Repealing the ACA under Trump

[RedDenver]

Warren Buffett says single payer is the only way he thinks costs can be constrained and it would be better for businesses:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/warren-buffett-single-payer-health-care_us_5952ddade4b05c37bb7a54e8

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/28/news/warren-buffett-single-payer-health-care/index.html

[Danny Bateman]

No, he isn't "trying to revise it by Friday." He's already got all the versions of it written. He's just shuffling pieces in and out as he needs to so he can negotiate its passage with the rest of the GOP.

 

 

 

Add secret deal-cutting to get the bill across the finish line to the exhaustive list of things the GOP criticized heavily in 2008-09 that they apparently have no problem with it's their bill.

 

It's really astounding how fully they've done every single thing they were critical of Obama for years ago.

[BigRedBuster]

Pardon me Mr. President. When it comes to the healthcare bill....I would prefer NO SURPRISES!!!!!

 

[JJ Husker]

Here is evidence about what really pisses me off about the entire health insurance debate.

 

We just signed up for a part of our wellness plan that negotiates the price of a procedure or finds another facility to provide the procedure cheaper.

 

I was just told we have our first claim using this service. The employee is going to the same facility to have the same procedure. But....because we are part of this service and they called the facility to negotiate, the cost went from $37,000 down to $10,000.

Charging the $37,000 to ANYONE has got to stop. There should never have been a chance that we were charged $37,000.

 

God...that pisses me off.

 

But...hey....let's keep arguing about who pays premiums and how much we are subsidizing them.

 

FYI.....our health insurance company would have never been a part of this until we signed up for a completely separate Wellness program.

Yup. This is the core of the healthcare problem in this country. Unfortunately it is the one thing no politician on either side wants to actually tackle.

 

Really fix healthcare or...partisan political posturing? I'll take the latter for $200 Alex.

[knapplc]

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

[BigRedBuster]

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

To anyone in Washington who says that......BS!!!!!

[commando]

they will eventually succeed in repealing obamacare...or at least starving it to death. the question then becomes are we better off with or without the asificare proposal the republicans are pushing?

[knapplc]

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

To anyone in Washington who says that......BS!!!!!

 

 

What can they do?

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

To anyone in Washington who says that......BS!!!!!

 

 

What can they do?

 

They can control costs. Just look at what Buffett is proposing. Now, the industry is going to cry and whine and put out huge amounts of propaganda claiming it would destroy our industry. But, THEY are the ones that are not doing anything to control these costs. If that is the way they are going to work, then the government does have options.

 

We might not like other parts of what that causes. But, they can control costs.

[zoogs]

Hey, I can get aboard with single payer and crush the industry lobbies who would complain.

[RedDenver]

 

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

To anyone in Washington who says that......BS!!!!!

 

 

What can they do?

 

Making them publish their prices would shine a light on the ridiculousness and be a good start.

 

As for enforcing controls, build new healthcare facilities near existing facilities that are overpriced and let them compete. Or let the insurance companies negotiate prices. Or let the government negotiate/set prices in a single payer system.

[BigRedBuster]

The government set up a huge website to provide an insurance market place (which I think is a great idea).

 

 

 

What if the government sets up a website where all healthcare providers are required to post prices. So, anyone needing a knee replacement would go on the site, plug in "knee replacement" and what area they want to search....and the cost is listed from all the providers in that area? You could even then develop it farther to have some type of "success score" to go with it.

 

Need a vasectomy? Plug it in and be able to tell within seconds where it's cheapest and your not having any more kids.

 

 

 

Here's a pretty good idea from a pretty smart feller.

[Red Five]

Let the deal cutting begin (read the whole tweet storm)

 

 

[JJ Husker]

 

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSuh

 

The politicians cannot fix the problem of costs. You're not wrong that it's the biggest problem. Washington cannot do anything about it.

To anyone in Washington who says that......BS!!!!!

 

What can they do?

 

You don't really believe there is nothing they can do to help control costs, do you?

Numerous suggestions have been tossed out over the course of this discussion.

 

One of the big ones IMO would be to redirect the FDA away from policies that do nothing for the consumer but are rather intended to maintain ridiculous profit making conditions for pharmaceutical companies. Let the free market take care of R&D cost recoupment. No need to give them exclusivity for stupidly long lengths of time. And this doesn't even touch on the loopholes that lets them combine previously out of protection drugs into combinations that once again qualify for years of protection. There's a reason people buy drugs from Canada and other countries. There are generics available worldwide that are not allowed in our market because they would keep our pharma from charging exorbitant amounts for the exact same thing. i.e. Lialda name brand $700-$800 for 30 day supply with no generic available in US. I can buy basically the exact same drug from Canada for about $160 for a 90 day supply. There are literally hundreds of common everyday drugs like this. The FDA is what is preventing that drug from being allowed for sale here.

 

Also, I like the idea of making providers publish their procedure rates so consumers can compare. Hell, just making them hold set prices for even a quarter, or any length of time, would be better than what we have now. Nobody will even begin to tell you what anything will cost as it is now.

 

There are many more ways without even beginning to touch on any socialist type decrees such as setting caps for what they can charge. Do a bit of independent research, determine a fair price for a knee replacement, tonsillectomy, whatever and then set a cap on what providers may charge for those procedures. If they don't want to do them for the decreed amount, then they don't do them. If they don't maintain the predetermined success rate for a procedure, then they aren't allowed to do them. The thing we can't do is let these industry and lobby groups determine what those amounts need to be. We're already suffering from the system that lets providers and insurers charge what ever the hell they want. Healthcare is not the same as buying any old good or service. The consumer can't make a fair decision when the alternative is pain, suffering or death.

[deedsker]

Tried about 5 times. Busy every time....which is a good thing.

 

I will try again later.

Got through on the 5th time myself.