I’m surprised that this article didn’t end with the plea, “we must have government take over the entire health care system, not to mention the entire world economy, or society is totally doomed!!”
Well being one of those people that’s shelling out over $12k a year in health insurance premiums, not to count deductibles, Rx costs, and copays, I would have to say that something’s gotta give.
AJ – not everyone has a political agenda. There are still a few honest people in the world and I would think that Insurance Journal has a good reputation when it comes to reporting. Which in this case the report comes from The Commonwealth Fund. It’s simle journalism.
Being middle class, getting squeezed on every end, my cost of healthcare and particularly health insurance (increased copays, deductibles, etc) has increased dramatically the last few years. I used to get my regular check ups and keep myself in better health but now I just cant afford it.
We do need legislative and reglatory reform of insurance, Doctors fees schedules, Prescription drug cost, Physician owned labs and testing facilities, Standardized insurance policies as well as tort reform for medical malpractice. Elimination of coverage for chiropractic so called “doctors”. and elimination of the proposed coverage for abortions or any other elective proceedures. This will drive down the cost of healthcare then insurance for healthcare will be reduced as well. Look at Florida’s Workers Comp rates. Reform took place eliminating attorneys, caping fces for doctors and the rates are 45% of what they were in 2004. Legislate, regulate – Yes, Confiscate – No!
There you go Bill. The article talks about premiums, but not costs. Premiums go up because costs go up. Limit costs and we should see premiums go down. Despite the anti insurance posters usual rants, this is a highly competitive and regulated market. Costs up, premium up. Costs down, premium down. Pretty simple.
Nobody important, I believe we are in agreement with your explanation of rates and cost.
My point was you can regulate and legislate insurance coverages but rates will always be tied to costs. There should be no sacred cows in this debate. Doctors are going to hate it, Lawyers are also going to hate it, Drug companies as well and Insurance carriers should as well. Maybe we should have an excess profit law in insurance like comp in many states. Anyway you slice it, all parties except the consumers should hate the reform that way we know we have succeeded in our effort to make really large savings for you and I the consumer.
Where do these numbers come from? i am a small employer and insurance agent. Just got my group health rate increase – 25%. My family rate is now $2,650 a month = that is $32,000 a year. I can’t afford to retain older employees. If you are over 40 the minor things begin to add up. If the government takes over health care, I can go scream at somebody and work to get them defeated. As it is, my health insurer says: GO – we don’t care.
Unless your a large company with a huge amount of employees, or a government entity, you might as well give up on the remote possibilty of affordable health care insurance. The idea of the rising cost of health care driving up rates is a circular argument. Companies drive hard and fast bargains with doctors and hospitals, causing them to inflate their bills to make up the difference and vindicate charging more to companies that are not in the network, and passing the difference on to the consumer. Then the companies raise the rates citing the high cost of healthcare which is a problem they helped create in the first place. That coupled with the rampant medicare and medicaid fraud in this country have created the perfect storm.
at my last job less than three months after one of us had a simple surgery and three day hospital stay.
I interviewed for a job with a friend in the biz; everything was going just perfect until I said I need to add two fiftysomethings to their small group health plan. Then I never heard back. Not a peep.
Health care costs are killing the small employer. Something’s gotta give.
With the free market you can at least shop around. With the government only plan you can vote your politician out of office, but that government plan is still there!
As of today 60 % of the health insurance carriers are non-profit. You have choices between mutuals (owned by the policyholders),for profit companies & non-profit. The insurance companies only pay the bills, they do not create the charges.
I don’t think the goal is a government ONLY plan. But a government OPTION.
Not blaming the insurance companies as the sole source of the problem. But something does have to change or else healthcare will only realistically be available to the wealthy. Then you get people w/o insurance going to ERs and the public ends up paying for it one way or another.
It doesn’t take much imagination to realize with a government option it will underpay the providers, like Medicare does, and that underpayment will be cost shifted to the private carriers making those private carriers uncompetitive. The government will also use tax law and regulation to cheat in competing. Eventually there will be only the government plan.
I forgot one very important point, Donna. The government plan can run with a loss that the taxpayers will cover. Private companies cannot do this. Medicare, Social Security, Post Office and other government programs are showing major deficts that tax payers are responsible for. This country is broke now, and with the eventual government only plan in effect this country will gone.
I cannot believe people are not concerned about losing their country.
The problem is, government OPTION will eventually BECOME a government ONLY plan. It won’t stay “option” for very long. It’s designed not to. That is why the vast majority are against this.
Exactly. Despite what the President might be saying today, he is on record saying that he favors a single payer system, and he envisions the “tradition of employer based healthcare” being phased out over the next two decades. I’m sure the clips are all over youtube and other sources.
This isn’t about healthcare or health insurance for the American people, it’s about one political faction wanting the U.S. to have a Gov’t run, socialized medical system like other countries do. Whether it’s good, bad or indifferent doesn’t matter.
I’m not quite sure how you can argue that a public option which will create competition would be a bad thing. Especially under an article that states the cost of insurance is ever going to rise eventually to the point where no one can afford it. And that will not be in the two distant future.
There is always the single payer option WHICH IS a Good thing as then we could pay more taxes and take care of the deficit and health care at once.
Unfortunately there are people who don’t know that this would save companies millions and help the market boom. They just listen to the pamphlets they get via e-mail right?
If you take the president’s own words at face value, he is not really interested in competition. He wants the private market to be phased out. Single payer would mean the Gov’t controlling medical decisions. By the presidents own admission, the Gov’t doesn’t do well with most anything it controls.
As far as the deficit and economy, etc., you have to weight it all out. Nothing can be done in a bubble. Every decision comes with consequences. The net effect may very well be that we have a gov’t run healthcare system, and no change in the deficit, unemployment, the economy, etc. It may appear that a company could save a lot of money by dumping private healthcare, but as everything plays out that savings could be quickly eaten up in other ways.
The answer on healthcare is to whittle down the nebulous 47 million uninsured to the few million who actually need some insurance and just have the Gov’t cut them a check to blue cross, or whichever private carrier they want to use. Problem solved. The answer on the deficit and the economy is to lower taxes, especially for business, and get more people working and on the tax roles, and to make real gigantic budget cuts across the board. Generally speaking, the Gov’t doesn’t make real budget cuts, and hasn’t done so for a very long time. Putting a freeze on new programs might not be a bad idea either.
The gov’t is currently adding massive amounts of Gov’t jobs which helps keep the unemployment number from going higher, but doesn’t help the deficit. Private employers need to be in the black to add more jobs. The gov’t can’t even break even.
Getting rid of the deficit should be the priority right now, with nothing else on the table.
Rick’s drinking the right wing kool-aid again. :-)
George Bush brought us “abandoning the free market system to save the free market system”. That was brilliance at it’s best. Now we are getting “you have to spend money to make money”, and “you have to have a deficit to get out of a recession”. I thought George Bush’s deficit got us into a recession. Now President Obama’s deficit is going to get us out? Nevermind that. You’re supposed to just have blind faith and feel good about the historic time we are living in.
Judas priest, we’re going to hell. There’s no handbasket. The bottom fell out somewhere back in the Bush administration.
Single payer option is a good thing? Government only is a good thing? Ok, if the government is your only option for health care, and if they veto a test, a procedure, a medication, a treatment, where do you turn next? There wouldn’t be anyone else, and no way to appeal if they tell you “no” and they’re the only player in town. You are officially screwed.
I’m surprised that this article didn’t end with the plea, “we must have government take over the entire health care system, not to mention the entire world economy, or society is totally doomed!!”
Well being one of those people that’s shelling out over $12k a year in health insurance premiums, not to count deductibles, Rx costs, and copays, I would have to say that something’s gotta give.
AJ – not everyone has a political agenda. There are still a few honest people in the world and I would think that Insurance Journal has a good reputation when it comes to reporting. Which in this case the report comes from The Commonwealth Fund. It’s simle journalism.
I’m with T.Noles.
Being middle class, getting squeezed on every end, my cost of healthcare and particularly health insurance (increased copays, deductibles, etc) has increased dramatically the last few years. I used to get my regular check ups and keep myself in better health but now I just cant afford it.
Something has GOT to give.
REFORM YES! – TAKE OVER NO!
We do need legislative and reglatory reform of insurance, Doctors fees schedules, Prescription drug cost, Physician owned labs and testing facilities, Standardized insurance policies as well as tort reform for medical malpractice. Elimination of coverage for chiropractic so called “doctors”. and elimination of the proposed coverage for abortions or any other elective proceedures. This will drive down the cost of healthcare then insurance for healthcare will be reduced as well. Look at Florida’s Workers Comp rates. Reform took place eliminating attorneys, caping fces for doctors and the rates are 45% of what they were in 2004. Legislate, regulate – Yes, Confiscate – No!
There you go Bill. The article talks about premiums, but not costs. Premiums go up because costs go up. Limit costs and we should see premiums go down. Despite the anti insurance posters usual rants, this is a highly competitive and regulated market. Costs up, premium up. Costs down, premium down. Pretty simple.
How timely this piece is so we all jum on board the deficit train!
Nobody important, I believe we are in agreement with your explanation of rates and cost.
My point was you can regulate and legislate insurance coverages but rates will always be tied to costs. There should be no sacred cows in this debate. Doctors are going to hate it, Lawyers are also going to hate it, Drug companies as well and Insurance carriers should as well. Maybe we should have an excess profit law in insurance like comp in many states. Anyway you slice it, all parties except the consumers should hate the reform that way we know we have succeeded in our effort to make really large savings for you and I the consumer.
Where do these numbers come from? i am a small employer and insurance agent. Just got my group health rate increase – 25%. My family rate is now $2,650 a month = that is $32,000 a year. I can’t afford to retain older employees. If you are over 40 the minor things begin to add up. If the government takes over health care, I can go scream at somebody and work to get them defeated. As it is, my health insurer says: GO – we don’t care.
Unless your a large company with a huge amount of employees, or a government entity, you might as well give up on the remote possibilty of affordable health care insurance. The idea of the rising cost of health care driving up rates is a circular argument. Companies drive hard and fast bargains with doctors and hospitals, causing them to inflate their bills to make up the difference and vindicate charging more to companies that are not in the network, and passing the difference on to the consumer. Then the companies raise the rates citing the high cost of healthcare which is a problem they helped create in the first place. That coupled with the rampant medicare and medicaid fraud in this country have created the perfect storm.
at my last job less than three months after one of us had a simple surgery and three day hospital stay.
I interviewed for a job with a friend in the biz; everything was going just perfect until I said I need to add two fiftysomethings to their small group health plan. Then I never heard back. Not a peep.
Health care costs are killing the small employer. Something’s gotta give.
The insurance companies are not causing this they are only the messenger.
With the free market you can at least shop around. With the government only plan you can vote your politician out of office, but that government plan is still there!
As of today 60 % of the health insurance carriers are non-profit. You have choices between mutuals (owned by the policyholders),for profit companies & non-profit. The insurance companies only pay the bills, they do not create the charges.
“Maybe we should have an excess profits law”
Have you seen the profit % of the for- profit health insurance carriers? It’s at the bottom of all publicy held businesses.
The Democrats are having success by changing the debate from health care to those evil health insurance companies. Don’t fall for this ruse.
I don’t think the goal is a government ONLY plan. But a government OPTION.
Not blaming the insurance companies as the sole source of the problem. But something does have to change or else healthcare will only realistically be available to the wealthy. Then you get people w/o insurance going to ERs and the public ends up paying for it one way or another.
It doesn’t take much imagination to realize with a government option it will underpay the providers, like Medicare does, and that underpayment will be cost shifted to the private carriers making those private carriers uncompetitive. The government will also use tax law and regulation to cheat in competing. Eventually there will be only the government plan.
I forgot one very important point, Donna. The government plan can run with a loss that the taxpayers will cover. Private companies cannot do this. Medicare, Social Security, Post Office and other government programs are showing major deficts that tax payers are responsible for. This country is broke now, and with the eventual government only plan in effect this country will gone.
I cannot believe people are not concerned about losing their country.
The problem is, government OPTION will eventually BECOME a government ONLY plan. It won’t stay “option” for very long. It’s designed not to. That is why the vast majority are against this.
Exactly. Despite what the President might be saying today, he is on record saying that he favors a single payer system, and he envisions the “tradition of employer based healthcare” being phased out over the next two decades. I’m sure the clips are all over youtube and other sources.
This isn’t about healthcare or health insurance for the American people, it’s about one political faction wanting the U.S. to have a Gov’t run, socialized medical system like other countries do. Whether it’s good, bad or indifferent doesn’t matter.
I’m not quite sure how you can argue that a public option which will create competition would be a bad thing. Especially under an article that states the cost of insurance is ever going to rise eventually to the point where no one can afford it. And that will not be in the two distant future.
There is always the single payer option WHICH IS a Good thing as then we could pay more taxes and take care of the deficit and health care at once.
Unfortunately there are people who don’t know that this would save companies millions and help the market boom. They just listen to the pamphlets they get via e-mail right?
You can’t be serious. It’s a joke, right?
We can’t even slow down the increasing deficit now, and you support adding 1.6 trillion on top!
If you take the president’s own words at face value, he is not really interested in competition. He wants the private market to be phased out. Single payer would mean the Gov’t controlling medical decisions. By the presidents own admission, the Gov’t doesn’t do well with most anything it controls.
As far as the deficit and economy, etc., you have to weight it all out. Nothing can be done in a bubble. Every decision comes with consequences. The net effect may very well be that we have a gov’t run healthcare system, and no change in the deficit, unemployment, the economy, etc. It may appear that a company could save a lot of money by dumping private healthcare, but as everything plays out that savings could be quickly eaten up in other ways.
The answer on healthcare is to whittle down the nebulous 47 million uninsured to the few million who actually need some insurance and just have the Gov’t cut them a check to blue cross, or whichever private carrier they want to use. Problem solved. The answer on the deficit and the economy is to lower taxes, especially for business, and get more people working and on the tax roles, and to make real gigantic budget cuts across the board. Generally speaking, the Gov’t doesn’t make real budget cuts, and hasn’t done so for a very long time. Putting a freeze on new programs might not be a bad idea either.
The gov’t is currently adding massive amounts of Gov’t jobs which helps keep the unemployment number from going higher, but doesn’t help the deficit. Private employers need to be in the black to add more jobs. The gov’t can’t even break even.
Getting rid of the deficit should be the priority right now, with nothing else on the table.
Rick’s drinking the right wing kool-aid again. :-)
George Bush brought us “abandoning the free market system to save the free market system”. That was brilliance at it’s best. Now we are getting “you have to spend money to make money”, and “you have to have a deficit to get out of a recession”. I thought George Bush’s deficit got us into a recession. Now President Obama’s deficit is going to get us out? Nevermind that. You’re supposed to just have blind faith and feel good about the historic time we are living in.
Judas priest, we’re going to hell. There’s no handbasket. The bottom fell out somewhere back in the Bush administration.
Single payer option is a good thing? Government only is a good thing? Ok, if the government is your only option for health care, and if they veto a test, a procedure, a medication, a treatment, where do you turn next? There wouldn’t be anyone else, and no way to appeal if they tell you “no” and they’re the only player in town. You are officially screwed.