Can Obamacare be Fixed?

[Bern80]

Your opinion offers no evidence that supports your claims. A common problem with Republican politics. We get that Republicans don't like solutions that they (deservedly) get no credit for. Until they drop that tone and adopt one of evidence based improvements, they will continue to be considered irrelevant to health care.

Take your own advice. Not agreeing with Obamacare does not make me a Republican. And yes there is plenty of evidence already that this isn't going to work. Obama flat out lied. He said if you like your policy you will get to keep it. That simply isn't the case.

Please don't deny that you are a Republican. Hopefully, that would be beneath you.

Where is the evidence? Claiming that there's evidence isn't evidence. It's conspiracy theory.

Please don't deny that there are major problems with Obamacare and that their is evidence for it. You really are stupid to think that someone has to be a Republican to disagree with Obamacare. Anyone with a modicum of COMMON SENSE should disagree with Obamacare. Insurer Aetna has dropped out of half a dozen states. All of the customer in those states must now find new policies. Again Obama told us that wouldn't happen. Premium costs are going up for younger healthier people to make up for the fact that Obama has mandated that insurance companies can't take pre-existing conditions into account when pricing insurance plans. One fact I shouldn't have to state is the medical device tax. This means it costs providers more to purchase them, which means consumers must pay more to pay for them.

 

[Bern80]

All insurance is only shared risk of catastrophic losses. Our health care system ran off the track when companies, desperate for top employees, promised that they'd cover all medical costs. Not insurance at all. Merely compensation with an accounting advantage.

Now that corporate America has solved the problem of competition for good employees, by off shoring, they are running away as fast as possible from their promises.

That effect cut in pay for most workers will make our problems bigger until the government is in a position to deliver on the former promises of corporate America.

And do you know how that happened? It would have never happened had, you guessed it, GOVERNMENT not stepped in and legislated a national pay freeze during WWII. Since employers couldn't compensate good employees with more money, they started offering to pay for medical care instead.

 

[PMZ]

All insurance is only shared risk of catastrophic losses. Our health care system ran off the track when companies, desperate for top employees, promised that they'd cover all medical costs. Not insurance at all. Merely compensation with an accounting advantage.

Now that corporate America has solved the problem of competition for good employees, by off shoring, they are running away as fast as possible from their promises.

That effect cut in pay for most workers will make our problems bigger until the government is in a position to deliver on the former promises of corporate America.

And do you know how that happened? It would have never happened had, you guessed it, GOVERNMENT not stepped in and legislated a national pay freeze during WWII. Since employers couldn't compensate good employees with more money, they started offering to pay for medical care instead.

Our health care problems today are caused by inflation fighting fiscal policy from 7 decades ago?????.

Did you consider the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation or the effect of the end of the dinosaurs???

 

[PMZ]

Take your own advice. Not agreeing with Obamacare does not make me a Republican. And yes there is plenty of evidence already that this isn't going to work. Obama flat out lied. He said if you like your policy you will get to keep it. That simply isn't the case.

Please don't deny that you are a Republican. Hopefully, that would be beneath you.

Where is the evidence? Claiming that there's evidence isn't evidence. It's conspiracy theory.

Please don't deny that there are major problems with Obamacare and that their is evidence for it. You really are stupid to think that someone has to be a Republican to disagree with Obamacare. Anyone with a modicum of COMMON SENSE should disagree with Obamacare. Insurer Aetna has dropped out of half a dozen states. All of the customer in those states must now find new policies. Again Obama told us that wouldn't happen. Premium costs are going up for younger healthier people to make up for the fact that Obama has mandated that insurance companies can't take pre-existing conditions into account when pricing insurance plans. One fact I shouldn't have to state is the medical device tax. This means it costs providers more to purchase them, which means consumers must pay more to pay for them.

I always interpret the phrase ''common sense'' to mean that there is no evidence.

 

[nicolondon]

I think theres a lot of misinformation about European models of healthcare, the French have a great system which is a mix of national health insurance and top up with choice for patients. It's crucial however for the ACA to have the individual mandate because without that you don't have a sufficient pool of money. The one very bizarre thing about the constant GOP moaning about the ACA is it does the thing they continually push, personal responsibility, why should people who pay cover those that go to the emergency room and have never put anything in to the system. Interestingly when you poll people more like the ACA than Obamacare! It's clear that there are portions of the ACA which even GOP supporters like such as the coverage for children upto 26 and also coverage for pre- existing medical conditions.

The current shutdown by the GOP to be honest is simply a way of delaying the ACA in the hope that it won't become popular and that they can use this at your mid-terms. If for arguments sake people begin to like it what then? Any change is always going to be difficult, its understandable people have a fear of the unknown, the ACA isn't perfect but there is no system in the world that is, you can't please everyone.

I'd like to ask GOP supporters in here what would you think of Democrats if the role was reversed and they refused to fund the government unless a GOP President watered down or stopped one of his signature Acts, or said either bring in more gun laws or else! How can you have any sort of smooth government running when one side threatens such action, what does it do for democracy.

If the ACA turns out to be a disaster then the GOP will likely win control of both houses and then the election, they can scrap it and come up with something different, this I thought was how democracies are supposed to work. The current shutdown is an embarrassment and not befitting of the USA, you'd expect this type of shambles in the Third World not in the richest country in the world. American politicians need to start acting like adults, maybe you guys are used to all these constant dramas but surely this must really start hacking people off.

I do understand you have this unique constitution which does have some great things but surely most Americans have enough to worry about without their government making life harder.

 

[Bern80]

Please don't deny that you are a Republican. Hopefully, that would be beneath you.

Where is the evidence? Claiming that there's evidence isn't evidence. It's conspiracy theory.

Please don't deny that there are major problems with Obamacare and that their is evidence for it. You really are stupid to think that someone has to be a Republican to disagree with Obamacare. Anyone with a modicum of COMMON SENSE should disagree with Obamacare. Insurer Aetna has dropped out of half a dozen states. All of the customer in those states must now find new policies. Again Obama told us that wouldn't happen. Premium costs are going up for younger healthier people to make up for the fact that Obama has mandated that insurance companies can't take pre-existing conditions into account when pricing insurance plans. One fact I shouldn't have to state is the medical device tax. This means it costs providers more to purchase them, which means consumers must pay more to pay for them.

I always interpret the phrase ''common sense'' to mean that there is no evidence.

So you deny any of the above actually happened? Interesting. I'm sorry, but I don't play with immature children. I'm not going to cite there is in fact medical device tax or that there Obama did say people could keep their insurance when people are losing it anymore than I'm going to cite that the sun rises in the east. Have you noticed that you haven't provided any evidence that Obamacare is is working. If it is cite it. Quid pro quo and all.

 

[Bern80]

All insurance is only shared risk of catastrophic losses. Our health care system ran off the track when companies, desperate for top employees, promised that they'd cover all medical costs. Not insurance at all. Merely compensation with an accounting advantage.

Now that corporate America has solved the problem of competition for good employees, by off shoring, they are running away as fast as possible from their promises.

That effect cut in pay for most workers will make our problems bigger until the government is in a position to deliver on the former promises of corporate America.

And do you know how that happened? It would have never happened had, you guessed it, GOVERNMENT not stepped in and legislated a national pay freeze during WWII. Since employers couldn't compensate good employees with more money, they started offering to pay for medical care instead.

Our health care problems today are caused by inflation fighting fiscal policy from 7 decades ago?????.

Did you consider the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation or the effect of the end of the dinosaurs???

Ahh yes you idiot. tThat is when it started. How about you pony up with some evidence smart guy. Can you prove that employers would have started providing health insurance anyway had there not been a mandated pay freeze? Because it didn't exist before that happened.

 

[PMZ]

Please don't deny that there are major problems with Obamacare and that their is evidence for it. You really are stupid to think that someone has to be a Republican to disagree with Obamacare. Anyone with a modicum of COMMON SENSE should disagree with Obamacare. Insurer Aetna has dropped out of half a dozen states. All of the customer in those states must now find new policies. Again Obama told us that wouldn't happen. Premium costs are going up for younger healthier people to make up for the fact that Obama has mandated that insurance companies can't take pre-existing conditions into account when pricing insurance plans. One fact I shouldn't have to state is the medical device tax. This means it costs providers more to purchase them, which means consumers must pay more to pay for them.

I always interpret the phrase ''common sense'' to mean that there is no evidence.

So you deny any of the above actually happened? Interesting. I'm sorry, but I don't play with immature children. I'm not going to cite there is in fact medical device tax or that there Obama did say people could keep their insurance when people are losing it anymore than I'm going to cite that the sun rises in the east. Have you noticed that you haven't provided any evidence that Obamacare is is working. If it is cite it. Quid pro quo and all.

I interpreted our President's comments to mean that the law would not remove current choices, not that it would legislate that insurance companies and employers cannot do what they feel inclined to.

You were looking for a heaping helping of socialism apparently.

You expect that less than a week was all it would take to understand the good and bad consequences of AGW?

 

[PMZ]

And do you know how that happened? It would have never happened had, you guessed it, GOVERNMENT not stepped in and legislated a national pay freeze during WWII. Since employers couldn't compensate good employees with more money, they started offering to pay for medical care instead.

Our health care problems today are caused by inflation fighting fiscal policy from 7 decades ago?????.

Did you consider the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation or the effect of the end of the dinosaurs???

Ahh yes you idiot. tThat is when it started. How about you pony up with some evidence smart guy. Can you prove that employers would have started providing health insurance anyway had there not been a mandated pay freeze? Because it didn't exist before that happened.

In fact it wasn't prevalent for many years after WWII.

 

[PMZ]

I always feel good when Republican insults begin. They're like an affirmation.

 

[Care4all]

And do you know how that happened? It would have never happened had, you guessed it, GOVERNMENT not stepped in and legislated a national pay freeze during WWII. Since employers couldn't compensate good employees with more money, they started offering to pay for medical care instead.

Our health care problems today are caused by inflation fighting fiscal policy from 7 decades ago?????.

Did you consider the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation or the effect of the end of the dinosaurs???

Ahh yes you idiot. tThat is when it started. How about you pony up with some evidence smart guy. Can you prove that employers would have started providing health insurance anyway had there not been a mandated pay freeze? Because it didn't exist before that happened.

although smaller numbers, it did happen and employers were offering forms of health care as benefits before the wage freeze Bern....

 

[itfitzme]

Take your own advice. Not agreeing with Obamacare does not make me a Republican. And yes there is plenty of evidence already that this isn't going to work. Obama flat out lied. He said if you like your policy you will get to keep it. That simply isn't the case.

Please don't deny that you are a Republican. Hopefully, that would be beneath you.

Where is the evidence? Claiming that there's evidence isn't evidence. It's conspiracy theory.

Please don't deny that there are major problems with Obamacare and that their is evidence for it. You really are stupid to think that someone has to be a Republican to disagree with Obamacare. Anyone with a modicum of COMMON SENSE should disagree with Obamacare. Insurer Aetna has dropped out of half a dozen states. All of the customer in those states must now find new policies. Again Obama told us that wouldn't happen. Premium costs are going up for younger healthier people to make up for the fact that Obama has mandated that insurance companies can't take pre-existing conditions into account when pricing insurance plans. One fact I shouldn't have to state is the medical device tax. This means it costs providers more to purchase them, which means consumers must pay more to pay for them.

Connecticut Small Business Health Insurance - Aetna

Connecticut Small Business Health Insurance Plans

Maryland Small Business Health Insurance - Aetna

Maryland Small Business Health Insurance Plans

I am getting the impression that it doesn't mean that Aetna don't offer health plans in those states, just that they aren't offering them on the exchange.

 

[itfitzme]

I notice that, in all these converstations there is never an actual reference to the actual law.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr3590enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr3590enr.pdf

 

[PMZ]

I think theres a lot of misinformation about European models of healthcare, the French have a great system which is a mix of national health insurance and top up with choice for patients. It's crucial however for the ACA to have the individual mandate because without that you don't have a sufficient pool of money. The one very bizarre thing about the constant GOP moaning about the ACA is it does the thing they continually push, personal responsibility, why should people who pay cover those that go to the emergency room and have never put anything in to the system. Interestingly when you poll people more like the ACA than Obamacare! It's clear that there are portions of the ACA which even GOP supporters like such as the coverage for children upto 26 and also coverage for pre- existing medical conditions.

The current shutdown by the GOP to be honest is simply a way of delaying the ACA in the hope that it won't become popular and that they can use this at your mid-terms. If for arguments sake people begin to like it what then? Any change is always going to be difficult, its understandable people have a fear of the unknown, the ACA isn't perfect but there is no system in the world that is, you can't please everyone.

I'd like to ask GOP supporters in here what would you think of Democrats if the role was reversed and they refused to fund the government unless a GOP President watered down or stopped one of his signature Acts, or said either bring in more gun laws or else! How can you have any sort of smooth government running when one side threatens such action, what does it do for democracy.

If the ACA turns out to be a disaster then the GOP will likely win control of both houses and then the election, they can scrap it and come up with something different, this I thought was how democracies are supposed to work. The current shutdown is an embarrassment and not befitting of the USA, you'd expect this type of shambles in the Third World not in the richest country in the world. American politicians need to start acting like adults, maybe you guys are used to all these constant dramas but surely this must really start hacking people off.

I do understand you have this unique constitution which does have some great things but surely most Americans have enough to worry about without their government making life harder.

I read an editorial, I don't remember by whom, that said that the current game is merely a distraction for the real issue to come up during debt limit negotiations. That being arbitrary spending cuts based on the conservative position that somehow they know that our government is too big. Another abstraction for which they offer no evidence.

Of course the real motivation is wealth redistribution up, even though we are already at a global extreme in wealth distribution. Their goal can only be a typical banana Republic of both obscene wealth and poverty.

Even a cursory knowledge of American economics reveals that our engine of wealth growth has always been middle class workers who's output is real, tangible products. It's their making, through work, and buying by their wages, that supports the entire country. But they are the people who get added to the poor as wealth redistribution up works to it's nefarious end.

We can only hope that democrats stand firm and united as the consequences of giving in to tyranny are much greater and longer lasting than the damages that Republicans are willing to inflict during their tantrum.

 

[itfitzme]

This is a graph of discretionary spending per capita in real dollars.



It has been on a constant increase for some time. I haven't determined why it must, but it has.

Now, we should be careful not to blame Bush for that last jump at the end of his admin, it was due to the stimulus necessary to keep us from going into a recession.

In order, the expenditures are

1) National Defense
2) Income Security, not including SSI which is non-discretionary and deficit neutral.
3) Health, which I believe includes the booming costs of Medicare, the reason that ACA was implemented.

Income Security: consists of a range of income security programs that provide cash or near-cash assistance (e.g., housing, nutrition, and energy assistance) to low-income persons, and benefits to certain retirees, persons with disabilities, and the unemployed. Housing assistance programs account for the largest share of discretionary funding in this function. Major federal entitlement programs in this function include unemployment insurance, trade adjustment assistance income support, food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, foster care, and Supplemental Security Income. Federal and other retirement and disability programs comprise approximately one third of the funds in this function.

Health: Function 550: Health

Function 550 includes most direct health care services programs. Other health programs in this function fund anti-bioterrorism activities, national biomedical research, protecting the health of the general population and workers in their places of employment, providing health services for under-served populations, and promoting training for the health care workforce. Some of the agencies funded in this function include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration. The major mandatory programs in this function are Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), federal and retirees' health benefits, and health care for Medicare-eligible military retirees.

 

[regent]

This is like a rerun of Social Security, same arguments same stances by the political parties and so on. Social Security was socialism, communism and all the other isms but the nation was more united at that time behind the Democrats and FDR, and SS was passed. Many changes have been made to Social Security since that day in 1935 and it is still subject to change. Obamacare will be changed many times in the next seventy years, each change hopefully an improvement, correcting a mistake or meeting a new need.
We know Republicans are not afraid of socialism or communism so what is their real fear of Obamacare?

 

[PMZ]

This is a graph of discretionary spending per capita in real dollars.



It has been on a constant increase for some time. I haven't determined why it must, but it has.

Now, we should be careful not to blame Bush for that last jump at the end of his admin, it was due to the stimulus necessary to keep us from going into a recession.

In order, the expenditures are

1) National Defense
2) Income Security, not including SSI which is non-discretionary and deficit neutral.
3) Health, which I believe includes the booming costs of Medicare, the reason that ACA was implemented.

Income Security: consists of a range of income security programs that provide cash or near-cash assistance (e.g., housing, nutrition, and energy assistance) to low-income persons, and benefits to certain retirees, persons with disabilities, and the unemployed. Housing assistance programs account for the largest share of discretionary funding in this function. Major federal entitlement programs in this function include unemployment insurance, trade adjustment assistance income support, food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, foster care, and Supplemental Security Income. Federal and other retirement and disability programs comprise approximately one third of the funds in this function.

Health: Function 550: Health

Function 550 includes most direct health care services programs. Other health programs in this function fund anti-bioterrorism activities, national biomedical research, protecting the health of the general population and workers in their places of employment, providing health services for under-served populations, and promoting training for the health care workforce. Some of the agencies funded in this function include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration. The major mandatory programs in this function are Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), federal and retirees' health benefits, and health care for Medicare-eligible military retirees.

A great reference on discretionary spending.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34424.pdf

 

[PMZ]

This is like a rerun of Social Security, same arguments same stances by the political parties and so on. Social Security was socialism, communism and all the other isms but the nation was more united at that time behind the Democrats and FDR, and SS was passed. Many changes have been made to Social Security since that day in 1935 and it is still subject to change. Obamacare will be changed many times in the next seventy years, each change hopefully an improvement, correcting a mistake or meeting a new need.
We know Republicans are not afraid of socialism or communism so what is their real fear of Obamacare?

They committed publicly to doing nothing about health care. It was the wrong answer.

 

[itfitzme]

This is like a rerun of Social Security, same arguments same stances by the political parties and so on. Social Security was socialism, communism and all the other isms but the nation was more united at that time behind the Democrats and FDR, and SS was passed. Many changes have been made to Social Security since that day in 1935 and it is still subject to change. Obamacare will be changed many times in the next seventy years, each change hopefully an improvement, correcting a mistake or meeting a new need.
We know Republicans are not afraid of socialism or communism so what is their real fear of Obamacare?

The military and the VA is socialism. It is exactly what the structure of the USSR was, a centralized command structure in that pyramid style.

It is the ironic thing about it.

 

[PMZ]

This is like a rerun of Social Security, same arguments same stances by the political parties and so on. Social Security was socialism, communism and all the other isms but the nation was more united at that time behind the Democrats and FDR, and SS was passed. Many changes have been made to Social Security since that day in 1935 and it is still subject to change. Obamacare will be changed many times in the next seventy years, each change hopefully an improvement, correcting a mistake or meeting a new need.
We know Republicans are not afraid of socialism or communism so what is their real fear of Obamacare?

The military and the VA is socialism. It is exactly what the structure of the USSR was, a centralized command structure in that pyramid style.

It is the ironic thing about it.

Of all the training that conservatives get from the media, the most intense is that anything derived from the word ''social'' is bad. A properly trained conservative will have an immediate and profound reaction to any such word. The training does not reveal the why of such a response, only that it is required.