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The destroyed remains of the best health care in the world, thanks to the idiots in government?
Destroyed? Give me a break.
It may be the best for some, not all, Cancers and some diseases for those who can afford to carry adequate insurance and especially for those who can pay in full, out of pocket.
Nice attempt at deflecting the blame to the people that commit the fraud.......but it's the government that's to blame for not catching this fraud.
That the federal government is unable to even ballpark HOW MUCH FRAUD there is in the system is a good reason to believe they cannot execute single-payer without bankrupting the country. The fact that taxpayers fund the government coffers simply means there will likely be no meaningful effort put forth by the government to reign in costs.
Healthcare insurance premiums increased by almost 100% in the ten years prior to ACA becoming law. Employers have been increasingly passing on these higher costs to their employees.
Those with pre-existing conditions were typically declined. While the ER is required by law to stabilize anyone who walks through the door, stabilization is not treatment. Try getting Cancer treatment if you are uninsured/under insured. They want cash, upfront. No money- no treatment for you.
11/12 drugs used to treat Cancer cost in excess of $100,000 a year. That's more than enough to wipe out the average guy.
100 years ago, life expectancy in the US was 46-48 years. And yeah, this was skewed by infant mortality rates, given most births occurred independent of a medical facility. Then again, 100 years ago, people died of an abscessed tooth.
And none of this changes post ACA so whats you're point?
How much Medicare and Medicaid fraud is there? No one knows for sure. In 2010 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report claiming to have identified $48 billion in what it termed as “improper payments.” That’s nearly 10 percent of the $500 billion in outlays for that year. However, others, including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, suggest that there is an estimated $60 to $90 billion in fraud in Medicare and a similar amount for Medicaid. Big money!
The Swiss model does not allow insurers to discriminate based on pre/existing conditions or age.
There is no Medicare/Medicare.
The concept of employee sponsored healthcare does not exist.
The Swiss government owns/operates most hospitals. The Swiss government negotiates the price of all prescription medications.
Unlike the US culture, the Swiss are risk adverse and 99% of the people comply with the mandate and have government mandated insurance. The Swiss government subsidizes the premium cost of about 40% of the population.
Yes, I believe I said that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ntwrkguy1
Let's stop comparing apples to chainsaws.
Switzerland: 8,136,700 people
United States: 317,000,000 people
Things are a lot easier when you only have to deal with 8 million people.
Switzerland lets the insurers run the financing, which is all insurance is. The only difference is the Swiss have no single payer system vs the 3,4,5 different single payer + private plans in the USA.
How much Medicare and Medicaid fraud is there? No one knows for sure. In 2010 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report claiming to have identified $48 billion in what it termed as “improper payments.†That’s nearly 10 percent of the $500 billion in outlays for that year. However, others, including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, suggest that there is an estimated $60 to $90 billion in fraud in Medicare and a similar amount for Medicaid. Big money!
Even Eric Holder, who IS a fraud, cannot ballpark the amount.
And yet you can?
Hmmm...
I take it you don't understand what ballpark is. It's okay, my mom is an immigrant too and these nuances within the English language would confuse her as well.
A ballpark is a range or estimate. A ballpark is also a sports field. In this context we are speaking about the first definition.
I take it you don't understand what ballpark is. It's okay, my mom is an immigrant too and these nuances within the English language would confuse her as well.
A ballpark is a range or estimate. A ballpark is also a sports field. In this context we are speaking about the first definition.
And that's about all you can do.
Most Medicare 'fraud' is not criminal, or at least large scale fraud.
Hundreds of thousands of docs every day see patients and code and bill based on the specific diagnosis, severity and complexity of that individual patient and encounter. Same as in the hospital. It is very easy to up-code. Or even down-code for that matter, which is just as illegal in Medicare. But anyone can bet that overall the codes will somehow be pushed upwards. Typically not illegally. But in many cases some unknown amount among many millions of visits are fraudulently up-coded. That gray zone of ethics vs profits creates a great deal of uncertainty. Medicare has no way to go after this on a case by case basis. Only via profiling and outlier investigation. Which they do all the time.
So in the end even more Americans will be without healthcare coverage and there ya go off to a Single Payer system like they have in Europe. See how that is working out, heck I bet it went even faster than what those pulling the strings expected. The bigger question is will the Repubs take credit for it when we are all on the new system?
Single payer would take an amendment to the US Constitution.
As there is no place in the US Constitution that gives the government, the power to legislate that.
I'm sure that the governor of Florida could give valuable insight as to the issues of Medicare fraud. The retired seniors in his state are among the largest users of Medicare.
Long ago.
The typical Medicare beneficiary receives 3X the amount they put in. No other private venture could do this and stay open for business. And if you don't understand that this is a feature, then you might not understand why so many millions for so many years have been quite happy with being on Medicare.
May I add that Medicare was never self sustaining. Tens of millions enrolled in the 60's who never contributed a dime towards it. It took the baby boom to fund Medicare for the " greatest generation".
The baby boom is the only generation to have paid into Medicare their entire working lives.
The primary thing wrong with Medicare is that payroll taxes did not keep pace with medical treatment cost inflation.
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