Can someone "dumb down" what Obamacare really means?

Published

I don't have time to watch the news or read articles so I don't understand much of what is being talked about. Can someone explain to me how it changes for citizens and what it will do to the future of our healthcare system? Particularly, for us nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There are many ways to answer that question. Since in the last few days there has been a lot in the news about how Paul Ryan wants to change Medicare, let's look at home Obama has already changed Medicare.

Obamacare emphasizes control of healthcare by the government. By law, a panel of government officials will be empowered to make changes to Medicare that will reduce Medicare spending by 716 billion dollars in the next 10 years. They will do this by paying physicians and hospitals less. To do that, the panel will determine what procedures will and will not be paid for by medicare. In other words, healthcare wil be rationed.

Supposedly, this will lead to better healthcare for all.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
... By law, a panel of government officials....

What are you talking about?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Obamacare emphasizes control of healthcare by the government. By law, a panel of government officials will be empowered to make changes to Medicare that will reduce Medicare spending by 716 billion dollars in the next 10 years. They will do this by paying physicians and hospitals less. To do that, the panel will determine what procedures will and will not be paid for by medicare. In other words, healthcare wil be rationed.

Supposedly, this will lead to better healthcare for all.

Well, that's certainly "dumbing it down" ... Not to mention putting a particular political interpretation on it ...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

OP: The 700 billion SC_Dude is mentioning is in savings not cuts! He is definitely putting a political spin on it because he does not mention the fact that Ryan (the GOP VP pick) has the same "cuts" (same dollar amount over the same time) in his Medicare voucher program. Of course this is not mentioned because he would have to expalin that ONLY the very wealthy will benefit from Ryan's $700 billion in cuts! The rest of us will continue to be underinsured and uninsured using privatized voucher programs!

By the way, there is no such thing as Obama Care. The health plan program you are probably referring to is called the Affordable Care Act. Basically, in a nut shell, it is AFFORDABLE for all Americans with or without pre-exisiting conditions. So, you as a Nurse will be able to care for people who have health insurance and so they can be more proactive in preventing poor outcomes.

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD=class: midtext]SC_Dude, congressional men and women and their families and those in the Senate received government run health care! The same people that say it is not good enough for our elderly and those of us in the future refuse to except privatized insurance plans in this country for themselves.... I wonder why? Could it possibly be because it costs too much out-of-pocket and the outcomes for most private insurance companies are poor???? Also, our military men and women and their families plus our military vets receive government run health care with very good outcomes. But of course, this is "OK" for all of the American groups I have mentioned, but not for the rest of us.

No the rest of us will continue to use our Emergency Rooms as our primary doctor when we can no longer ignore an illness because we cannot find a private company to accept a voucher (No private company will be forced to accept vouchers under Ryan's plan). This raises the cost of private insurance many folds and causes good hard working Americans to suffer the penalty of bankruptcy in an attempt to pay off medical bills and poor health outcomes in an attempt to ignore health problems.... Again, this is "OK" with you since government run insurance is sooooo scary to a small minority of people in this country despite being a good system in other westernized capitalist nations. Fox News Entertainers mention that the British citizens and Canadians hate their government run health insurance. I have yet to meet one in person that agrees. I also have yet to meet a person living and working in Massachusetts that hates his/her government-run health program.... You know.... Romney Care that the Affordable Care Act is based upon??????

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
... By law, a panel of government officials will be empowered to make changes to Medicare ...

My best guess is that you're referring to the "ethics panel" myth that circulated a while back. Turns out, it's completely false. Panels to deny tests/treatments/procedures for "rationing" purposes are not part of the ACA (Obamacare), nor were they even in earlier versions. An overview of the myth: snopes.com: Seniors Beware

What's interesting about this myth is that it is favored by those who also favor protecting the right of private insurers to indiscriminately ration care.

Back to the OP's question; Health Reform in Action | The White House

Up Vote Up Vote ×
What are you talking about?

As part of "ObamaCare", a 15 member panel (the Independent Payment Advisory Board)will be appointed by the President. They will be in charge of reducing the rate of growth in Medicare spending. They will make recommendations, and unless both houses of congress AND the President agree on a substitute, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to implement it. So, in contradiction to our constitution, this committee can make law without congressional action, congressional approval, meaningful congressional oversight, or being subject to a presidential veto. Citizens will be powerless to challenge in court.

The new healthcare bill does state that this Board is not to make recommendations that ration care. However, "ration" is not defined, and they pretty much will have the power to do what they want anyhow.

What Congress essentially has done is say is that "Medicare does need to be cut, but we don't have a plan for how to do it, and we don't be the ones making the tough decisions, and we don't want to be the ones accountable for the tough decisions. So, instead we'll make up this committee and delegate our responsibilites to it."

Another poster has mentioned that Paul Ryan has proposed a plan that cuts the same amount from Medicare. Yes, this is true. However, it should be realized that 1) in acting as a leader, he has a plan (which can be debated and modified) and is putting his name to it, and 2) there actually is a plan, in contrast to Obamacare in which the plan is to have someone else who is immune from the voters come up with the plan.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

The VRBO is not allowed to ration care, just be clear for those who might jump to that conclusion, that fact is specifically stated in the bill (although that didn't slow you down any). The purpose of the VRBO is to reduce waste and encourage evidence based practice and effective care. The Facts About the Independent Payment Advisory Board | The White House

The Bill gives some administrative power to a committee, just as almost every law does. In my state for instance, laws are separated into two groups; legislative language and administrative code, with the administrative code being how legislative language was interpreted by the department, committee, etc which makes up the bulk of how that law is enforced.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Another poster has mentioned that Paul Ryan has proposed a plan that cuts the same amount from Medicare. Yes, this is true. However, it should be realized that 1) in acting as a leader, he has a plan (which can be debated and modified) and is putting his name to it, and 2) there actually is a plan, in contrast to Obamacare in which the plan is to have someone else who is immune from the voters come up with the plan.

In other words, Ryan plans to rid our nation of Medicare. Just like he plans to rid our country of Social Security. The only thing I like about Ryan is the fact that he is honest about KILLING OFF Medicare and Social Security. The thing I dislike about Romney and the rest of the GOP that agrees with Ryan, is the fact that they water down their words to sound like this is not what is in the plan in order to get elected or re-elected.

In addition, Ryan is not a good leader. There is nothing innovative about reading past economic processes that worked in the 1800s to target the poor and working-class in order to protect the rich from paying his/her fair share in taxes that actually benefit them too. Rather it is harder to take on the rich given that they are the ones with more influence and power in this country.

By the way, your definition of "death-panels" is alive and well in private insurance companies. Private insurance companies make decisions on who they will or won't insure, how much we will pay to ensure that sick people cannot pay, and if they are willing to cover various treatments or medications, surgery, etc. all the time. Of course, this is not a problem to you since they are not government run.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Double post....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The VRBO is not allowed to ration care, just be clear for those who might jump to that conclusion, that fact is specifically stated in the bill (although that didn't slow you down any). The purpose of the VRBO is to reduce waste and encourage evidence based practice and effective care. The Facts About the Independent Payment Advisory Board | The White House

The Bill gives some administrative power to a committee, just as almost every law does. In my state for instance, laws are separated into two groups; legislative language and administrative code, with the administrative code being how legislative language was interpreted by the department, committee, etc which makes up the bulk of how that law is enforced.

What is VRBO?

And, I did slow down and mention that the bill states that care rationing of care isn't supposed to happen. Who is going to make sure they don't? It also states a whole bunch of other nice things they are supposed to do, many of which we already have MedPac for. The White House blog does do a nice job though of making it sound so good!

This new board does not have any oversite that a "committee" or a policy administor would have. They are creating the policy. And, not just policy, they are creating law in a unprecednted and unconstitutional manner.

They have one job, to reduce Medicare costs, and no no one will be overseeing them.

Here is a scenerio that is easy to imagine.

The board decides that to save x number of $$$, no one over 80 will get a knee replacement. Is this rationing? I would say yes, some might say no. Doesn't matter. Who is going to say they can't implement this?

Or, they could raise taxes to pay for Medicare? The bill says they can't, but it also makes them immune from any process that could stop them from doing so.

"Congress will stop them", you say. Well, to do that, both houses of Congress AND the President have to agree on an alternative. They have to figure out an alternative way to save the same amount of $$$. They aren't going to. Why would they? They created this board to make the decisions they don't want to be responsible for.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
In other words, Ryan plans to rid our nation of Medicare. Just like he plans to rid our country of Social Security. The only thing I like about Ryan is the fact that he is honest about KILLING OFF Medicare and Social Security. The thing I dislike about Romney and the rest of the GOP that agrees with Ryan, is the fact that they water down their words to sound like this is not what is in the plan in order to get elected or re-elected.

In addition, Ryan is not a good leader. There is nothing innovative about reading past economic processes that worked in the 1800s to target the poor and working-class in order to protect the rich from paying his/her fair share in taxes that actually benefit them too. Rather it is harder to take on the rich given that they are the ones with more influence and power in this country.

By the way, your definition of "death-panels" is alive and well in private insurance companies. Private insurance companies make decisions on who they will or won't insure, how much we will pay to ensure that sick people cannot pay, and if they are willing to cover various treatments or medications, surgery, etc. all the time. Of course, this is not a problem to you since they are not government run.

So that we can have a intelligent discussion on this, care to share what specifically about Ryan's Medicare plan you don't like, and how he will kill off Medicare?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion