Healthcare Pricing for Leftist Dummies

[Texas_tea]

Obamacare ‘Cheerleader’ Now Realizes She Can’t Afford Health Insurance for Herself and Young Son

An Oregon mother, who has been a “cheerleader” for Obamacare, now says she can’t afford health insurance for her and her 18-month-old son due to regulations included in the Affordable Care Act.

Kate Holly, 33, told KOIN-TV that she has been a strong supporter of Obamacare because she thought the health care law “was designed for people in my situation.” The mother, a freelance yoga instructor, joins a growing list of Obamacare supporters who have expressed shock that they can’t afford to enroll in the law they supported.

Perhaps if this "leftist dummy" would have read this thread she may not have been so supportive of Obamacare.

But, then again, accurate information has never been a strong point for wacko leftist dummies!

 

[steveox]

I cant see how voters be so stupid. Romney was a wise choice..But the Voters didn't take a chance.

 

[Texas_tea]

I cant see how voters be so stupid. Romney was a wise choice..But the Voters didn't take a chance.

Romney was not exactly a wise choice ... but, certainly a better choice.

Considering all the voter fraud that has occurred in the last few elections, I wouldn't be so quick to blame it all on the voters.

 

[steveox]

That's why we need another Civil War

 

[Cruella]

That's why we need another Civil War

No we don't need another civil war. We didn't need the first one. Obamacare won't be able to survive the way it's been crafted.

 

[GBFan]

Did you take into consideration what Obamacare is going to allow the doctors to charge? Take an office visit as an example. What is the insurance company going to pay him? I think Medicare only pays some ridiculously low amount for the visit and I'm thinking that the new exchanges aren't going to be any better than straight medicare is now.

In fact, Obamacare has further decreased the amount paid to the doctor. That doesn't mean, however, that is all the doctor can charge. You can be stuck with the difference, and given the exponential increase in deductibles, most are not going to be able to pay for their medical care. Sound familiar?

 

[invest07]

Let's not forget how the Obama care debate began.
Fearless leader said it would be debated publicly on CSpan.
Instead it was debated behind closed doors in smoke-filled rooms. Unions were invited in but even out own elected legislators were banned.
Remember the words of Nancy Pelosi to Democrats in congress:
"You will have to vote for this bill to find out what is in it." And the mentally challenged Democrats in Congress blindly did so.
I work in a Pharmacy and there are tons of ways to reduce drug costs that were not even considered by Obamacare:

1. Adopt a European style FDA. They get new drugs to market much faster and that means the patent runs out faster. When drugs go from name brand only to generic the cost plummets. Viagra costs a US pharmacy over $30/pill. The generic, Sildenafil, costs the pharmacy $0.19/pill.
2. Speed up the process by which drugs go from prescription only to over-the-counter. If you can get the product you need off the shelf you don't have to go to a doctor. This saves you an office visit and the time and expense involved in that visit. A neighbor introduced me years ago to Claritin. It was the first non-drowsy decongestant I ever used. It was prescription only. Today generic Claritin, Loratadine, is dirt cheap and available over-the-counter.
3. Pharmacists make $75K-$100K. The pharmacy tech who does the grunt work makes $20K-$25K. Laws require a Pharmacist to be on duty at all times when dispensing product. There are medical positions between doctors and nurses, ARNP's and Physician Assistants. They earn less than doctors but more than nurses. They are supervised by an assigned doctor but they can treat patients and write scripts themselves. Why not create a position of Pharmacy Assistant which requires a 4 year degree and pays more than a Pharm Tech but less than a Pharmacist? Up to 3 Pharmacy Assistants could be supervised by one Pharmacist and the requirement for a Pharmacist on duty at all times relaxed to include Pharmacy Assistants. PA's and ARNP's save money. Why not do the same thing in the Pharmacy?

The answer to why these steps are not taken goes to the very heart of Obamacare. Obamacare has nothing to do with improving medical care and lowering costs. It has everything to do with increasing the power of the Feds to control your life.

 

[Senter]

Leftist Progressives prefer to blame what they perceive to be the excessive profits of healthcare businesses and healthcare-insurance Companies. As with most every other issue, the leftists are flamingly WRONG!

Interesting. I've never heard anyone blame the high cost on just profits. There are rent costs, advertising, legal departments, the cost of developing numerous different plans in hope of appealing to different people, fraud by suppliers, Excessive CEO and officer compensation, and yes, profits. But the problem isn't just regulations, taxes, and the ever-present threat of lawsuits, either. The average overhead for insurance companies is 11-12% with some as high as 20%, while the overhead for Medicare is about 4-5%. Part of the problem is also excessively high prescription drug costs. How's that?