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Politically, the Dems had to run on backing Obamacare. Their hands were tied to a failing plan. Once this repeal goes forward and it becomes Trumpcare, they can then get behind single payer universal or whatever you want to call it. It could be the defining topic of the 2018 elections.
This isn't the answer BUT this is an improvement on what we have. It's not magic. Is it magic when you go into a store and the prices of their items are listed?
It was interesting. Our dog went blind and we took her to one of the highest regarded veterinarian hospitals around (appx 2 hour drive) we were hoping it was just cataracts. We were treated better there than any regular hospital I had every been to. They sat down and explained what they were looking for, the options and the EXACT cost of each procedure.
Why is that controversial with you? As it turned out it was a genetic thing and there was nothing they could do.
My husband has undergone surgery several times over the past few years. Each time, we were given an estimate and knew exactly what we were responsible for well before surgery. In all cases, we were required to pay the out of pocket costs up front.
It was this way before the ACA and has remained this way post ACA.
It's in everyone's best interest, the surgeon the hospital and the patient to understand what's what before surgery. I am challenged to believe people claim ignorance short of a true emergency admission.
There's also a faulty belief that patients should be able to comparison shop their hospital cost. First you need a surgeon with admitting privledges. Then the surgeon must schedule the surgery appointment. Then and only then will a hospital and your insurer put forth the time and effort to determine costs. Surgeons have no influence on the fees charged by the hospital or vice- versa.
Then there's the always present risk of complications. The age, weight, other health factors, allergies, reactions, infections and so on, are all factors that may contribute to an extended stay.
I think this is the best and most coherent response . Nobody can argue with you on this one. I have been in two very bad car accidents in my life. Both would have cost me hundreds of thousands (broken bones, years of time out of work and platinum physical therapy) . I was 21 the first time. Not a penny to my name. Thank you to all the NYers who subsidized my OUTSTANDING medical care when I was knocked out cold and bleeding in the back of an ambulance. I couldn't have made a full recovery without you. Why does auto insurance work????? Because it's MANDATED. Drops mic.
It is amazing how many people have no idea how insurance actually works.
What is mandated in most state is only liability insurance and usually only $15,000/$30,000 minimum limits. Why do people typically buy $100,000/$300,000 when it is not mandated? Even in no fault states, the coverage required is minimal. Not enough to any any substantial medical bill.
Yes,you would have made the same recovery insurance or no. The ambulance still woudl have picked yu up and the doctors woudl have treated you exactly the same. They do not check to see whether the driver who hit you had insurance before treating you. Pick the mike back up please (polluting is bad) and then go get some books on how insurance works and read them.
Basically, they're re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic by giving the First Class paasengers more deck chairs and locking all the Second and Third Class passengers in the brig! That's what Republicans do, why is anyone surprised?
It appears so, hopefully what they actually enact will be quite different. If they pass this as is, the electorate will begin cleaning House (pun intended) in 2018. They have a chance to improve healthcare, maintaining the status quo with Obamacare isn't option. Though it did some good things, it's failing in others - it's not "affordable" and trending less so.
My husband has undergone surgery several times over the past few years. Each time, we were given an estimate and knew exactly what we were responsible for well before surgery. In all cases, we were required to pay the out of pocket costs up front.
It's a good thing you could afford to do that. Millions can't.
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It was this way before the ACA and has remained this way post ACA.
It's never been my experience and I've been helping to deal with my mother and her cancer treatments. Yes, you are told how much you owe today to get service. I wasn't discussing that.
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It's in everyone's best interest, the surgeon the hospital and the patient to understand what's what before surgery. I am challenged to believe people claim ignorance short of a true emergency admission.
There's also a faulty belief that patients should be able to comparison shop their hospital cost. First you need a surgeon with admitting privledges. Then the surgeon must schedule the surgery appointment. Then and only then will a hospital and your insurer put forth the time and effort to determine costs. Surgeons have no influence on the fees charged by the hospital or vice- versa.
Then there's the always present risk of complications. The age, weight, other health factors, allergies, reactions, infections and so on, are all factors that may contribute to an extended stay.
Prices for a day in a hospital should still be listed just the same as a day in a hotel. Easily looked up on the internet. I realize that if I order room service my hotel bill will be more than originally quoted.
If it's the law, then yes. It was not nor is it the law now. You can't compare what Ryan went through without a law with what people would experience with a law. Things do not work that way.
Agreed. But Ryan has identified there is a problem because consumers cannot get proper pre-pricing for health services...but Ryan has not proposed a law to fix the problem.
Why would he announce that the problem exists and then not propose a solution in his health care bill that he is proposing. It's his job to create the law - he's a legislature. He identified the problem but not the solution and he didn't even hint at working on a future law(solution) to solve the pre-pricing problem. He's had 8 years to come up with the solution and all he does is identify that there's a problem because consumers are unable to properly get pre-pricing for healthcare.
Obama care is not failing. It can be improved, just like pretty much anything but Paul Ryan doesn't know what insurance is and is lying when he says Obamacare is failing because the only constituency he worries about are the rich.
But of course I cannot propose some plan the Greedy Only-me Party wants because I think we should have universal coverage
The death spiral is highly manufactured. Health insurers have been contracting via mergers and acquisistions for more than 25 years. Heath insurers have been exiting the Individual Plan markets for more than 25 years. Used to be up to the states to " do something". Some chose to subsidize the Individual Plan Insurers. Some made insurers ability to sell group or auto insurance dependent upon continuing to sell Individual Plans. States would also enable insurers to define " condition" as in preexisting. Post ACA, states just blamed the ACA.
The Big Five for profit, publicly - traded health insurers intended to become the Big Three through massive Mergers/ Acquisistens, subject to approval by the DoJ. This intention would create an unprecedented monopoly for what would be the Big Three. Without competition, the surviving companies are free to self determine premiums. Remember, the primary goal of a publicly- traded company is to increase shareholder value.
They made clear if DoJ refused to play ball, they would walk away from state exchanges. DoJ sued. Insurers lived up to their threat and announced their intention to withdraw.
Maybe they thought the new DoJ would play ball. That was not the case and they withdrew their intent to merge.
The general public will never know what's going on behind the scenes, unless media pushes the envelope.
This GOP rep thinks people can get cancer care in the ER.
I wonder if they actually believe that or are just embarrassed because their position on healthcare for the poor is so cruel?
About 10 years ago, before the ACA and expanded medicaid, My step-son had a day labor job and no health insurance. He developed a back ache and a swollen testicle. He went to the ER where they gave him vicodin and told him he had a pulled muscle. We subsequently obtained the records and while it states that at intake he complained about his testicle there was nothing in the record about the doctor examining it.
Unfortunately he never mentioned any of this to us. About six months later he collapsed at work and was taken by ambulance to UC Davis, where they diagnosed him with metastasized testicular cancer. He never left the hospital he died there a few weeks before his 25th birthday. The Doctor who attended him at UC Davis said that had he been been properly diagnosed 6 months earlier he would most likely have had a different outcome.
Agreed. But Ryan has identified there is a problem because consumers cannot get proper pre-pricing for health services...but Ryan has not proposed a law to fix the problem.
Why would he announce that the problem exists and then not propose a solution in his health care bill that he is proposing. It's his job to create the law - he's a legislature. He identified the problem but not the solution and he didn't even hint at working on a future law(solution) to solve the pre-pricing problem. He's had 8 years to come up with the solution and all he does is identify that there's a problem because consumers are unable to properly get pre-pricing for healthcare.
I saw the speech where Ryan discussed pre-pricing. He made some comments that seemed to indicate that we, as consumers, should negotiate or find the best price for medical care. Ever ask a doctor how much a procedure will cost? We have asked our dentist this. He always says you'll have to talk to the office manager. He acts like he doesn't know. Negotiating with doctors is impossible and hospitals only negotiate after the fact, if then.
Can you imagine some very old or uneducated or mentally challenged person calling around trying to find the best price for a medical procedure? Ryan is delusional.
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