So Obamacare is going to cost a lot more than thought. Its nice that the hardest hit states are the ones who voted for Obama.
But that increase won't be felt evenly across the country because the study forecasts that some states will feel more pain than others. Among the hardest-hit will be Ohio, where claims costs will jump by almost 81%, and California, with a 62% increase.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
In the words of the immortal Dan Patrick, they could've done it better.Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
So the upshot is this?
The linked article in the quote says this:What does that mean for individuals? If you're already covered by your employer's plan, not much. But if you're uninsured or buy health insurance directly, the study indicates costs could rise for some people, according to The Associated Press.
Sounds to me like the jury is still out.The Obama administration challenged the design of the study, saying it focused only on one piece of the puzzle and ignored cost relief strategies in the law, such as tax credits to help people afford premiums and special payments to insurers who attract an outsize share of the sick.
The study also doesn't take into account the potential price-cutting effect of competition in new state insurance markets that will go live Oct. 1, administration officials said.
At a White House briefing Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said some of what passes for health insurance today is so skimpy it can't be compared to the comprehensive coverage available under the law. "Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don't pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus," she said. "They're really mortgage protection, not health insurance."
Sebelius said the picture on premiums won't start coming into focus until insurers submit their bids. Those results may not be publicly known until late summer.
“The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”
― Carl Sagan
Well seeings how the Obama admin has such a vast history of correctly estimating costs maybe we should disregard the study.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
This is going to be a bumpy transition. Obamacare was designed by people who cut their healthcare policy teeth in the 90s (Nancy-Ann Min DeParle, for example) and they tried to update and cobble together all the "great" (unproven) ideas of that era into a massive package that still keeps people insulated from the cost of their own care and that doesn't recognize the disruptive technological breakthroughs of our own time. They are theWell seeings how the Obama admin has such a vast history of correctly estimating costs maybe we should disregard the study.
http://blogs.the-american-interest.c...-smart-policy/wonks who don’t keep the innovative dynamism of our age at the forefront of their minds as they think up new policies are likely to do more harm than good. Trying to build elaborate models for the future of healthcare based on today’s delivery systems and economic models is as futile as trying to build a national transportation model in 1830 based on the success of the Erie Canal.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
The reality of implementing the Affordable Care Act is sinking in.
I don't mean this as a political comment, because the law is the reality now and isn't going to be repealed. It is full of problems, however (largely because of the way it was rammed through -- OK, there's my political comment!) and we are going to have to fix those as we put this thing into action. There are going to be lots of bumps in the road.President Obama is eager to build public support for his health care overhaul in the few months remaining before its implementation, but waning enthusiasm from Democrats threatens his effort right out of the gate.
Two-thirds of Democrats now believe Obama's health care reforms will either hurt them personally or have no effect on their daily lives, a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday shows. In comparison, just 27 percent of Democratic respondents said the reforms would help them.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
There is more to the California story.
Rate Shock and Awe in CaliforniaI have to say I was surprised with the press reports last week that there wasn’t “rate shock” in California when the California exchange offered preliminary information about their new plans and rates. At least one prominent health actuarial group had predicted a 30% baseline increase in costs for California’s new health insurance exchange plans under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare”). As the director of the California exchange put it, “These rates are way below the worst-case gloom-and-doom scenarios we have heard.”
But a few days later there is lots more information coming out and it would appear we have a case of apples to oranges to grapefruit. And, we have a pretty good case of rate shock....
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
So, because the new health law will outlaw many of the existing plans, it would seem that many won't be able to keep their existing plan. And folks may not be able to keep their doctor. More Obama lies. No surprise.
And isn't it great that people will be denying consumers a choice? Wow! No wonder the jackasses who forced this on the American people are trying to find a way to opt out of it.
And as if it wasn't enough, taxes will go up. Hooray nationalized health care!
Last edited by GarthUte; 05-29-2013 at 04:03 PM.
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." - Red Smith
No one in government ever gets cost estimates right, seemingly. But at a minimum it at least sounds like there are several more variables to factor in that can't be quantified at this point.Well seeings how the Obama admin has such a vast history of correctly estimating costs maybe we should disregard the study.
“The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”
― Carl Sagan
wow... talk about giving them the benefit of the doubt. Obama and his admin underestimated the first law of insurance.
Moral Hazard: When people have insurance they use it.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
That would be a major oversite if true given that the whole point was for people to use the insurance.
“The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”
― Carl Sagan
I don't think that Obamacare is anywhere near what we want to have in the long run, but he induced change into a system that was stuck in a state of "paralysis by analysis" - ie: we couldn't figure out what we wanted, so we did nothing.
This at least makes changes to help us decide what does and doesn't work.
The point was too have insurance. Not to use it.
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"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
One of the biggest gripes I have with the ACA is the fact that it does nothing to control the real problem of rising health costs. The largest influence, based on the Time article early last year, and my own personal experience, seems to be hospital costs.
Maryland is trying a new program which puts caps on hospital costs. It will be interesting to see where this goes:
http://america.aljazeera.com/article...ealthcare.html
Martin Shkreli, the man known right now for raising the price on a decades old drug designed to treat parasitic infections that plague mostly AIDS patients these days is now under investigation for financial issues at his former employer, Retrophin.
http://www.newsweek.com/martin-shkre...trophin-375416
This guy seems like a borderline psychopath. The good that appears to be coming out of this he appears to be a poster boy for health care costs. Nobody will want to be the next "Shkreli" so they will be better at evaluating what "fair market value" really is.
Related to that, I saw an article recently about how the University Of Utah Health Care system is trying to figure that out...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/08/he...earn.html?_r=0
Good work being done here.
One thing this guy has done is revive the debate about just much greed is acceptable, in the face of human suffering.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/23/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-and-the-very-american-debate-over-maximizing-profit/
Adam Smith asserted that through the pursuit of individual interest, the market allocates resources efficiently, and to the benefit of society.
Karl Marx saw things quite differently, of course, and predicted Capitalism's demise from collapse from within, as predators like Shkreli are so greedy the workers revolt.
(Standard history of economic thought, nothing too outlandish)
Here's the money shot: Ayn Rand, who has become somewhat of a "saint" of the ultra right, announced:
“Capitalism and altruism are incompatible; they are philosophical opposites; they cannot co-exist in the same man or in the same society.”
I've never understood how good, moral, faithful people have embraced Ayn Rand. It's just creepy.
Trump is revealing a few details about his healthcare reform effort.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.b4afd1acbed6
His plan doesn't necessarily dovetail with what Republicans are saying, but the details are still sketchy. But it gives me a little hope that they'll actually come up with a real plan.
How crazy would it be if he tells the Republicans in Congress the only bill he will sign is one providing a single-payer option (for those who choose it), with government price negotiation for drugs/devices/services? He has in the past spoken approvingly about the systems in Scotland and Sweden.
Something that far out of left field out of DC would simply be 'Tuesday' for DJT.
"Yeah, he didn't mean that." - the GOP says about Trump's statement that the replacement will cover everyone.
https://politicalwire.com/2017/01/17...e-health-care/
President-elect Donald Trump “promised insurance for everyone this weekend, but Senate Republicans say they are operating under the assumption that Trump meant to say access to insurance for everyone,” BuzzFeed reports.
“The vow clashes with all of the major Obamacare replacement plans put forward by Republicans, which prioritize choice over universality. But some Republicans in the Senate say they are working on repealing and replacing Obamacare under the belief that Trump misspoke.”
Apparently congress can't figure out what Trump was trying to do with his Executive Order concerning the ACA.
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...care-confusing
Key players in the Affordable Care Act debate are still struggling to make heads or tails of what it actually means. This is what Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told some reporters on Capitol Hill today:
I think that the executive order is very confusing and that we really don’t know yet what the impact will be. Until there is a secretary in place who can interpret the regulations or do the rulemaking to rescind regulations, it’s very difficult to say what the impact of the executive order is going to be. As someone who, regardless of who is president, has always felt that Congress should set the rules and write the laws, we need legislation. There are some improvements that can be made through the executive order process and through the regulatory process, but that by no means takes away the need for comprehensive legislation.
I had two experts look at the order Friday night, and they made the case that it was a political scream but a practical whisper — something that sets the tone for health policy in the Trump era but doesn’t make any substantive changes quite yet.
Former Republican Senate staffer Rodney Whitlock described it to the New York Times as “something incredibly cryptic that nobody understands.”
Predictably, Republicans having a hard time coming up with a replacement for the ACA.
http://khn.org/news/at-party-retreat...law-consensus/
FiveThirtyEight breaks down the CBO and the AHCA.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...-the-cbo-says/
Situations like this don't help in us trying to find a solution.
fv5lnghpbhly.jpg
I'm going off topic here, but I saw in the Tribune today that Utah has a physician shortage and rank at the bottom of the US in # of Dr's per capita. Yet, Utah has drastically underpaid their Dr's for a long, long time.
Why is this? Do we have enough Dr's or not enough? Why are the Dr's getting paid so little here?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...lcolm-turnbull
On Friday, Trump stuck to his guns – with a clarification. “Of course the Australians have better healthcare than we do – everybody does,” he wrote on Twitter. “Obamacare is dead! But our healthcare will soon be great.”But Trump told Turnbull: “We have a failing healthcare. I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do.”
Last edited by tooblue; 05-05-2017 at 09:56 PM.
Here's a thought:
Since health regulations (medical and insurance) take place at the state level, maybe the federal government should stop doing Medicaid grants to the states, cut the taxes, and let the states increase their taxes to cover the shortfall.
It seems like they are in a better place to manage it.
California wants to put a 125% of medicare price cap on services. If that happens a lot of unintended consequences (good and bad) will happen.
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
I've heard of "balance billing" but not "surprise billing", which sounds like a scam anyway.
A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack
https://khn.org/news/a-jolt-to-the-j...-heart-attack/
Crazy situation. Even more crazy is that the guy refused the final offer of paying $782.29, instead of $108,951 based on the principle of the matter.
“To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.
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