Good news for us re: Obamacare/ACA

[carlfense]

Boy . . . sounds like we're finally going to get that serious policy debate that we've all been waiting for.

 

I bet the Mitt-ster is still fuming about what Gruber did with Romneycare, too.

[BigRedBuster]

Here is the only issue with this with me. And, admittedly, I'm not going to let this point me in the direction of supporting or not supporting ACA.

 

This really shouldn't even be in this thread. It's more of a political debate about elections and believing what a politician says.

 

Obama campaigned on the idea that he will NOT raise taxes on the middle class. He continued that all the way through the entire "1%" debate/argument. Constantly, he talks about raising taxes on the rich to pay for this stuff while not taxing "the average American".

 

Well, if I remember correctly, the entire time ACA was debated, they called it penalties for anyone who doesn't sign up.

 

Then, here comes the SC case and they came out in favor of ACA because those charges were "taxes" and not "penalties". I remember the administration coming out right after that happy for the SC decision because it supported ACA while at the same time almost under their breath they would say...."But, it's not a tax, it's a penalty". But, if it's a penalty, it's unconstitutional so it has to be a tax.

 

Well.....this obviously appears the arguments behind the scenes was different. If I were a Democrat and voted for him based on the fact he wasn't going to raise taxes on the middle class, I would probably be pretty pissed right now.

[JJ Husker]

 

ACA is your baby - you believe in it - I understand that - that is fine.

It isn't. I'm not sure how many times I have to repeat this: the ACA is better than the status quo. It's not the best option . . . but it's the one that was politically feasible.

 

Fortunately for all of us, it's working even better than anticipated.

 

I've stayed out of this discussion for quite some time but, I am curious, what about the ACA is working better than anticipated?

 

Please keep in mind I am of the opinion the biggest problem with health care in this country was, and still is, the runaway and rapidly increasing costs. I have not seen this problem change course at all but rather has gotten even worse to allow for the new provisions of the ACA.

[carlfense]

I've stayed out of this discussion for quite some time but, I am curious, what about the ACA is working better than anticipated?

Enrollment figures was the highest profile "better than anticipated" aspect.

 

 

Please keep in mind I am of the opinion the biggest problem with health care in this country was, and still is, the runaway and rapidly increasing costs. I have not seen this problem change course at all but rather has gotten even worse to allow for the new provisions of the ACA.

That curve has been bending downwards for the past few years . . .

[carlfense]

Obama campaigned on the idea that he will NOT raise taxes on the middle class.

I thought it was a mindless "Hope and Change" campaign?

 

(Truthfully, the obnoxious hope and change business is the main thing other than Sara motherf@#%ing Palin that I remember from the 2008 campaign.)

[knapplc]

I remember the "Yes We Can!" thing being mindlessly repeated.

[carlfense]

I remember the "Yes We Can!" thing being mindlessly repeated.

Right.

[JJ Husker]

 

I've stayed out of this discussion for quite some time but, I am curious, what about the ACA is working better than anticipated?

Enrollment figures was the highest profile "better than anticipated" aspect.

Please keep in mind I am of the opinion the biggest problem with health care in this country was, and still is, the runaway and rapidly increasing costs. I have not seen this problem change course at all but rather has gotten even worse to allow for the new provisions of the ACA.

That curve has been bending downwards for the past few years . . .

Could you point me to the data that shows some downward curve? Everything I have seen, from my small company's point of view, has premiums still increasing min 10% per year plus the one time 25% +/- increase when making the leap to an ACA approved plan.

[carlfense]

Could you point me to the data that shows some downward curve? Everything I have seen, from my small company's point of view, has premiums still increasing min 10% per year plus the one time 25% +/- increase when making the leap to an ACA approved plan.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMhpr1310415

[Abdullah the Butcher]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-2015-higher-costs-higher-penalties/

 

It's not only the uninsured who will be facing higher costs. Many health-care plans are also charging more, with Investor's Business Daily finding that a 27-year-old earning 250 percent of the poverty rate will pay an average of 7 percent more for the lowest-cost bronze plan, based on an analysis of rates in the largest city in 34 states. The lowest-cost silver plan will rise an average of 9 percent, while the lowest-priced catastrophic policy will climb 18 percent, the analysis found.

[carlfense]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-2015-higher-costs-higher-penalties/

 

It's not only the uninsured who will be facing higher costs. Many health-care plans are also charging more, with Investor's Business Daily finding that a 27-year-old earning 250 percent of the poverty rate will pay an average of 7 percent more for the lowest-cost bronze plan, based on an analysis of rates in the largest city in 34 states. The lowest-cost silver plan will rise an average of 9 percent, while the lowest-priced catastrophic policy will climb 18 percent, the analysis found.

 

Which, as has been addressed repeatedly, was the case both before and after the ACA.

[JJ Husker]

 

Could you point me to the data that shows some downward curve? Everything I have seen, from my small company's point of view, has premiums still increasing min 10% per year plus the one time 25% +/- increase when making the leap to an ACA approved plan.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMhpr1310415

 

Wow that is some convoluted mumbo jumbo. BTW that does NOT show receding or reducing costs but rather spins it and indexes "real" health spending to other factors such as GDP and/or per person etc. There are so many other factors involved that it means nothing. I guess it might be able to be claimed as some sort of "downward curve", possibly by some stretch of the imagination, but that is not what I had in mind and it sure doesn't help the poor schlub whose insurance premiums keep increasing roughly 15% per year. That is the opposite of a downward curve.

[carlfense]

Wow that is some convoluted mumbo jumbo.

It's the NEJM. They're generally not too interested in dumbing it down.

[JJ Husker]

 

Wow that is some convoluted mumbo jumbo.

It's the NEJM. They're generally not too interested in dumbing it down.

Good point. However, it would be nice if their little study couldn't be referenced for increases, decreases, or whatever the hell a person might want to claim it shows. I could claim that study shows why we'll beat Wiscy and I'm pretty sure that would be just as valid of a claim.

[Abdullah the Butcher]

http://www.usatoday.com/longform/news/nation/2014/11/12/rural-hospital-closings-federal-reimbursement-medicaid-aca/18532471/

Rural hospitals in critical condition

 

ACA ACCELERATES DEMISE OF RURAL HOSPITALS THAT SERVE MANY OF SOCIETY'S MOST VULNERABLE.

 

Since the beginning of 2010, 43 rural hospitals — with a total of more than 1,500 beds — have closed, according to data from the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program. The pace of closures has quickened: from 3 in 2010 to 13 in 2013, and 12 already this year. Georgia alone has lost five rural hospitals since 2012, and at least six more are teetering on the brink of collapse. Each of the state's closed hospitals served about 10,000 people — a lot for remaining area hospitals to absorb.

The Affordable Care Act was designed to improve access to health care for all Americans and will give them another chance at getting health insurance during open enrollment starting this Saturday. But critics say the ACA is also accelerating the demise of rural outposts that cater to many of society's most vulnerable. These hospitals treat some of the sickest and poorest patients — those least aware of how to stay healthy. Hospital officials contend that the law's penalties for having to re-admit patients soon after they're released are impossible to avoid and create a crushing burden.