Mammograms and Intelligence

Every year, the Democrats run campaigns which insult the intelligence of the electorate. And, alas, each year, the electorate proves that insulting its intelligence is exceedingly difficult.

Perhaps no issue exemplifies just how stupid the Democrats think the electorate is than the subject of health insurance coverage mandates and mammograms.

Due, in significant measure, to legislatively-imposed coverage mandates, an individually purchased health insurance policy in NJ costs north of $5300, second only to MA, where the state-level analog of Obamacare results in premiums of more than $8,500. A policy in Wisconsin costs $1250.

Let’s do a little experiment: let’s assume that we permitted interstate competition, so that a Wisconsin company could sell here the same policy it sells there. And let’s assume that it would cost twice as much in NJ for that policy, or $2500.

Let’s further assume that it didn’t cover mammograms, leaving women ensured under such a policy to fend for themselves. They would be compelled to pay for that test out of pocket.

While prices vary for that service, as Joan Whitlow pointed out today in The Ledger, let’s take a middling expense for a mammogram. A princely $300. (On-line sites indicate the national average is nearer $100 and, presumably, with greater competition, prices would decline.)

Now, math has never been one of my strong suits, but let’s have a go: save $2,800 per year on your premium, and spend $300 every two-three years on a mammogram. Hmmm; which is a better deal?

So, query: are the people really stupid enough to buy the utter idiocy being peddled by the Corzine campaign?