extend funding to all religions or have just one school, those are really the only two consistent positions, Tory happened to pick the one I didn't really agree with. Now though he's playing footsie with private for-profit clinics.

There exists a real possibility that this may be the theme of a Tory government. The Liberals have exactly undone the Common Sense Revolution in any fundamental way, I doubt that there's further a PC government could go in the direction of tax cuts with serious anger in this province. Tory's going to advance another angle of the right-wing agenda. What next? Finishing the privatization of electricity in this province?

But he's got a "moderate" label and a bit more warmth than Harris, so that's what the Tories are hoping will save "private" Tory.

Quote of the Day: Private Health Insurance Edition

From Matthew Yglesias:

"It's the logic of the system and on some level it's no different from any other business. But whereas Apple or Toyota or Starbucks make money by delivering their products to people, insurance companies make money by not delivering health care to sick people."

It sort of reminds me of Crash where Matt Dillon's character can't get his dad the medical help he needs. Of course part of the movie is that Dillon's character is a racist jackass and therefore his own worst enemy in dealing with the system, but regardless his nemesis (the black woman he offends) is merely playing by the private health insurance rules by not approving care not included in the father's coverage.

It's the same anywhere in the insurance business, not paying a claim is the way to profit - even if the claim is 100% legitimate. Members of my family attempted to make a perfectly legitimate homeowners claim a few years ago and sure enough, the insurer attempted to use language that was patently absurd to re-categorize flooding as "seepage." I'm just glad it was over a carpet and not, say, cancer that this problem occurred.

Water Supply

I worry about this trend.