Duh wake up folks... Medicare is privatized!

[healthmyths]

WHAT MASSIVE COST to Employers??? The number one tax deduction by employers is: READ the facts OK???

One Look At This Chart, And You'll Instantly Get Why We Can't Fix The Tax Code
$171 billion in 2012 was deducted from taxes for... health insurance for EMPLOYEES!!
$138 billion for employees pensions!
$87 billion employees mortgage interest deductions
$24 billion for child care credit
$33 billion charitable contributions
$27 billion deductions of health care items
$66 billion capital gains (Obama took $122,000 off his taxes from this!)
NOTICE that 1, 2, 3,4,5 items are for individuals... i.e. employee insurance ..deduction... employee pensions.. etc...

Now if it is a deduction of $171 billion that businesses have right now for insurance.
Take that deduction away from businesses and they pay more taxes. More taxes to do WHAT??? Pay for health insurance???

Look.. The stupidity in most people is dealing with reality!
A) 18 million people under 34 making over $50,000 don't WANT or NEED health insurance!
B) 10 million are NOT citizens
C) 14 million didn't know they were eligible for Medicaid.

So why was there EVER a need to cover less then 5 million when the simple tax on lawyers would have
A) paid the premium for each of the 5 million $27 billion..
B) The tax would reduce as the $850 billion a year in defensive medicine costs decline which again you seem to be ignoring what 90% of
physicians are telling you that the do out of fear of lawsuits! Please read this study!
http://www.jacksonhealthcare.com/media/8968/defensivemedicine_ebook_final.pdf
C) Once this gigantic waste of money reduces say even by $100 billion a year do you understand what happens then???
Called "Medical loss ratio" that the average health insurance pays i.e. about 80% of premium goes in to paying claims!
So reduce the amount of wasted duplicate tests, referrals all because doctors fear lawsuits and guess what?
Insurance companies MUST lower premiums because EACH STATE reviews any premium increases and based on what the
company has built in reserves and CLAIMs experiences allows or REDUCES premiums!
D) Hospitals reduce operating costs because of EMTALA. Called "unreimbursed expenses" but with AUHIC that CAN'T OVER
charge like for CAT scan when the bill insurance companies $3,000 for a test that cost them $60!!! They do it as this
hospital CEO when asked "How do hospitals deal with the cost of the uninsured? "Like any business, we pass it on to the paying customers".

Do you understand then... by taxing lawyers 10%, defensive medicine costs drop, claim expenses drop, premiums drop!
Pretty damn simple and the ONLY reason this will work under Trump is HE IS NOT A LAWYER!!!
Obama and 47% of congress are lawyers so they would never tax lawyers!
American Uninsured Health Insurance Co. AUHIC!

It will work. It is a for profit for bid with the government to handle the $27 billion funding. When people go to the emergency room
today a 1986 act known as EMTALA is at work. Look it up! So hospitals are means testing "uninsured" today and if the patient qualifies
the claims are sent to AUHIC! That simple.

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings.

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it allows for market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

Correction. There is NO government run Medicare Supplement!
"A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles."
It is NOT a Federal government program. It is private insurance that Medicare participants pay out of their pocket to cover the
as the above states. NOTHING to do with government run program.

QUESTION: What are your "seven (7) different health care payment systems" as I know of only these.

• Medicare (20 percent share): Medicare spending grew 4.5 percent to $646.2 billion in 2015, which was a slight deceleration from the 4.8 growth percent in 2014. The slightly slower growth in 2015 was largely attributable to slower growth in Medicare enrollment, which increased 2.7 percent to 54.3 million beneficiaries following 3.1 percent growth in 2014.
• Medicaid (17 percent share): Total Medicaid spending slowed slightly in 2015 to 9.7 percent, but continued the strong growth that began in 2014 (11.6 percent) State and local Medicaid expenditures grew 4.9 percent while Federal Medicaid expenditures increased 12.6 percent in 2015. The increased spending by the federal government was largely driven by newly eligible enrollees under the ACA, which were fully financed by the federal government.
• Private Health Insurance (33 percent share): Total private health insurance expenditures increased 7.2 percent to $1.1 trillion in 2015, faster than the 5.8 percent growth in 2014. The acceleration in 2015 was driven by increased enrollment and strong growth in benefit spending.
• Out-of-Pocket (11 percent share): Out-of-pocket spending grew 2.6 percent in 2015 to $338.1 billion, slightly faster than the growth of 1.4 percent in 2014. The increase in 2015 was influenced by the expansion of insurance coverage and the corresponding drop in the number of individuals without health insurance.

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Now as far as "delivery systems"???
I believe you mean the way health care services are provided...and there are far more then (7)?? if you define "delivery"
as who provides the services or goods. So before you promote a single payer system maybe you should understand a little
better the scope of the discussion... i.e. there never was a "health care crisis"! There never were 46 million uninsured Americans!
All a gigantic LIE to fulfill Obama's "legacy" bucket list! He truly never cared for the truth that there never were 46 million.
He wanted a "single payer" system as he often said.
Obama and evidently you don't care that 1,400 companies, 450,000 employees and $100 billion a year in taxes would be put out
of business with your plan or ultimately ACA!

 

[Mac1958]

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings.

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it allows for market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

Correction. There is NO government run Medicare Supplement!
"A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles."
It is NOT a Federal government program. It is private insurance that Medicare participants pay out of their pocket to cover the
as the above states. NOTHING to do with government run program.

QUESTION: What are your "seven (7) different health care payment systems" as I know of only these.

• Medicare (20 percent share): Medicare spending grew 4.5 percent to $646.2 billion in 2015, which was a slight deceleration from the 4.8 growth percent in 2014. The slightly slower growth in 2015 was largely attributable to slower growth in Medicare enrollment, which increased 2.7 percent to 54.3 million beneficiaries following 3.1 percent growth in 2014.
• Medicaid (17 percent share): Total Medicaid spending slowed slightly in 2015 to 9.7 percent, but continued the strong growth that began in 2014 (11.6 percent) State and local Medicaid expenditures grew 4.9 percent while Federal Medicaid expenditures increased 12.6 percent in 2015. The increased spending by the federal government was largely driven by newly eligible enrollees under the ACA, which were fully financed by the federal government.
• Private Health Insurance (33 percent share): Total private health insurance expenditures increased 7.2 percent to $1.1 trillion in 2015, faster than the 5.8 percent growth in 2014. The acceleration in 2015 was driven by increased enrollment and strong growth in benefit spending.
• Out-of-Pocket (11 percent share): Out-of-pocket spending grew 2.6 percent in 2015 to $338.1 billion, slightly faster than the growth of 1.4 percent in 2014. The increase in 2015 was influenced by the expansion of insurance coverage and the corresponding drop in the number of individuals without health insurance.

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Now as far as "delivery systems"???
I believe you mean the way health care services are provided...and there are far more then (7)?? if you define "delivery"
as who provides the services or goods. So before you promote a single payer system maybe you should understand a little
better the scope of the discussion... i.e. there never was a "health care crisis"! There never were 46 million uninsured Americans!
All a gigantic LIE to fulfill Obama's "legacy" bucket list! He truly never cared for the truth that there never were 46 million.
He wanted a "single payer" system as he often said.
Obama and evidently you don't care that 1,400 companies, 450,000 employees and $100 billion a year in taxes would be put out
of business with your plan or ultimately ACA!

"Before you promote a single payer system".

Good gawd.

Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

And no, here are the 7 different health care payment systems:

1. ACA
2. Group
3. VA
4. Medicare
5. Medicaid
6. Worker's Comp
7. Indigent (a favorite of right wingers, stick it to the hospitals and we all pay for it)
..

 

[Freewill]

WHAT MASSIVE COST to Employers??? The number one tax deduction by employers is: READ the facts OK???

One Look At This Chart, And You'll Instantly Get Why We Can't Fix The Tax Code
$171 billion in 2012 was deducted from taxes for... health insurance for EMPLOYEES!!
$138 billion for employees pensions!
$87 billion employees mortgage interest deductions
$24 billion for child care credit
$33 billion charitable contributions
$27 billion deductions of health care items
$66 billion capital gains (Obama took $122,000 off his taxes from this!)
NOTICE that 1, 2, 3,4,5 items are for individuals... i.e. employee insurance ..deduction... employee pensions.. etc...

Now if it is a deduction of $171 billion that businesses have right now for insurance.
Take that deduction away from businesses and they pay more taxes. More taxes to do WHAT??? Pay for health insurance???

Look.. The stupidity in most people is dealing with reality!
A) 18 million people under 34 making over $50,000 don't WANT or NEED health insurance!
B) 10 million are NOT citizens
C) 14 million didn't know they were eligible for Medicaid.

So why was there EVER a need to cover less then 5 million when the simple tax on lawyers would have
A) paid the premium for each of the 5 million $27 billion..
B) The tax would reduce as the $850 billion a year in defensive medicine costs decline which again you seem to be ignoring what 90% of
physicians are telling you that the do out of fear of lawsuits! Please read this study!
http://www.jacksonhealthcare.com/media/8968/defensivemedicine_ebook_final.pdf
C) Once this gigantic waste of money reduces say even by $100 billion a year do you understand what happens then???
Called "Medical loss ratio" that the average health insurance pays i.e. about 80% of premium goes in to paying claims!
So reduce the amount of wasted duplicate tests, referrals all because doctors fear lawsuits and guess what?
Insurance companies MUST lower premiums because EACH STATE reviews any premium increases and based on what the
company has built in reserves and CLAIMs experiences allows or REDUCES premiums!
D) Hospitals reduce operating costs because of EMTALA. Called "unreimbursed expenses" but with AUHIC that CAN'T OVER charge like
for CAT scan when the bill insurance companies $3,000 for a test that cost them $60!!! They do it as the hospital CEO when asked
"How do hospitals deal with the cost of the uninsured? "Like any business, we pass it on to the paying customers".

Do you understand then... by taxing lawyers 10%, defensive medicine costs drop, claim expenses drop, premiums drop!
Pretty damn simple and the ONLY reason this will work under Trump is HE IS NOT A LAWYER!!!
Obama and 47% of congress are lawyers so they would never tax lawyers!
American Uninsured Health Insurance Co. AUHIC!

It will work. It is a for profit for bid with the government to handle the $27 billion funding. When people go to the emergency room
today a 1986 act known as EMTALA is at work. Look it up! So hospitals are means testing "uninsured" today and if the patient qualifies
the claims are sent to AUHIC! That simple.

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

 

[healthmyths]

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings.

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it allows for market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

Correction. There is NO government run Medicare Supplement!
"A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles."
It is NOT a Federal government program. It is private insurance that Medicare participants pay out of their pocket to cover the
as the above states. NOTHING to do with government run program.

QUESTION: What are your "seven (7) different health care payment systems" as I know of only these.

• Medicare (20 percent share): Medicare spending grew 4.5 percent to $646.2 billion in 2015, which was a slight deceleration from the 4.8 growth percent in 2014. The slightly slower growth in 2015 was largely attributable to slower growth in Medicare enrollment, which increased 2.7 percent to 54.3 million beneficiaries following 3.1 percent growth in 2014.
• Medicaid (17 percent share): Total Medicaid spending slowed slightly in 2015 to 9.7 percent, but continued the strong growth that began in 2014 (11.6 percent) State and local Medicaid expenditures grew 4.9 percent while Federal Medicaid expenditures increased 12.6 percent in 2015. The increased spending by the federal government was largely driven by newly eligible enrollees under the ACA, which were fully financed by the federal government.
• Private Health Insurance (33 percent share): Total private health insurance expenditures increased 7.2 percent to $1.1 trillion in 2015, faster than the 5.8 percent growth in 2014. The acceleration in 2015 was driven by increased enrollment and strong growth in benefit spending.
• Out-of-Pocket (11 percent share): Out-of-pocket spending grew 2.6 percent in 2015 to $338.1 billion, slightly faster than the growth of 1.4 percent in 2014. The increase in 2015 was influenced by the expansion of insurance coverage and the corresponding drop in the number of individuals without health insurance.

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Now as far as "delivery systems"???
I believe you mean the way health care services are provided...and there are far more then (7)?? if you define "delivery"
as who provides the services or goods. So before you promote a single payer system maybe you should understand a little
better the scope of the discussion... i.e. there never was a "health care crisis"! There never were 46 million uninsured Americans!
All a gigantic LIE to fulfill Obama's "legacy" bucket list! He truly never cared for the truth that there never were 46 million.
He wanted a "single payer" system as he often said.
Obama and evidently you don't care that 1,400 companies, 450,000 employees and $100 billion a year in taxes would be put out
of business with your plan or ultimately ACA!

"Before you promote a single payer system".

Good gawd.

Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

And no, here are the 7 different health care payment systems:

1. ACA
2. Group
3. VA
4. Medicare
5. Medicaid
6. Worker's Comp
7. Indigent (a favorite of right wingers, stick it to the hospitals and we all pay for it)
..

Well then maybe you'd better visit this site and straighten Centers for Medicare and Medicaid out as they've been putting out
a lot of wrong information!

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Actually your erroneous #7 is courtesy of the 1986 Republicans known as EMTALA... Again if you simple use the internet
adroitly you might not look so STUPID!
EMTALA // ACEP
Stop making personal, erroneous assumptions without any sourcing. Just reinforces the perception of stupidity which I am sure
Gruber was talking about people like you when he said: "the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the [ACA] thing to pass."

 

[healthmyths]

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

Good do some investigative work and by the way visit this web site with Medicare...
Medicare fraud wastes a lot of money each year and results in higher health care costs and taxes for everyone. Con artists commit Medicare fraud by getting people's Medicare number.

You can help fight Medicare fraud in 2 simple steps:

1. Never give your Medicare number to get a free offer or gift.
2. Always check your Medicare statement for errors, like equipment or services you never got.

Protect your Medicare by protecting your Medicare number.
Help fight Medicare fraud | Medicare.gov

 

[Mac1958]

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

There are gross inefficiencies between the seven systems, mostly because they don't communicate with each other and because each software system (terminology, coding, billing, collections, all of it) is different for each system, and even WITHIN each system. So yeah, no doubt that plays a significant role.

Another issue is the fact that our massive Baby Boomer population continues to age, and we have decided (understandably) as a society that we're going to do our best for them until the day they die. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do know that over 80% of our health care costs are incurred for people over the age of 65. So that's another big cost driver. However, as they age through (uh, die off), we should see some cost decreases there.

Then there's stuff like defensive medicine, selling across state lines, tort reform, all of it, but it's all fixable if we can get the damn politics out of it.

It's very good that you're staying on top of your CPAP situation, you may find that your efforts are worth it. But it also points out another issue - the very nature of the competition that you and I like means that corners will be cut at every turn. By shopping around, you'll get the best service possible, but it will only be as good as it absolutely has to be. That's why, if there is one area in which I can stand some fat, it's health care. Having basic Medicare coverage for all would certainly include fat at the basic levels such as diagnostic & preventive, and then competition can take over where Medicare leaves off.
.

 

[Mac1958]

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings.

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it allows for market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

Correction. There is NO government run Medicare Supplement!
"A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles."
It is NOT a Federal government program. It is private insurance that Medicare participants pay out of their pocket to cover the
as the above states. NOTHING to do with government run program.

QUESTION: What are your "seven (7) different health care payment systems" as I know of only these.

• Medicare (20 percent share): Medicare spending grew 4.5 percent to $646.2 billion in 2015, which was a slight deceleration from the 4.8 growth percent in 2014. The slightly slower growth in 2015 was largely attributable to slower growth in Medicare enrollment, which increased 2.7 percent to 54.3 million beneficiaries following 3.1 percent growth in 2014.
• Medicaid (17 percent share): Total Medicaid spending slowed slightly in 2015 to 9.7 percent, but continued the strong growth that began in 2014 (11.6 percent) State and local Medicaid expenditures grew 4.9 percent while Federal Medicaid expenditures increased 12.6 percent in 2015. The increased spending by the federal government was largely driven by newly eligible enrollees under the ACA, which were fully financed by the federal government.
• Private Health Insurance (33 percent share): Total private health insurance expenditures increased 7.2 percent to $1.1 trillion in 2015, faster than the 5.8 percent growth in 2014. The acceleration in 2015 was driven by increased enrollment and strong growth in benefit spending.
• Out-of-Pocket (11 percent share): Out-of-pocket spending grew 2.6 percent in 2015 to $338.1 billion, slightly faster than the growth of 1.4 percent in 2014. The increase in 2015 was influenced by the expansion of insurance coverage and the corresponding drop in the number of individuals without health insurance.

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Now as far as "delivery systems"???
I believe you mean the way health care services are provided...and there are far more then (7)?? if you define "delivery"
as who provides the services or goods. So before you promote a single payer system maybe you should understand a little
better the scope of the discussion... i.e. there never was a "health care crisis"! There never were 46 million uninsured Americans!
All a gigantic LIE to fulfill Obama's "legacy" bucket list! He truly never cared for the truth that there never were 46 million.
He wanted a "single payer" system as he often said.
Obama and evidently you don't care that 1,400 companies, 450,000 employees and $100 billion a year in taxes would be put out
of business with your plan or ultimately ACA!

"Before you promote a single payer system".

Good gawd.

Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

And no, here are the 7 different health care payment systems:

1. ACA
2. Group
3. VA
4. Medicare
5. Medicaid
6. Worker's Comp
7. Indigent (a favorite of right wingers, stick it to the hospitals and we all pay for it)
..

Well then maybe you'd better visit this site and straighten Centers for Medicare and Medicaid out as they've been putting out
a lot of wrong information!

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Actually your erroneous #7 is courtesy of the 1986 Republicans known as EMTALA... Again if you simple use the internet
adroitly you might not look so STUPID!
EMTALA // ACEP
Stop making personal, erroneous assumptions without any sourcing. Just reinforces the perception of stupidity which I am sure
Gruber was talking about people like you when he said: "the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the [ACA] thing to pass."

And to the insults we go.

Play with someone else, thanks.
.

 

[Freewill]

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

There are gross inefficiencies between the seven systems, mostly because they don't communicate with each other and because each software system (terminology, coding, billing, collections, all of it) is different for each system, and even WITHIN each system. So yeah, no doubt that plays a significant role.

Another issue is the fact that our massive Baby Boomer population continues to age, and we have decided (understandably) as a society that we're going to do our best for them until the day they die. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do know that over 80% of our health care costs are incurred for people over the age of 65. So that's another big cost driver. However, as they age through (uh, die off), we should see some cost decreases there.

Then there's stuff like defensive medicine, selling across state lines, tort reform, all of it, but it's all fixable if we can get the damn politics out of it.

It's very good that you're staying on top of your CPAP situation, you may find that your efforts are worth it. But it also points out another issue - the very nature of the competition that you and I like means that corners will be cut at every turn. By shopping around, you'll get the best service possible, but it will only be as good as it absolutely has to be. That's why, if there is one area in which I can stand some fat, it's health care. Having basic Medicare coverage for all would certainly include fat at the basic levels such as diagnostic & preventive, and then competition can take over where Medicare leaves off.
.

Speaking as a baby boomer i don't really see some of what you are talking about. I do not see defensive medicine. That said I did have a stress test done with nothing bad showing but I had that done because I told the doctor I was having trouble on a tread mill now that I am going to a gym and exercising. Which seems understandable since I worked most of the time and didn't take a lot of time to exercise. Kinda like trying to make a 58 chevy run again. Other than that i am thinking that maybe the pneumonia shots and shingle shots are a waste of money, but who know? I don't even know what they pay for those shots, except a lot.

As for sharing files and such, I am not sure I see the cost savings. If I go to a specialist they always ask for the test that my PCP had performed. It is more of a pain to me then it is to the system.

My experience with two knee surgeries, someone else, indicated to me that there wasn't a lot of inefficiency. Both were at different hospitals with different doctors. I thought it was run like an assembly line. BUT that doesn't mean it did not cost a butt load of money.

So who is getting this money? The heart (sleep) doctor I go to I asked if his income was going way up this year, he said no it would actually be going down. I think he was sincere.

 

[Mac1958]

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

There are gross inefficiencies between the seven systems, mostly because they don't communicate with each other and because each software system (terminology, coding, billing, collections, all of it) is different for each system, and even WITHIN each system. So yeah, no doubt that plays a significant role.

Another issue is the fact that our massive Baby Boomer population continues to age, and we have decided (understandably) as a society that we're going to do our best for them until the day they die. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do know that over 80% of our health care costs are incurred for people over the age of 65. So that's another big cost driver. However, as they age through (uh, die off), we should see some cost decreases there.

Then there's stuff like defensive medicine, selling across state lines, tort reform, all of it, but it's all fixable if we can get the damn politics out of it.

It's very good that you're staying on top of your CPAP situation, you may find that your efforts are worth it. But it also points out another issue - the very nature of the competition that you and I like means that corners will be cut at every turn. By shopping around, you'll get the best service possible, but it will only be as good as it absolutely has to be. That's why, if there is one area in which I can stand some fat, it's health care. Having basic Medicare coverage for all would certainly include fat at the basic levels such as diagnostic & preventive, and then competition can take over where Medicare leaves off.
.

Speaking as a baby boomer i don't really see some of what you are talking about. I do not see defensive medicine. That said I did have a stress test done with nothing bad showing but I had that done because I told the doctor I was having trouble on a tread mill now that I am going to a gym and exercising. Which seems understandable since I worked most of the time and didn't take a lot of time to exercise. Kinda like trying to make a 58 chevy run again. Other than that i am thinking that maybe the pneumonia shots and shingle shots are a waste of money, but who know? I don't even know what they pay for those shots, except a lot.

As for sharing files and such, I am not sure I see the cost savings. If I go to a specialist they always ask for the test that my PCP had performed. It is more of a pain to me then it is to the system.

My experience with two knee surgeries, someone else, indicated to me that there wasn't a lot of inefficiency. Both were at different hospitals with different doctors. I thought it was run like an assembly line. BUT that doesn't mean it did cost a butt load of money.

So who is getting this money? The heart (sleep) doctor I go to I asked if his income was going way up this year, he said no it would actually be going down. I think he was sincere.

I've seen the costs of defensive medicine estimated at anywhere from $25B to $100B. This study says $46B: The defensive medicine balancing act. There has to be a way to deal with that.

The problem with all the different systems, and the fact that they don't communicate, can only be seen when you're in the middle of it. First, there are a lot of people who bounce around between the systems, and it's on them (or family, or someone they pay) to decipher the various statements and rules. The average Joe just doesn't know how to manage that terrain. The fewer the systems, the less confusion and waste.

Holy crap, I stay trained on a lot of this crap, not because I sell the insurance (no thanks) but because I have to help my clients now and then. Thank goodness our city has a non-profit dedicated specifically to helping seniors with all their paperwork. I'm calling them all the time. It doesn't need to be this way.
.

 

[healthmyths]

Defensive medicine could easily be addressed with my plan.

Corporate tax deductions are merely deductions. The money must still be spent, resources must still be utilized.

A healthier populace is good economics.

Medicare recipients like their plans, and want to protect them. Let's just expand that to all.
.

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to
make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
Also no question preventative services reduce more costs down the road BUT you want another very very obvious way
to cut health expenses?
Penalize ANY company including hospitals/health insurance plans that promote dangerous lifestyles!
Here is a great example.
Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder.
The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim!
How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs!
Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities!
GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

I pointed out and evidently you don't believe this study of what is called "defensive Medicine"!
Lawsuit-Driven Medicine Creates $650-$850 Billion Annual Healthcare Costs
In October 2009, Jackson Healthcare conducted a national survey of physicians to qualify their attitudes regarding the practice of medicine in light of the healthcare reform environment. In their open-ended responses, defensive medicine was an issue consistently offered by physicians as the primary problem driving healthcare costs. Survey participants reported that medically unnecessary diagnostic and treatment services were being ordered in an effort to avoid lawsuits.

Jackson Healthcare believed this issue merited further exploration and quantification. Our secondary research found no publicly reported research that quantified the extent and economic impact of defensive medical practices among U.S. physicians.

In December 2009, Jackson Healthcare polled physicians again to quantify the scope and impact of defensive medicine practices. Jackson believed physicians were the most reliable source to quantify unnecessary medical activities, since physicians drive all healthcare expenses through their orders. Survey participants estimated that 34 percent of overall healthcare costs is attributable to defensive medicine. Nine out of 10 physicians reported practicing defensive medicine. In Texas, where tort reform legislation was passed in 2001, physicians reported defensive medicine practices no less than the overall participant average.
Physician Study: Quantifying the Cost of Defensive Medicine

But see you and millions like you don't believe that! You think you might need to win the "frivolous lawsuit" lottery and blaming your
physician because "after all he has malpractice insurance" does two things!
1) It causes physicians as the above study reports to be so fearful of doing the wrong thing they waste many times billions of dollars.
Now who pays those billions? Medicare/your employers' health insurance or your private insurance.
And again... why should they care? They simply jack the premiums up!
2) These wasteful claims costing per the above anywhere from $500 to $800 billion a year can be reduced if people like you
weren't A) wanting the "lottery" B) protecting lawyers... geez something I can't figure out why people like you protect them.
Lawyers earned a median salary of $114,970 in 2014, according to the BLS. The best-paid lawyers earned more than $187,199, while the lowest-paid made less than $55,400.
How Much Can a Lawyer Expect to Get Paid?
So what would $11,000 deducted from the median salary in Federal taxes of the 1,300,705 lawyers?
https://www.americanbar.org/content...yer-demographics-tables-2015.authcheckdam.pdf

On average, the national average cost in 2016 was $386/month for single coverage
FAQ - How Much Does Individual Health Insurance Cost?

Assuming then there 4 million truly uninsured that can't get federally assisted insurance due to their income levels,
The $14 billion a year from taxing lawyers would provide a policy for each and every one of them!

 

[healthmyths]

A) the tax deductions for health plans is $171 billion in tax revenue that could be added...BUT then someone has to make up that $171 billion somewhere. Are you saying the companies should pay that and NOT get a tax deduction?
No, I made pretty clear that the plans would be portable, and that they would no longer be the responsibility of employers. No health insurance costs for employers, no health care insurance administration costs, none of it. It's all off their backs. Gone.

Have you seen that commercial where a mother tries to slam dunk (in front of her daughter no less!!) and falls hurting her shoulder. The next scene is her calling her health insurance company to pay the claim! How dumb are these people to promote dangerous stupid activities that simple add to health care costs! Or those commercials about people sky diving, or climbing mountains and promoting that as healthy activities! GEEZ at some point some people get injured and submit claims. Who pays? We all do with higher costs!
Yes, and educating the public & promoting healthier lifestyles would be a part of my plan, too. And even better, since everyone would have access to basic preventive and diagnostic care, there would be no excuse for not taking advantage of them so that we can all save money in the long run.
.

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

There are gross inefficiencies between the seven systems, mostly because they don't communicate with each other and because each software system (terminology, coding, billing, collections, all of it) is different for each system, and even WITHIN each system. So yeah, no doubt that plays a significant role.

Another issue is the fact that our massive Baby Boomer population continues to age, and we have decided (understandably) as a society that we're going to do our best for them until the day they die. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do know that over 80% of our health care costs are incurred for people over the age of 65. So that's another big cost driver. However, as they age through (uh, die off), we should see some cost decreases there.

Then there's stuff like defensive medicine, selling across state lines, tort reform, all of it, but it's all fixable if we can get the damn politics out of it.

It's very good that you're staying on top of your CPAP situation, you may find that your efforts are worth it. But it also points out another issue - the very nature of the competition that you and I like means that corners will be cut at every turn. By shopping around, you'll get the best service possible, but it will only be as good as it absolutely has to be. That's why, if there is one area in which I can stand some fat, it's health care. Having basic Medicare coverage for all would certainly include fat at the basic levels such as diagnostic & preventive, and then competition can take over where Medicare leaves off.
.

Speaking as a baby boomer i don't really see some of what you are talking about. I do not see defensive medicine. That said I did have a stress test done with nothing bad showing but I had that done because I told the doctor I was having trouble on a tread mill now that I am going to a gym and exercising. Which seems understandable since I worked most of the time and didn't take a lot of time to exercise. Kinda like trying to make a 58 chevy run again. Other than that i am thinking that maybe the pneumonia shots and shingle shots are a waste of money, but who know? I don't even know what they pay for those shots, except a lot.

As for sharing files and such, I am not sure I see the cost savings. If I go to a specialist they always ask for the test that my PCP had performed. It is more of a pain to me then it is to the system.

My experience with two knee surgeries, someone else, indicated to me that there wasn't a lot of inefficiency. Both were at different hospitals with different doctors. I thought it was run like an assembly line. BUT that doesn't mean it did not cost a butt load of money.

So who is getting this money? The heart (sleep) doctor I go to I asked if his income was going way up this year, he said no it would actually be going down. I think he was sincere.

AGAIN you are thinking ONLY with your anecdotal experiences.
You can't do that! You can't make personal subjective experiences and apply that to everyone!
Did you READ this survey?
Lawsuit-Driven Medicine Creates $650-$850 Billion Annual Healthcare Costs
In October 2009, Jackson Healthcare conducted a national survey of physicians to qualify their attitudes regarding the practice of medicine in light of the healthcare reform environment. In their open-ended responses, defensive medicine was an issue consistently offered by physicians as the primary problem driving healthcare costs. Survey participants reported that medically unnecessary diagnostic and treatment services were being ordered in an effort to avoid lawsuits.

Jackson Healthcare believed this issue merited further exploration and quantification. Our secondary research found no publicly reported research that quantified the extent and economic impact of defensive medical practices among U.S. physicians.

In December 2009, Jackson Healthcare polled physicians again to quantify the scope and impact of defensive medicine practices. Jackson believed physicians were the most reliable source to quantify unnecessary medical activities, since physicians drive all healthcare expenses through their orders. Survey participants estimated that 34 percent of overall healthcare costs is attributable to defensive medicine. Nine out of 10 physicians reported practicing defensive medicine. In Texas, where tort reform legislation was passed in 2001, physicians reported defensive medicine practices no less than the overall participant average.

Physician Study: Quantifying the Cost of Defensive Medicine

 

[healthmyths]

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings.

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it allows for market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

Correction. There is NO government run Medicare Supplement!
"A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles."
It is NOT a Federal government program. It is private insurance that Medicare participants pay out of their pocket to cover the
as the above states. NOTHING to do with government run program.

QUESTION: What are your "seven (7) different health care payment systems" as I know of only these.

• Medicare (20 percent share): Medicare spending grew 4.5 percent to $646.2 billion in 2015, which was a slight deceleration from the 4.8 growth percent in 2014. The slightly slower growth in 2015 was largely attributable to slower growth in Medicare enrollment, which increased 2.7 percent to 54.3 million beneficiaries following 3.1 percent growth in 2014.
• Medicaid (17 percent share): Total Medicaid spending slowed slightly in 2015 to 9.7 percent, but continued the strong growth that began in 2014 (11.6 percent) State and local Medicaid expenditures grew 4.9 percent while Federal Medicaid expenditures increased 12.6 percent in 2015. The increased spending by the federal government was largely driven by newly eligible enrollees under the ACA, which were fully financed by the federal government.
• Private Health Insurance (33 percent share): Total private health insurance expenditures increased 7.2 percent to $1.1 trillion in 2015, faster than the 5.8 percent growth in 2014. The acceleration in 2015 was driven by increased enrollment and strong growth in benefit spending.
• Out-of-Pocket (11 percent share): Out-of-pocket spending grew 2.6 percent in 2015 to $338.1 billion, slightly faster than the growth of 1.4 percent in 2014. The increase in 2015 was influenced by the expansion of insurance coverage and the corresponding drop in the number of individuals without health insurance.

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Now as far as "delivery systems"???
I believe you mean the way health care services are provided...and there are far more then (7)?? if you define "delivery"
as who provides the services or goods. So before you promote a single payer system maybe you should understand a little
better the scope of the discussion... i.e. there never was a "health care crisis"! There never were 46 million uninsured Americans!
All a gigantic LIE to fulfill Obama's "legacy" bucket list! He truly never cared for the truth that there never were 46 million.
He wanted a "single payer" system as he often said.
Obama and evidently you don't care that 1,400 companies, 450,000 employees and $100 billion a year in taxes would be put out
of business with your plan or ultimately ACA!

"Before you promote a single payer system".

Good gawd.

Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

And no, here are the 7 different health care payment systems:

1. ACA
2. Group
3. VA
4. Medicare
5. Medicaid
6. Worker's Comp
7. Indigent (a favorite of right wingers, stick it to the hospitals and we all pay for it)
..

Well then maybe you'd better visit this site and straighten Centers for Medicare and Medicaid out as they've been putting out
a lot of wrong information!

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statis...onalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

Actually your erroneous #7 is courtesy of the 1986 Republicans known as EMTALA... Again if you simple use the internet
adroitly you might not look so STUPID!
EMTALA // ACEP
Stop making personal, erroneous assumptions without any sourcing. Just reinforces the perception of stupidity which I am sure
Gruber was talking about people like you when he said: "the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the [ACA] thing to pass."

And to the insults we go.

Play with someone else, thanks.
.

Insults?? I quote your comment to me.......... "Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about."
You said it first. I am not playing. I'm trying to inform people NOT with MY opinions... but substantiated studies. NOT personal
anecdotes. But objective research. I link everything... others like you ....make personal observations which have NO bearing!

 

[Freewill]

Medical care is a benefit for companies to attack talent.

Medical care cost sharing is helps the employee.

Whomever provides the health care insurance it cost about 800 a month, it is just who pays it that is the question. Those on medicare are paid for by a monthly premium and direct taxes.

Those who have company provided health care usually pay a part of the 800 dollars.

So let's say the company gets out and now who pays the 800 dollars? The employee? Who may or not be able to afford the increase? Direct tax? Which just spreads the cost out.

Regardless of what happens the money that a company spends is a benefit, take that obligation away from the company do you think the employees will see a difference in their pay checks?

It's up to the company to decide what it would do with the cost savings. I'm pro-business. And if they want to attract/retain/motivate good people, there are many benefits they can offer besides health insurance, such as a more robust retirement plan, non qualified deferred compensation, profit sharing and creative bonus systems. I wrote a book on it, the 2nd edition is going to press this week (maybe).

We currently have seven (7) different health care delivery/payment systems. None of them communicate directly with the other. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are apparently just fine with that. I think that's madness. It is simply (and this is a word I don't often use) stupid.

The Medicare/Medicare Advantage/Medicare Supplement system works. It's efficient, it's effective, it's flexible, it's personal, it's portable, it allows for dynamic market competition and innovation, and it could easily be scaled up and tweaked as needed.

The only reason it's not happening is politics.
.

What do you think adds to the expense of healthcare? Having different systems? If so how does that add to the cost?

I think my CPAP story really tells us what is going on. Healthcare, no matter how delivered, is a racket in my opinion. Maybe it is because no on really cares or realizes what is going on. My little CPAP story is small in the vast ocean of healthcare, until a person multiplies the story by a million. What is needed is competition. Why I can't order a durable good from anywhere I can find the same goods at a lower price is crazy.

The story of my CPAP isn't over. I intend to call today to make absolutely sure I have all my facts correct. I am sure of the price they told me what I may not be sure of is what comes with that price. I hate doing this, it is easier just to roll over and take it, much easier. So I have an inner conflict between the cheap me and the introverted me.

There are gross inefficiencies between the seven systems, mostly because they don't communicate with each other and because each software system (terminology, coding, billing, collections, all of it) is different for each system, and even WITHIN each system. So yeah, no doubt that plays a significant role.

Another issue is the fact that our massive Baby Boomer population continues to age, and we have decided (understandably) as a society that we're going to do our best for them until the day they die. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do know that over 80% of our health care costs are incurred for people over the age of 65. So that's another big cost driver. However, as they age through (uh, die off), we should see some cost decreases there.

Then there's stuff like defensive medicine, selling across state lines, tort reform, all of it, but it's all fixable if we can get the damn politics out of it.

It's very good that you're staying on top of your CPAP situation, you may find that your efforts are worth it. But it also points out another issue - the very nature of the competition that you and I like means that corners will be cut at every turn. By shopping around, you'll get the best service possible, but it will only be as good as it absolutely has to be. That's why, if there is one area in which I can stand some fat, it's health care. Having basic Medicare coverage for all would certainly include fat at the basic levels such as diagnostic & preventive, and then competition can take over where Medicare leaves off.
.

Speaking as a baby boomer i don't really see some of what you are talking about. I do not see defensive medicine. That said I did have a stress test done with nothing bad showing but I had that done because I told the doctor I was having trouble on a tread mill now that I am going to a gym and exercising. Which seems understandable since I worked most of the time and didn't take a lot of time to exercise. Kinda like trying to make a 58 chevy run again. Other than that i am thinking that maybe the pneumonia shots and shingle shots are a waste of money, but who know? I don't even know what they pay for those shots, except a lot.

As for sharing files and such, I am not sure I see the cost savings. If I go to a specialist they always ask for the test that my PCP had performed. It is more of a pain to me then it is to the system.

My experience with two knee surgeries, someone else, indicated to me that there wasn't a lot of inefficiency. Both were at different hospitals with different doctors. I thought it was run like an assembly line. BUT that doesn't mean it did not cost a butt load of money.

So who is getting this money? The heart (sleep) doctor I go to I asked if his income was going way up this year, he said no it would actually be going down. I think he was sincere.

AGAIN you are thinking ONLY with your anecdotal experiences.
You can't do that! You can't make personal subjective experiences and apply that to everyone!
Did you READ this survey?
Lawsuit-Driven Medicine Creates $650-$850 Billion Annual Healthcare Costs
In October 2009, Jackson Healthcare conducted a national survey of physicians to qualify their attitudes regarding the practice of medicine in light of the healthcare reform environment. In their open-ended responses, defensive medicine was an issue consistently offered by physicians as the primary problem driving healthcare costs. Survey participants reported that medically unnecessary diagnostic and treatment services were being ordered in an effort to avoid lawsuits.

Jackson Healthcare believed this issue merited further exploration and quantification. Our secondary research found no publicly reported research that quantified the extent and economic impact of defensive medical practices among U.S. physicians.

In December 2009, Jackson Healthcare polled physicians again to quantify the scope and impact of defensive medicine practices. Jackson believed physicians were the most reliable source to quantify unnecessary medical activities, since physicians drive all healthcare expenses through their orders. Survey participants estimated that 34 percent of overall healthcare costs is attributable to defensive medicine. Nine out of 10 physicians reported practicing defensive medicine. In Texas, where tort reform legislation was passed in 2001, physicians reported defensive medicine practices no less than the overall participant average.

Physician Study: Quantifying the Cost of Defensive Medicine

I treat everything like I treat Climate Change, if I don't see it then i don't worry. I take care of my 92 year old father, my wife is diabetic, and I go to the doctor, usually around 1 time a year. I have seen no excessive "defensive" testing done.

BUT that does not mean it isn't done. In a system as large as the US a small percentage could sound quite large. I also believe that some doctors get kick back for referrals for testing.