Well piezoe

[Lucrum]

Quote from kid.fx.cross:

...Too bad I have to endure pages of kneejerk reactions from posters who feel the answer to any question is "Obama is stupid"...

How much more child-like can you possibly get? President Obama had his very own, “Nanny-nanny-boo-boo” moment when the crowd at University of Maryland basketball game greeted him with boos.

from Daily Mail:

His approval ratings are at an all time low, and there is no getting away from it for the President.
An Oregon basketball crowd greeted Barack Obama and the first family with boos last night as they watched Oregon State take on the University of Maryland.

It’s a yearly ritual for the Obama family to watch the Oregon State Beavers play a Washington-area team because Michelle’s brother Craig Robinson coaches the men’s team.
And while some fans cheered for the President as he took his seat, the leader of the free world put his hands his ears amid competing boos.

His approval ratings hit an all-time low last week as the continued problems with the health care roll out have forced him to apologize once again for his administration’s mistakes.

A poll by Quinnipiac University revealed on Tuesday that 54 per cent of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s job performance while only 39 per cent approve....



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[Tsing Tao]

Quote from kid.fx.cross:

ok, that makes two of you

Have you read the posts on this thread by the usual suspects?

I'll ask you. As it stands now, people simply can't afford the new higher premiums, especially if you throw in 5k out of pocket before the deductible is satisfied. They'll have no choice but to go naked. That in turn will put pressure on hospitals from people who are now shopping around, and also from insurance companies who inform them that the days of raising premiums every year to compensate for rising health care costs are over, since the policy holders are simply tapped out.

So, the unintended consequence of ACA is more will be uninsured, or will be if after they pay the new premiums will cancel if they ever again go up one more penny.

You seem intelligent, what do you think? Too bad I have to endure pages of kneejerk reactions from posters who feel the answer to any question is "Obama is stupid" and their counterparts who feel the democratic party must be defended at all times regardless of the facts.

I think the inevitable result of Obamacare will be the destruction of itself. You're right, people cannot afford it and thus most young people (the ones the insurance companies need to keep premiums from getting much, much worse) will bail on it and pay the penalty in taxes. Hell, when I was in my early 20s and worked in bars, I didn't have coverage. If you had told me I could get coverage for $300 a month or pay $95 a year, which do you think I'd have chosen?

When all of the young, low-risk people elect not to sign up, the only people who will be pushing for it is the high risk pools. That will quickly see insurance companies going "whoa! we have to reprice policies, as there's no way we can pay for this." Then, viola, ACA dies.

You're right, you have to address medical costs. Tort reform is a start. Putting hospitals in competition with each other, creating private doctor "pools" (where you pay a flat rate each month for unlimited access to the doctor) is a possible second. One thing I can be sure of, getting the government the hell out of that part of the economy is a start.

 

[bigarrow]

Quote from Tsing Tao:

Really? And you've polled everyone here on this, have you?

I, for example, completely agree that the problem is healthcare costs. Not that you ever asked me about it.

Me three. Fix the corrupt healthcare and insurance cartels, promote healthy eating and activity, get rid of government subsidies for corporate farms. Fix those and the healthcare problem is fixed or at least affordable.

Hey Tao none of the solutions you mentioned will happen without the government getting involved.

 

[Ricter]

Quote from bigarrow:

Me three. Fix the corrupt healthcare and insurance cartels, promote healthy eating and activity, get rid of government subsidies for corporate farms. Fix those and the healthcare problem is fixed or at least affordable.

How do the farm subsidies tie in to rising healthcare costs?

 

[Tsing Tao]

Quote from bigarrow:

Me three. Fix the corrupt healthcare and insurance cartels, promote healthy eating and activity, get rid of government subsidies for corporate farms. Fix those and the healthcare problem is fixed or at least affordable.

Hey Tao none of the solutions you mentioned will happen without the government getting involved.

Perhaps I should have said "Federal Government". Let the states police and run the insurance industry. Then you'll see shit get fixed real quick as competition will force them to get their house in order.

 

[bigarrow]

Quote from Ricter:

How do the farm subsidies tie in to rising healthcare costs?

Corn, soybeans and milk. if the government is going to be in farm business our money needs to be spent promotion growing healthy foods and animals.

 

[DHOHHI]

Quote from Tsing Tao:


You're right, you have to address medical costs. Tort reform is a start. Putting hospitals in competition with each other, creating private doctor "pools" (where you pay a flat rate each month for unlimited access to the doctor) is a possible second. One thing I can be sure of, getting the government the hell out of that part of the economy is a start.

Regarding competition .. 6 years ago I had a small lipoma removed. The surgeon told me he'd do the procedure at Hospital X. I called to get an estimate on hospital charges .. this was 30 minute procedure and with recovery time I would be at the hospital 2 1/2 hours. The hospital said it would be about $12,500. This excluded the anesthesiologist and the surgeon fees .. just facility cost. I called the surgeon and said "let's forget it". He told me to call Hospital Y and see what their cost would be. They came back with just under $6000, so more than 50% less expensive.

As far as getting the government out of this ... who the hell are they to tell me (and everyone else) what they must have in their coverage. This is the most outrageous thing to me. I want a 'product' that meets my needs, not what some dumb govermental agency thinks I need.

 

[DHOHHI]

Quote from bigarrow:

Me three. Fix the corrupt healthcare and insurance cartels, promote healthy eating and activity, get rid of government subsidies for corporate farms. Fix those and the healthcare problem is fixed or at least affordable.

Hey Tao none of the solutions you mentioned will happen without the government getting involved.

I'd propose that clients of insurance agencies get refunds/rebates at the end of the year if they had expenses of less than "x", where that variable could be any number. If people had incentives to be healthy they might be less of a slob (for those who are that way).

And this could be accomplished without government involved. It's an optimization problem that one could do mathematically. My auto insurance gives me a dividend check each year which is basically a refund of premiums.

 

[bigarrow]

Quote from DHOHHI:

Regarding competition .. 6 years ago I had a small lipoma removed. The surgeon told me he'd do the procedure at Hospital X. I called to get an estimate on hospital charges .. this was 30 minute procedure and with recovery time I would be at the hospital 2 1/2 hours. The hospital said it would be about $12,500. This excluded the anesthesiologist and the surgeon fees .. just facility cost. I called the surgeon and said "let's forget it". He told me to call Hospital Y and see what their cost would be. They came back with just under $6000, so more than 50% less expensive.

As far as getting the government out of this ... who the hell are they to tell me (and everyone else) what they must have in their coverage. This is the most outrageous thing to me. I want a 'product' that meets my needs, not what some dumb govermental agency thinks I need.

I understand what you're talking about buying for your needs. The problem is the insurance industry has a reputation of screwing its customers, regulation helps keep them honest, kinda. The ideal solution is a set of minimum requirements that will benefit most people and protect the consumer. An individual has no power against an insurance company.

 

[Scataphagos]

Quote from DHOHHI:

I'd propose that clients of insurance agencies get refunds/rebates at the end of the year if they had expenses of less than "x", where that variable could be any number. If people had incentives to be healthy they might be less of a slob (for those who are that way).

And this could be accomplished without government involved. It's an optimization problem that one could do mathematically. My auto insurance gives me a dividend check each year which is basically a refund of premiums.