Sebelius: Insurers who "misrepresent" cost of Obamacare to be shut out.

[Just_A_Guy]

Volokh coverage here (Volokh includes a link to HHS' own coverage of Sebelius' remarks).

The money quote, from the comments to the Volokh post:

All your misstatements are belong to us.

[Moksha]

Isn't this infringing on the right to defraud?

[Just_A_Guy]

Yes. Yes it is.

Because if a private citizen finds that a government program isn't working the way government says it should, the citizen is obviously lying.

[Matthew0059]

Because if a private citizen finds that a government program isn't working the way government says it should, the citizen is obviously lying.

How could it be any other way in glorious country such as ours? Long live the RED!

Uh, and white and blue, I mean.

[PrinceofLight2000]

Volokh coverage here (Volokh includes a link to HHS' own coverage of Sebelius' remarks).

The money quote, from the comments to the Volokh post:

All your misstatements are belong to us.

CATS am I. All your base are belong to ME.

[Moksha]

Because if a private citizen finds that a government program isn't working the way government says it should, the citizen is obviously lying.

From the article, a more correct statement would be: "Because if a private industry misstates a government program policy in such a way as to commit fraud by deception, the government says the fraudsters should not be doing this".

You could then add, "This is not acceptable because it comes as a result of Obamacare and some incidental business laws".

[Just_A_Guy]

I don't know what article you're citing, but it's neither Volokh nor the HHS release. The salient points of the HHS release are:

1) Health insurers are blaming Obamacare for rate increases;

2) Obamacare prevents insurers from doing the things they used to do to limit losses;

3) Our projections (magically) say that this shouldn't hurt the insurers;

4) "Hidden costs" that were never being paid by insurers, are now going to be paid by insurers. This somehow makes the insurers mroe profitable.

5) The threat: "We will also keep track of insurers with a record of unjustified rate increases: those plans may be excluded from health insurance Exchanges in 2014."

The point is clear: Make your numbers line up with our numbers (and reality be darned), or we. will. bury. you.

Remember, this is the same Administration whose lapdogs in Congress tried to drag Caterpillar and Verizon officials in for hearings because they dared to state that ObamaCare was going to increase their overall costs.

[Moksha]

The point is clear: Make your numbers line up with our numbers (and reality be darned), or we. will. bury. you.

For the full effect, would you mind banging your shoe as you say this?

[Just_A_Guy]

For the full effect, would you mind banging your shoe as you say this?

Too late, I already threw it at my computer screen.