So what's going to happen to health care now?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So, for better or worse, we have a new President. What do you think will be the future of health care and the future of nursing as a profession? Will we be better off as nurses or worse? Will we be better off as patients or worse?

Not looking for a political argument....god knows we've had enough of those in the past few days. Emotions are running high and we all have opinions. I'm just curious as to what we can expect.

He is president-elect. He is officially president after the inauguration.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Emergency.

My view on what will happen, he will open insurance companies to be sold across state-lines which will broaden the market, slash through geographic monopolies and allow the beauty of competition to flourish. This will drive companies to provide highly competitive rates to consumers. He is not going to touch pre-existing condition legislature, keeping kids until 26. It's going to have some tremendous effects in my opinion. I think we're going to see drops in premiums and deductables. Competition will allow the true supply/demand variables to drive market prices down. Companies will be forced to provide truly affordable/solid plans in order to compete and stay alive, because if Company A won't then Company B will and everyone will shop there. If you couldn't afford it before, you certainly still couldn't afford it after ACA, didn't solve anything. Not to mention states who didn't expand medicaid benefits. This will actually free-market dynamics to force insurance companies to provide reasonable, affordable, and good policies.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

We've been listening to that "free market" schtick for almost 50 years, now. It hasn't worked yet.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My view on what will happen, he will open insurance companies to be sold across state-lines which will broaden the market, slash through geographic monopolies and allow the beauty of competition to flourish. This will drive companies to provide highly competitive rates to consumers. He is not going to touch pre-existing condition legislature, keeping kids until 26. It's going to have some tremendous effects in my opinion. I think we're going to see drops in premiums and deductables. Competition will allow the true supply/demand variables to drive market prices down. Companies will be forced to provide truly affordable/solid plans in order to compete and stay alive, because if Company A won't then Company B will and everyone will shop there. If you couldn't afford it before, you certainly still couldn't afford it after ACA, didn't solve anything. Not to mention states who didn't expand medicaid benefits. This will actually free-market dynamics to force insurance companies to provide reasonable, affordable, and good policies.

Let's hope you're right. Many of us are in a limbo at the moment. I used to have excellent care through my old job, but lost it when i quit work for nursing school. Now I am paying almost double for far less benefits, and unsure if I can afford the premiums in a long run. It is frightening :(

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That's pathetic! Move to SC and live a comfortable life. Ours has gone up, but not that bad. It still sucks. I have been a nurse 26 years. I can remember a County job I had in the 90's my Insurance was free!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
That's pathetic! Move to SC and live a comfortable life. Ours has gone up, but not that bad. It still sucks. I have been a nurse 26 years. I can remember a County job I had in the 90's my Insurance was free!

Your insurance was never "free." The cost of the insurance, whether it's paid by you or by your employer, is the cost of the insurance, and you're paying for it either way. If the employer isn't charging you directly for the cost, it's still money that you've earned but never see, that's skimmed "off the top" of your paycheck and the employer claims the tax deduction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

As some posters have mentioned, health care is never free. Canada has universal health care, but it's the bare minimum. You want frills or extras? Sure, at an added cost.

More importantly, health care is never free. Canadians pay very high taxes for the services we have. It's a tiered system, but roughly 40 percent of my pay every 2 weeks is gone to various taxes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
As some posters have mentioned, health care is never free. Canada has universal health care, but it's the bare minimum. You want frills or extras? Sure, at an added cost.

More importantly, health care is never free. Canadians pay very high taxes for the services we have. It's a tiered system, but roughly 40 percent of my pay every 2 weeks is gone to various taxes.

Canadians pay a lot less per capita than Americans do for healthcare, and have significantly better outcomes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

My point Elkpark was that healthcare is not free. Furthermore, I've lived in Canada all my life, and I'm now working in the system. It's been deteriorating significantly over the last 10 years, and many Provinces have quietly moved to a two-tiered system.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Geez! Relax, everything's is going to be fine. Don't read into all the media hype, listen to them you would think the world was going to end.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My point Elkpark was that healthcare is not free.

Did anyone suggest that it is?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It could be a fun exercise to guess how people will think of things if the ACA goes away and they still can't afford policy premiums or they don't qualify for what's available. Who will they blame then if Trump does just what he says and it makes a bad situation worse? I think they'll keep blaming Obama anyway lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment