The future of Obamacare

[CRNA2007]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5955840/Patients-forced-to-live-in-agony-after-NHS-refuses-to-pay-for-painkilling-injections.html

[ozoneranger]

I don't know about "the future of Obamacare"......

but here's a look into it's past.............

The Obamacare horror story you won’t hear

by Michelle Malkin

Creators Syndicate

Copyright 2009

The White House, Democrats, and MoveOn liberals are spreading health care sob stories to sell a government takeover. But there’s one health care policy nightmare you won’t hear the Obamas hyping. It’s a tale of poor, minority patient-dumping in Chicago — with First Lady Michelle Obama’s fingerprints all over it.

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/06/19/the-obamacare-horror-story-you-won%E2%80%99t-hear/

[florianslove]

Michele Malkin is a crackpot. Read up on her, see what happens when she goes to forums and gets asked any questions resembling reality. She runs off the stage and hides. This was probably the worst example you could have picked, please become more informed, right now if this is the kind of stuff you're using to make your argument against President Obama's health care reform, you really don't have a leg to stand on.

Reasonable debate and discussion, not fear mongering is what we need to solve the very real health care crisis in this country.

Thanks for listening.

Roxann

[shuuu1968]

florianslove said "What I don't get is the venom at these "town hall meetings", instead of discussing health care most people are screaming at the top of their lungs about socialism and how President Obama is not an American citizen. What happened to getting the facts, not just going to one source, Fox is a prime example as the most biased, however MSNBC (which is not nearly as bad) also presents their own bias."

Sometimes people act out in their anger, especially when they feel they are not being heard. The crazy people screaming that Obama is not a citizen, well, they have issues. You do know that you are seeing clips from such a small percentage of the MANY town hall meetings that went smoothly without a hitch, right? It is called propaganda, and it is alive and well on both ends of the political spectrum. The bill is not going through, and it is partly because of the town hall meetings. Plus, congress never had the votes, as many suspected, although Nancy Pelosi said they had more than enough....she scares me more than any "death panel."

[UKRNinUSA, RN]

The government run healthcare option will not be getting passed. Check out today's news feed on any major news site. Back to the drawing boards.....

Speaking of drawing boards, I was thinking about what a not-for-profit health insurance coop would look like. Would it include the consumer protections that the current plan includes? http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

I also came across a discussion board post from a health insurance agent today entitled "a different approach to healthcare reform" by johnkarnold - he has some interesting ideas

http://www.insurance-forums.net/forum/different-approach-healthcare-reform-thread13576.html

So now that it looks like the public option will be no longer, what would we nurses want to see in a not-for-profit health insurance coop?

Please submit your ideas in writing to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ :typing or allnurses.com or both

preferably before the end of the August recess.

If any of you have any bright ideas (without the partisan rhetoric):argue: I'd love to discuss them - I'm tired of arguing ideology.:zzzzz

[ozoneranger]

Michele Malkin is a crackpot. Read up on her, see what happens when she goes to forums and gets asked any questions resembling reality. She runs off the stage and hides. This was probably the worst example you could have picked, please become more informed, right now if this is the kind of stuff you're using to make your argument against President Obama's health care reform, you really don't have a leg to stand on.

Reasonable debate and discussion, not fear mongering is what we need to solve the very real health care crisis in this country.

Thanks for listening.

Roxann

"American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) blasted Mrs. Obama and Mr. Axelrod's grand plan. The group released a statement expressing "grave concerns that the University of Chicago's policy toward emergency patients is dangerously close to 'patient dumping,' a practice made illegal by the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act (EMTALA)" - signed by President Reagan, by the way - "and reflected an effort to 'cherry pick' wealthy patients over poor."

Just because you don't like the messenger, doesn't mean the message isn't true.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/feb/19/health/chi-ap-il-chicagohospitalcr

[ozoneranger]

during the past presidential campaign, the media referred to michelle obama as a 'distinguished attorney" despite the fact that michelle obama has been "inactive" since 1993.

checking the records of the attorney registration & disciplinary commission (ardc) of the supreme court of illinois, another obama skeleton comes rattling out of the closet.

the attorney registration & disciplinary commission, an agency of the illinois supreme court, is responsible for maintaining current records of registration and discipline information for lawyers licensed to practice in illinois and investigating allegations of misconduct by lawyers.

information as of june 18, 2009 at 12:23:36 pm, from the ardc website. here’s the link:

https://www.iardc.org/index.html

full licensed name:

michelle obama

full former name(s):

michelle lavaughn robinson

date of admission as lawyer

by illinois supreme court:

may 12, 1989

registered business address:

not available online

registered business phone:

not available online

illinois registration status:

voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law - last registered year: 1993

malpractice insurance:

(current as of date of registration;

consult attorney for further information)

no malpractice report required as attorney is on court ordered inactive status.

public record of discipline

and pending proceedings:

you’ll note that no malpractice insurance is necessary because the attorney (michelle) is on court ordered inactive status. she was not disbarred, but has not been licensed to practice law in illinois since 1993.

it has been reported that she gave up her license in a deal to stop an investigation into corruption charges based on her $195,052 salary increase followed shortly thereafter by a $1,000,000 earmark to the hospital by her state senate husband.

it waddles and quacks like a quid pro quo, doesn’t it?

how did the obamas avoid an investigation?

[damrcngrl95]

Maybe I have missed something in the fear of government ran health insurance. I have Tricare which I believe is government ran health care. My husband's job as a soldier has made it to where we don't pay money for our health care. I see a civilian doctor in our town and have had surgery in the same hospitals as everyone else. I don't pay a co-pay and I have never worried about pre-exsisting conditions. I will never be dropped from his insurance. Before we were married, I paid through the nose to get crappy health care insurance. I had a co-pay and if I was unfortunate enough to need to go to the hospital I would have so many bills from it after. I remember when I had my oldest child, she cost my ex and I $3000 plus all the extra bills that went with it. My oldest son was born after my ex had joined the military and I paid $36 for my meals. No extra bills. The two older children were only 3 years apart.

If a Tricare style of health care is what our government is wanting to give us keep me signed up. I have had medical mistakes and crappy doctors on both sides of the fence. Not having the stress of worrying about my insurance picking up the tab has been wonderful.

I do want to say that Tricare is not the same as what my husband gets for medical care. He must see a military doctor for his primary care and if he needs specialty care and the military post he is at doesn't provide that care then he will go see a civilian doctor. He pretty much is treated by the military.

deAnna

[lindarn]

Efficiency:

"it is perhaps surprising that in a 10-nation 1990 survey on the level of satisfaction with the national healthcare system, the United States ranked 10th. These results were then reproduced a decade later. Although Americans believe the US system is the best, clearly they are not as satisfied with the healthcare they receive as are citizens of other countries.

In fact, this disparity between perception and reality has been captured in several studies. In the year 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated its annual World Health Report to a comparison of healthcare across the globe. In this exhaustive analysis, American superiority was not borne out: the United States ranked 32nd for infant survival, 24th for life expectancy, and 54th for fairness. The fairness ranking was derived from a comparison of the individual financial contribution required with the quality of healthcare received. The current US system is known as a regressive system; that is, the poor pay relatively more for healthcare. In fact, the poorest fifth of Americans spend 18% of their income on healthcare, whereas the richest fifth of Americans spend about 3%. In this type of regressive system, it is clear why about 50% of personal bankruptcies in the United States are related to medical bills. Tragically, 75% of individuals declaring medical bankruptcy had medical insurance at the onset of their illness. Overall, the WHO ranked the United States 37th in the world."

Cost containment:

"In truth, federal health insurance is much more cost-efficient than private insurance because of its ability to streamline costs. The existence of multiple private insurance companies increases the complexity of the system and administrative costs. At present, the US system is overrun by hundreds of for-profit insurance providers. Medicare's administrative costs run less than 3%, whereas private insurance administrative costs are above 16% of budget. These funds are spent on increasing revenue by aggressive marketing and billing, and decreasing losses with programs such as utilization reviews (labor-intensive patient chart surveys performed to monitor billing practices). This policy does save individual insurance companies money, but there is a substantial overhead involved in this labor-intensive process. Furthermore, there is no evidence that utilization reviews decrease the national healthcare expenditure, they merely shift the financial burden away from the individual company. Private insurance companies vie to cut their own costs without regard to the effects on the national healthcare expenditures."

Red tape:

Have you used your HMO/PPO lately?

As a matter of fact, I use my Blue Shield HMO frequently. No red tape, never a problem. As a veteran, I've also tried the government system. No thanks.

I use my Tricare Select for Reservists frequently. No red tape, never a problem. I pay $47 a month for my coverage. If I needed family conerage, it would only cost $180 a month.

I pay $9 for a name brand drug at RiteAid (regardless of what it costs), and $3 for a generic. ONCE, they questioned if a lab test I had was medically necessary. I provided them with documentation, and they promply paid it. If I did not have Tricare Select, I would not have health insurance. I now have my own plan that I can use anywhere, and I do not have to worry about changing jobs, and not having insurance.

Oh, I also have Tricare dental insurance through the rserves. It cost me $25 a month. They paid more for my dental implant than Blue Cross did, and I was working for Blue Cross at the time!

What was that you said about a government system and Universal Coverage, not tied to ones employment?

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

[Onekidneynurse]

No, actually what they are doing is essentially the opposite of evidence based medicine. Steroid injections have a much better track record than osteopathic manipulation and acupuncture in peer reviewed journals.

Anecdotally, that is so true. My DO stop manipulating my back and went to steriod injections. They work for me and that's what counts to me.

[Onekidneynurse]

Perhaps those of you drinking the Socialism Obama Kool Aid are the ones brainwashed.

Life isn't black and white, sometimes you have to use logic and facts and make the best decision. Everytime someone presents another point of view to the people pushing one of Obama's agendas they are called unimformed or even stupid by those who believe. Present a reason, a logical and factual reason (not "healthcare is a right"), that a healthplan that will cost over a trillion dollars, raise taxes, result in people dropping private insurance to join more government plans, and result in the closing of businesses, even hospitals eventually makes sense? The proposed plan only covers 17 million of the 30-50 million they estimate are uninsured and many of those people still will not seek preventative care offered because they have no real incentive to. The government can't efficiently run Medicare/aid, the VA system, or even a Cash for Clunkers program without major problems and now people think they should run healthcare?

I have to agree with you and add something else. What other 15% of the population is lacking something in this country? Why are 15% of "Americans", I use the" " 's purposefully, allowed to dictate to the other 85%? Since when has 15% been the majority? I've an idea to fix the health care system in this country. Everyone who feels the need to help pay for medical bills for another person should take that person under their wing and pay for their medical expenses. If all the people who are for UHC would do that we wouldn't even need a bill for it.

[Onekidneynurse]

I find it puzzling that you can't accept the sworn testimony, to Congress of an insurance executive with 20 years in the business as evidence of the problems with our health insurance system. Do you have the same approach to evidence based medicine/nursing care?

Perhaps Ezra Klein of the Washington Post can back me up

"The Truth About the Insurance Industry

Insurers often complain that their critics don't understand their business practices. It would be hard to say that about Wendell Potter. Potter, whose name sounds like that of a character in a Frank Capra movie, worked in the health insurance industry for more than 20 years. He rose to be a senior executive at Cigna. He was on their calls, at their board meetings, in their books. And today, at a hearing before Sen. Jay Rockefeller's Commerce Committee, he testified against them.

What drove Potter from the health insurance business was, well, the health insurance business. The industry, Potter says, is driven by "two key figures: earnings per share and the medical-loss ratio, or medical-benefit ratio, as the industry now terms it. That is the ratio between what the company actually pays out in claims and what it has left over to cover sales, marketing, underwriting and other administrative expenses and, of course, profits."

Think about that term for a moment: The industry literally has a term for how much money it "loses" paying for health care.

The best way to drive down "medical-loss," explains Potter, is to stop insuring unhealthy people. You won't, after all, have to spend very much of a healthy person's dollar on medical care because he or she won't need much medical care. And the insurance industry accomplishes this through two main policies. "One is policy rescission," says Potter. "They look carefully to see if a sick policyholder may have omitted a minor illness, a pre-existing condition, when applying for coverage, and then they use that as justification to cancel the policy, even if the enrollee has never missed a premium payment."

And don't be fooled: rescission is important to the business model. Last week, at a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, Rep. Bart Stupak, the committee chairman, asked three insurance industry executives if they would commit to ending rescission except in cases of intentional fraud. "No," they each said.

Potter also emphasized the practice known as "purging." This is where insurers rid themselves of unprofitable accounts by slapping them with "intentionally unrealistic rate increases." One famous example came when Cigna decided to drive the Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust in California and New Jersey off of its books. It hit them with a rate increase that would have left some family plans costing more than $44,000 a year, and it gave them three months to come up with the cash.

The issue isn't that insurance companies are evil. It's that they need to be profitable. They have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profit for shareholders. And as Potter explains, he's watched an insurer's stock price fall by more than 20 percent in a single day because the first-quarter medical-loss ratio had increased from 77.9 percent to 79.4 percent.

The reason we generally like markets is that the profit incentive spurs useful innovations. But in some markets, that's not the case. We don't allow a bustling market in heroin, for instance, because we don't want a lot of innovation in heroin creation, packaging and advertising. Are we really sure we want a bustling market in how to cleverly revoke the insurance of people who prove to be sickly?"

By Ezra Klein | June 24, 2009; 6:29 PM ET

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/06/the_truth_about_the_insurance.html

Maybe he just went "postal" on his employer.:chuckle

[akdennis58]

Message deleted.