Health Carriers Post Losses From Rate Caps

[Crabcake Johnny]

There are only three things that will drastically change health care for the better:

1) Price transparency
2) Open market competition for all services; doctors/labs/hospitals
3) People taking responsibility for their health

A possible 4th would be less doctors and more nurse practitioners for general health issues. $30 or $40 a is all you need to pay for an ear infection. As posted yesterday, I just shelled out $170 (repriced!!!) to have some quack tell my wife "you might have allergies or acid reflux - take this." That 10 minute visit was worth about $30. 4 years of med school and residency for that? Poppycock.

Years ago I saw an ENT for my ears. His diagnosis? Wax in my ears and sent me home with an ear wax kit. Warm water and a bulb. My niece could have diagnosed that.

This is going nowhere while people who feel "depressed" are taking meds. This is going nowhere until we control our weight, stop smoking and stop thinking medication is the answer to every condition.

Without a single stat to back up this statement I'd say around 70% of everyone taking a medication could stop taking them with personal health changes.

 

[HealthGuy]

Justin: I appreciate the perspective, but I'm not sure enough citizens are smart enough to catch what is fully going on before its too late. When was the last time this country ever repealed a major piece of welfare legislation, like this ridiculous health reform bill?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Once it's enacted in 2014 it will be near impossible to repeal. Over 80% of the country will get subsidies and only the "evil rich" will have to pay the full cost. 50% of this country doesn't pay taxes so how do you think they'll vote?

Some are betting the Supreme Court overturns it. Unlikely. The gov't has the power to tax. So basically you can buy a plan or choose to pay a tax.

Several lawsuits to this "you can't force me to buy insurance" theory were filed in Mass...to no avail.

 

[taterpeeler]

Years ago I saw an ENT for my ears. His diagnosis? Wax in my ears and sent me home with an ear wax kit. Warm water and a bulb. My niece could have diagnosed that.

.

Well....... Did it work? And if it did dont they sell those at the local Target? You could have saved the trip and went to Target and bought one.... No offense Big John but so many of us say screw it... I'm going to the dr rather than try and fix it on our own....

 

[Post Quartermaster]

This is a little dated, but did anyone see the DailyKos's piece on the ME/Anthem suit? There really is no cure for stupidity, I'm afraid.

Daily Kos: What the Judge Told Anthem/WellPoint (and us) in Maine

 

[Winter_123]

A lawsuit is not going to turn this around. However, fed mandate is very dicey constitutionally and politically unpopular. The feds will back down on it because they dont need the heartburn when they have so many other "incentives" and punitive measures they can use to entice/force people to get insurance. The feds are masters at this game. Don't want your federal highway funds this year? Fine don't pass that seat belt law then. Same idea. No mandate involve. Choose one of the other 15,000 examples if that one doesnt hold water.

The Massachusetts mandate was challenged under state law and the state consitituion. The challenges in fed courts (pending or actual0 argue that the feds cannot do it because under the consitution "powers not specifically delegated to the national government are reserved to the states" Again, I dont think the lawsuits are headed anywhere because Obama can slither around them by re-jiggering his plan. Just sayin the Mass cases provide no precedent here in determining the power of the feds. Again, it was decided under state law.

Yes, the feds have jurisdiction under the interstate commerce clause and that gets them 95% of what they want. Mandate is a tough one to fit under that though because you are not just taxing someone engaged in interstate commerce (via their carriers activities), you are forcing them to participate and then taxing them via a premium. That's a mess. Obama doenst need that nor does he need a dozen or more states in court over it when he can use his usual handing out or withdrawing of goodies to states to achieve the same purpose.

Agreeing, that the lawsuits are headed nowhere but for a different reasoning.