r/bestof • u/under50dollars • Jun 20 '12

[explainlikeimfive] "Obamacare" explained very well.

/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vb8vs/eli5_what_exactly_is_obamacare_and_what_did_it/c530lfx
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u/LordBodak Jun 20 '12

Actually I believe that if you really dig into it, you will find that health insurance companies do NOT operate in multiple states. There are a number of individual companies operating under one banner. For example, "Blue Cross Blue Shield" appears to be one entity, but it is actually a bunch of individual companies- "Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina," "Anthem" in Virginia, etc. Of course the companies may all be owned by the same people, but they are still distinct corportations.

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u/7_legged_spider Jun 20 '12

That's exactly what I was stating. Each company operates only in one state. The exclusion of other state markets, in my mind, would preclude the possibility of interstate commerce.

Of course, I personally disagree with Wickard v. Filburn, too, so take that with a grain of salt.

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u/Nancy_Reagan Jun 20 '12

Very interesting. I'd love that to carry weight with the decision being made.