It's complicated. There is a Florida company that is an insurer of last resort underwritten by the tax payers.

The big private companies have been in and out over the years. Allstate now has a separate company just for Florida. I'm sure the other major companies do as well.

But it's two different things. Basically Flood insurance covers rising water, HO covers falling water.

The private companies now have "named storm" deductibles and tried to exclude named storm coverage all together.

Most insurors don't want these massive liabilities. They jus want to cover things that aren't likely to happen.

So I wonder if insurance is the right program to cover health care. We all know lots of people who've never filed an auto or HO claim but I doubt we know anyone who's never been to the Dr.

This is precisely the point.

Why the hell do we have "insurance" for Health Care?

What we have today isn't "insurance" - its a shared pool of resources out of which the administrator takes his pound of flesh. Its almost communist in nature - no wonder its falling apart.

So why don't we have market-based cost controls put into place - by outlawing anything but catastrophic coverage. When the people actually have to price-compare their choice of doctor, like they do for where they eat, where they sleep, and other basic necessities of life - then you'll start seeing these megalithic health care corporations scrambling to find every bit of efficiency out there as they have to compete with all the other healthcare providers out there.

Please note that I say this as the spouse of doctor. A system like this would more than likely drop doctor compensation overall - but it wouldn't be artificially imposed. It would be as organic as the free market system.

(And before the bleeding hearts start jumping down my throat bemoaning the lack of heart I have for the poor - there would be a safety net with healthcare "foodstamps")

Actually, as a result of BW12, the subsidies are going away. I've been whining about this for about a year (we had a flood map change last year, too, to add to the whining), but everyone ignored it until now.... they're seeing premiums jump. In some cases astronomically. A $1500 policy is now around $8000 (pre-FIRM, under BFE). Grandfathering goes away maybe next year, and that means all the condo towers on the beach. Wait until they get hit with that hike... A lot of those folk have nothing better to do than sit in their congressman's office...

There was talk at the 9/24 meeting about secession from NFIP by the state but I doubt that's gonna happen. If rates were actuarially sound (and not subsidized) it would be a lot more likely...

You may be talking about windstorm (and the birth of Citizens Insurance Corp) after Andrew in '92

I still can't believe residents are okay with paying a fee on their policies to subsidize the uber-wealthy and their 3rd beachfront vacation mansions. Because they just can't afford to pay full rate on windstorm for that $11 million house (that they paid cash for).

Sh*t, they should give me the keys to use it when they're not there in summer. I'd even clean up after myself

Failure of the free market? Really?! I don't think so. If you live in a place where your house ends up under water on a regular basis you don't think the cost should be astronomical? Are you blatantly retarded or just trolling? If the free market were allowed to run its course, people wouldn't live in stupid places. That's like me putting in a claim for busted water pipes because I'm too ignorant to turn the heat on and keep them from freezing.

That sounds an awful lot like the "silent majority". Maybe this will mobilize them after all...

Screw the poor. If they knew anything, they wouldn't be poor. Darwinism used to wipe these fuckwits from the face of the earth. Now we give em' every chance to drag the rest of us down with them. If you can't support yourself, turn to your family. If they aren't willing to, then go suck on the business end of a twelve gauge.

That's just evil dude.

wait, Karl, I thought said you were poor!

I thought I was too, but I guess it depends on your definition. Are you poor when you collect aid ( from gov't or others), or if you live under a certain socio-economic threshold?

I know I'd be "rich" in Kazakhstan, but not really interested in living there ....

He was .... but ... now he's married!

I've always taken care of myself and never needed a handout. There's a huge difference between not having play money and sucking the system's teat.

karma, juju. Bad stuff bruh.

okay, so regardless of your net worth if you don't take a handout, you're not poor. I'll use that definition....

wait... what about medicare? is that sucking teat?

So basically get a job or sleep with someone that has a job?

what's really funny is that most of ya'll are a hoot to sail with...

Sex on a regular basis hasn't changed your sunny disposition one bit, for a while there I thought we were going to lose you to marital bliss. You are one of my favorite broken toys...carry on Karl.

wait, you get sex on a regular basis if you're married?

when did that happen? Crap... why can't life come with a dang owner's manual?

W.T.F.? Look's like you jump in head first.

PA is great for political discussions!

That place has turned into a personal attack cesspool..