Isn't this a typical liberal slur?  They are very anti capitalism and anti free market.  They contstanly put out profit numbers, but rarely mention return on investment to make American corporations look evil.  Same ploy is used whenever the gas prices goes up and they need to marginalize the oil companies - 'billions in profit' they say, but never mention billions in investment.  The current administration has one hand out for charitable contribution while the other is holding a hammer. 

Why would anyone start a business if not to make profit? It has nothing to do with putting some price tag on people. Insurance companies serve a purpose. I'm not so much defending them but showing you the lies put out about them from people like Nancy Pelosi. If a company didn't make a profit they wouldn't be in business now would they? This is America not Switzerland, Germany or France. Maybe you should move to those other countries then Djembe. You might be happier.

This is America not Switzerland, Germany or France.

Exactly...we shouldn't be trailing behind the rest of the world so badly.  This *IS* America.

Health insurers' profits is a strawman argument.  People need healthcare.  The interest of the healthcare industry should not be of concern to the American people if it doesn't provide them with adequate care.  If they could operate for this long and this many problems still exist, who cares about their profits?  Who cares if a public option puts them out of business but the social issue is being addressed?

It's about people getting adequate health care.

Why would anone start a buisness,if not for profit?

I considered starting a party/wedding buisness because I can "do" parties.

Profit would not be the driving force~ a completely nessecary component yes~ but  my passion for life and beauty would be the reason why.

Actually, we have a history of trailing behind on social issues- slavery, women's voting rights, healthcare... 

Actually, we have a history of trailing behind on social issues- slavery, women's voting rights, healthcare... 

Sadly true.   Must be all those "conservatives" we have here.

It's okay for private industry to want to make a profit.  The logical flaw is the expectation that the public interest is at the heart of their decisions.  Why expect the private healthcare industry to offer affordable healthcare option if it doesn't help their bottom line?  You have to give them incentives to care for the public interest (i.e. real competition via public option).

When you buy a car, do you just pay the sticker price because the dealership needs to make a profit and who cares how much of a profit margin they are making? Or do you actually research how much dealerships pay for that car and what price you could negociate that would still give them a fair profit while saving you several thousand dollars?

It's the same thing with health care insurance companies. Most rational people aren't opposed to them making a fair profit. What they are opposed to is people going bankrupt or dying because insurance companies want to raise their profit margins. What they are opposed to is people being denied insurance because things like pregnancy or rape are considered a pre-existing condition (www.examiner.com/x-18104-Sonoma-County-Civil-Righ ts-Examiner~y2009m10d23-Women-denied-health-insur ance-for-preexisting-conditions-of-pregnancy-rape). The money is what gets people angry of course, but it is not the only problem with the industry.

I care about people receiving health care.  I don't care about profits.  If they make a profit, good for them.

Does anybody in their day to day affairs take into consideration the profit margins or how much the dealer/salesman makes? No.  You only care about the price.  When it comes to the health of the American people, I don't even care about price when I see we are willing to spend Trillions in the name of national defense or corporate bailouts.  What are our priorities?

Profits take the humanity out of life and death decisions.  People are seen as cutting into the bottom line.

This is not of case of people being miserly and forgoing procedures to save a few buck.  It's people being denied lifesaving treatment for companies to make millions.

Did you know that companies put life insurance policies on their workers unbeknownst to the worker?  It's almost as if they are wagering for you to die.

When I worked in the corporate sector I had a long meeting with the manager of HR and she was on the verge of tears because we had to pay $500,000 on a worker's comp claim.  I will never forget her saying, "it would have been cheaper if he had died!!!".  The idea of death and injuries on the job had been marginalized to dollars and cents.  This "claim" was a husband and a father.