Republicans today...running around talking about the great satan of bengazi conspiracy and obamacare but just wasting our time.
8 ****ing years of grid lock, the last couple just b****ing about the AHCA and they fall flat on their face holding the executive branch and both houses of congress....christ
Perhaps someone could explain to me (and I doubt if I'm the only one wondering this) why the so-called "crisis" of insurance companies pulling out of some states, bailing on Obamacare, isn't being addressed by Congress and Mr. Trump? Can't Congress pass a bill making it very painful financially to do so, with financial incentives to remain and provide coverage? I simply don't get the "crisis." Instead of whining and attacking Obamacare, provide solutions to an obviously flawed system. I'm a Democrat and I think it is flawed. I also have a good friend who uses Obamacare, has complained about dealing the bureaucracy, and is freaked out that she's going to lose her coverage. She can afford it on her low income. Before it was passed, she struggled to get the most rudimentary insurance, which was absurdly expensive.
Very well said, Juan. Obama did what he does best; Divide and conquer. He went with the lowest hanging fruit in which everyone was angry with...the insurance industry and largely ignored the remainder of the health care industry. Obamacare stuck a big fat bandaid on pre-existing conditions and marveled at his overhaul. This was about as effective as using a bandaid for cancer. The Republicans and Democrats only want to continue to bandaid the problem and ignore the ailment. Single-payer/public options are just one small piece to the puzzle, and IMO, about as relevant as tort reform and opening up state lines. When Trump says its more complicated than anyone realized, he's correct considering the only thing anyone wants to talk about and reform in the insurance industry. As Einstein once said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them".
Im not surprised. Your mindset is stuck on a socialistic approach and you seemingly do not understand the basics of the free market. When the insurance companies are ACTUALLY bailing (ie: not threatening) because they state its not profitable, then its not profitable. End of statement. They are not bailing because they are now making 29% margins instead of 30%. They are bailing because they are indeed losing money in the exchanges or simply not making enough to make it worth their while. And again, private companies answer to their shareholders, not to Obama. Not to the bleeding heart liberals. They simply can not take losses because liberals think its best for mankind. If their company is not making profits, then they are not paying dividends to their shareholders. If they are not making money for their investors, then the investors pull out of the company which would send it the way of GM. Not a hard concept to understand. If that basic principle is so easy to understand, why is it to difficult to understand why the premise of Obamacare to depend on private insurance companies is just a terrible, idiotic idea in the first place? Perhaps we should blame those greedy investors who hold 401k and IRA's and other investment vehicles?
I'm not going to debate single payer vs private companies right now because that's an entirely separate argument. However, the private companies could absolutely work in states if fixes were done to the aca. You could pass a layer on top of the ACA that would make the market viable, but you'd have to move on from the idea that you want to repeal Obamacare to have that victory feather in your cap.
This. Single payer would require a shift from the Republicans to the middle AND the Democrats having control of all branches of government. It isn't going to happen any time soon. I agree that the AHCA would greatly improve if some simple changes were made. When Obama passed it, it wasn't really the bill anyone wanted but one he could get passed. Unfortunately I don't seeing the changes necessary being made for political reasons. The Republicans have spent 7 years wanting to topple the whole system and the Democrats likely would not agree on how far to take changes.
It's all so depressing. The cost for healthcare is ridiculous. It pisses me off that Americans have to pay more than the rest of the world. I blame all the politicians, the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, and everyone else getting rich off people just wanting good basic care. Who is going to step up and agree to make less money so healthcare is more affordable? No one. I want the insurance companies removed from the equation. Cut out the middleman wherever possible. My insurance goes up. My deductible goes up. My blood pressure goes up. I'm sick of all of it.
I completely agree. I am tired of the partisan nonsense, not just from politicians, but people in general. The idea that Obamacare is affordable for the middle class is ridiculous. Using private insurance as the gateway is insane logic. We already have a single-payer system called Medicare. Open it up for all to use. Yes, it will suck. Let private insurance be supplemental.
The problem isn't insurance companies...it's pharma and the definition of what constitutes the standard of care. Americans love their expensive tests, medicines, medical devices, doctors, and procedures. Insurance companies are 20% of the cost. Think about who is making the big money in healthcare. Insurance industry make billions in profit a year for sure - but the industry is a multi-trillion dollar animal. In that context, health insurance companies make up a fraction of 1%.
blah blah econ 101 from highschool or perhaps freshman yr in college. Despite yourself I think you are sort of coming around. The insurance companies cannot make good profits while providing health care and answering to their shareholders not Ameicans with health care problems. The larger public is moving on. The majority of American want to replace Obama care with single payers https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...tm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=.f96ac7a24bff
The free market simply doesn't work as the backbone of healthcare as we need more public solutions: expanded HSAs, mandatory basic coverage, and public high risk pools for preventative conditions, low income, and seniors. The free market would do a better job at providing supplemental plans. Lastly, we need to get employers out of healthcare and put that money back into wages to let employees decide on what they want.
I think I would feel a lot more sympathy for large insurance companies and the financial impact offering insurance plans under ACA if they would only quit growing so much (including profits): United Healthcare: Aetna: Industry-wide:
Single payer is popular across the U.S. political spectrum, despite that it has yet to pass in the U.S. In 2015, 100 economists wrote a letter supporting the single payer system in Vermont. "As economists, we understand that universal, publicly financed health care is not only economically feasible but highly preferable to a fragmented market-based insurance system," the letter reads. "Health care is not a service that follows standard market rules; it should be provided as a public good. Evidence from around the world demonstrates that publicly financed health care systems result in improved health outcomes, lower costs and greater equity." Currently, there's support all the way from The Democratic Socialists of America to the comment section on Breitbart. http://www.attn.com/stories/15946/democrats-supporting-health-care-plan
I feel the situation is the same now. Democrats ignored the Republicans, rightfully so for being obstructionist. Now Republicans are ignoring Democrats for the same reason. If there was ever a time for politicians to break rank, its now. Contrary to popular belief, Trump is not a Republican. He is an egotistical ass hat who doesnt fully understand politics. The sooner the Republicans in congress accept this and stop trying to kiss his ass, the better it will be for all. Trump is right, health care is very complicated and the Obama administration approached it in a very simplistic manner. In a nutshell, the idea is to force everyone to buy health insurance and somehow that will make everything affordable and fix all of our problems. The reality is the healthcare industry is a cartel sanctioned by our government. Squabbling over who handles payments is not addressing anything.
