lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The fight over the ACA is a ruse - just as the ACA itself was a ruse. Democrats betrayed the American people by allowing the hospital lobby to write the ACA in it's entirety. The ACA placed mandates and restrictions on the health insurance industry, and NONE on providers - the insurance industry was not invited to the party.

The health insurance industry is constrained to making only 20%, i.e., they must spend 80% of premiums on care, or refund the difference to policy holders. There are no such constraints on the healthcare industry. Let's get this straight right now: Insurance costs are NOT healthcare costs. The cost of healthcare is what insurance pays - with your money. The ACA was sold as a way to reduce costs - but did not a damn thing to enforce any cost reductions, making the whole thing a lie.

For years, healthcare providers, hospitals specifically, charged their insured customers extra money to pay for the care of those not insured. Even though they were compensated for this care, they still claimed the amounts as "uncompensated care" for tax purposes - and to enlarge the illusion that they were always on the verge of going bankrupt. Republicans and Democrats alike, participated in this lie, by not pointing out that this care was NOT uncompensated - you paid every dime, every time YOU used their facility.

By 2012, nearly everyone was insured in some manner, which means that costs should have dropped, as there were no longer any "uncompensated" patients - but - this is not what happened. Costs went UP instead. As costs rise, so do your premiums, co-pays and co-insurance. Why did costs rise? The healthcare industry uses reverse capitalism. Normal markets determine prices based on supply and demand, the larger the supply, the lower the price, and so on. The healthcare industry does the opposite - the larger the supply of compensation, the more they demand. Costs went up BECAUSE more people were insured!

Had the ACA placed constraints on healthcare providers; hospitals, laboratories, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceuticals, etc., premiums would have dropped, deductibles, and co-insurance would have dropped as well. The politicians knew this ( including republicans ), yet ignored this fact - because the hospital lobby offered them lots of money. That's why they were allowed to write the law, placing the entire onus on insurance. The hospital lobby purchased the rhetoric that insurance = healthcare costs - which is not an error - it is a flat out lie.

I'll say it again: insurance costs are NOT healthcare costs - healthcare costs are what your insurance pays for with your money. What do you think your premiums would be, if doctors only cost $20, no matter what specialty or what treatment? What if a hospital stay only cost $150 a night, no matter where the hospital was located or who owned it? What if an MRI cost $300 everywhere? The more your insurance company is charged - the more YOU pay, so - the less your insurance company is charged, the less YOU pay. Seems kinda a no brainer don't it? Then why - is this NOT being mentioned by any politicians anywhere?

Republicans are having a horrible time replacing the ACA, because they're trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip, or, because they're STILL trying to make it all about insurance and not about healthcare COSTS. To make it easier on themselves, they just need to send the hospital lobby packing - but - that would cost THEM a lot of money. They'd rather figure out a way to screw YOU instead - and make you like it.

Callan

If one looks at the big picture of the ACA. The ACA was a government mechanism that mandates the middle class and the upper middle class pay for poor people's medical care through vouchers. This was just another government guided welfare ponzi scheme. The larger goal was the slow take over of all healthcare so that the government had total control over all Americans healthcare. This was just another attempt to make all American afraid to speak up against an all-powerful-government who controls your healthcare and every aspect of your life.

ACP45 Loc: Rhode Island

lpnmajor wrote:
The fight over the ACA is a ruse - just as the ACA... (show quote)
_____________________

I agree with what you have written in your post.

How do you feel about Rand Paul's proposal, and the comments in this post? http://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/compose-post-screen?topicnum=95786&rpostnum=1892418&quote=true

Callan

Rand Paul and Tom Price are both Medical Doctors, so they should be able to work together to produce a fairly simple Health Care Bill that is guided by the patient and not the government.

Proudemocrat Loc: To your left.

I think the problem here is that insurance companies, don't have to sell insurance, they just have to be honest and fair if they do. And you don't have to stop giving money to your very favorite insurance company...I'm sure if you are feeling especially generous, or feel sorry for any of them and want to give some of your hard earned money to them, they won't refuse.

Proudemocrat Loc: To your left.

hmmm, guess that wasn't really a "problem" huh?

Callan

Apparently, you are unaware of how economics works. All businesses sell services and all insurance companies sell a service to their customers. So, I believe that you think that insurance companies are somehow evil and should be eliminated. The private sector has built our country into the economic powerhouse that it is and has been for hundreds of years. We need the insurance industry to spread out risk and I am certain that you do not understand that economic fact. Therefore, we must allow competition between all insurance companies so that fair cost structures are maintained. It is very unfortunate that liberal/socialists are economically challenged individuals who lack knowledge.

vernon

You just can't understand.If the doctor was paid 20 dollars what kind of doctor would you get.now all you seem to think is that every thing for you should be free i wonder what you want to be paid for your work.you and your kind are as ignorant as the day is long.do you realize what an MRI machine cost?they are about 1.5 million dollars.at 300 dollars just how long would it take to rec**p their cost?not counting the labor that is included.

Now what about the insc co that are robbing you?they have thousands of employees that have to be paid and then they have to cover people like your kind who don't have insc then they come down with cancer and then they have to be covered at someones expense.
You really need to educate your self about the economy and how it works.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I have, apparently you forgot to take your own advice. When you don't understand the concept, attack the numbers - which everyone else understood to be rhetorical. BTW, MRI machines do NOT cost 1.5 million dollars - and haven't since at least the year 2000. You've been sold a bill of goods my friend - and paid for an MRI machine 20 times over.

Proudemocrat Loc: To your left.

"You" apparently do need someone to tell you where to buy what you want and how much to pay for it. Will you change your mind when some other corporate guru tells you you where to buy car parts and how much to pay for them, or which store you can go to and what you will pay? Oh and don't forget to pay them for telling you all this. The insurance company needs to be completely out of the mix. They are glorified loan sharks at best. If we can't go to a one payer system, guess we will have to coddle the insurance bums in order to keep the night light on for all those too afraid to make their own decisions.

Callan

Again, you do NOT understand anything about the free market system of capitalism. You are supposed to make the choice of where you shop for all of the goods and services that you use. Your writings are unreadable because they make no sense.

Tanya

When a Dr is actually Licensed to practice medicine and begins his/her Reputation as well, they take the Hippocratic Oath!! That means it doesn't matter how much money you got or not, your ethnicity, your address, who your family is shouldn't be a factor in the quality of Care you recieve! If it is, you've got the wrong physicians and wrong person selling INSURANCE to you! I'm a Medicare Recipient who also has Humana Advantage, these last 5yrs if it weren't for these INSURANCE companies I wouldn't know how, what, or better yet be seen by the Specialist I've needed to see. I love my OBAMACARE plan, but since T*****r Trump is forceing These INSURANCE companies to force higher premiums on those of us who have benefited from this program, the majority if us will stop having this extra care. Is it fair?, Hell no, there has been more healthcare INSURANCE for people living below the poverty line than ever before. Its like this, let's say you get sick, can't work ever again. You file for ss, it takes 2/4 yrs to even get it,if your lucky and you do,you get Medicare, but if you need specialist care you got a get a supplemental plan. Now just Medicare alone cost $100.0 to120.0 mthly. Then you got a supplemental plan which is another$100.0+. That's automatically $200.0 off the top of a mere $8or900.00 As check. Then you go to dr, you pay $15-50.00 a pop, then Prescription coverage, at $100.-200.00 mthly!! So is it beneficial, to me it's my lifeline, and to many others as well. We loose our homes,cars, jobs, finances, family!! Is it fair to us that the majority of our Ss checks are spent on our healthcare? That's what most Seniors and Disabled people go thru everyday, we have to choose between paying our Utility bills or medicine, food or Paying for waterbill, going to dr or Paying a Dr Bill? Y'all sit here and cast doubts on its actual results but t***h is IT WORKS!! OBAMACARE WORKS, I DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR SITUATIONS ARE, but for me it's not a choice it's a reality!! If your Dr is more worried about the money aspect of his job, you should seek another doctor, one whose more about the benefits of the quality of Care he or she delivers to their patients... Its just my opinion but I can back it up with actual black n white paperwork.

Ricko Loc: Florida

PD-ipn is correct. it is all about healthcare costs. As an example: medicare patient goes for an MRI-the charge is
$1800.00-medicare approves $300.00 (as a results of negotiations with providers) and pays 75% of that while the medicare supplement pays the balance. Similar scenario-50 year old patient has an MRI- charge is $1800.00-his insurance company pays a percentage of the full charge ($1800.00) and he pays the balance. The $1500.00 dollar difference in payment to the provider is what allows them to expand or build new facilities. Since the insurance company has to make a profit to stay in business the premiums are increased to cover the added costs. The question is, what is the real cost of that MRI or what is the least amount that the provider could charge and still remain in business ? Can the provider do that MRI for $300.00 or must he get an average of at least $500.00 for the procedure in order to stay in business ? The costs are what needs to be addressed. America First !!!

vernon

No you are fooling yourself an mri machine will cost closer to 2.5 million now.my son is a retired neurologist and i think he knows what things cost.Your h**e of profit is clouding you judgement.i don't understand how you people can have the faith in government to take care of you and and all your problems,especially when you realize the politicians are just looking out for them selves and their elite friends.

Proudemocrat Loc: To your left.

You are exactly right. We are both of Medicare and there is no way we could afford to have healthcare without Obama Care. I doubt the new administration will get rid of it, because they are finding out there isn't anything better, without going to a truly universal system. They will more than likely put a couple of tweaks on it and say they saved the day by changing it. They would h**e to try and fail again. Just keep telling them "Remember the Doughnut Hole"