Obama Care More Problems, Keep Your Insurance Will Fail

joefrank wrote:

11/22/2013

                         One last word on this I just read to my amazement and shock !
                     John Bohener signed up for the health care act, I'm in a state of
                     shock ! He stated it took him four hours, one phone call and finally
                     he joined, I guess he dropped his govt. insurance ?

                       DK....I do humbly apologize to you, I know your a great compassionate
                               lady and I admire you for that....So sorry...

                                                    Cheers...Joe...

At $25,00 an hour which is far above his worth, he got a real bargain.

Unfortunately, the entire healthcare system is rampant with greed.  That's why the costs are so high.  It is not the cost of delivery of services to the elderly or those in need, very efficient systems for the most part delivering services that are beyond their control.

Pharma charges exorbitantly for drugs, purposefully prevents  sharing of new drug info, limits the patents so generics can't get in until they have a new drug and advertising drugs to create a demand from patients for drugs they do not need or could serve the purpose with lifestyle changes as well as lying to doctors about a drug's efficacy.  Doctors get their drug training from the pharma salespeople (models for the most part - beautiful young women for the male doctors and handsome men for the female doctors) - doesn't anyone see a problem there?

Hospitals knowingly charge $35 for an aspirin to cover the costs of nursing, aides, and cleaning and executive salaries?  Give me a break.  Real costs should show for real expenses.  How much do those "non-profit" executives really make?  How much is patient care and how much profit-taking (even non- profits profit those in the know).

Insurance companies are horrid beyond belief and only the provisions of the ACA have helped clean them up a bit - and they don't like it at all.

What DK said, and then some.

12/5/2013

                       The law should state hospital aren't allowed to charge exhorbent prices,
                  their should be strict and I mean very strict guidelines, eveidently the afforadble
                  care act missed this point , they need to add this...Aspirins only cost 2.99 a bottle
                  bring your own..

                                                           Cheers...Joe..

An attempt is being made to measure medical care by performance and bill by same rather than billing by service performed.  This is encouraged by ACA but not mandated.

Doctors and hospitals for the most part are against wellness billing and prefer fees for services.  (Reality - fees for services are easier to pad and escalate).  When insurance clamps down on fees charged, doctors drop out of that insurance program.

Billing by services encourages multiple doctors' bills, multiple tests, too many prescriptions, etc.  Billing instead needs to be according to wellness success.

I read somewhere that this fee billing without patient awareness started by paying doctors with chickens and hogs - whatever a person had. Thus, the lack of standards for medical costs - they are whatever the market bears and vary grossly across the U.S. and within specialties.

Start asking your physician how much each service costs before it is performed.  They'll have a fit.  Yet, we ask for estimates on a toilet repair.

This is one of the reasons we needed health care change. It may not be mandated, but it will get better, because the old system involved focusing insurance on those who could afford to pay high premiums, expected extra services, and didn't pay much attention to the bill since the insurance company was paying it. Padding the bill helped both hospitals and insurance companies. it was just how it was done, and why these groups are coming down hard on the congressmen they paid for with their campaign donations, because insurance companies will no longer be able to compensate through junk policies and exclusions.

12/5/2013

                          My Dr. charges my insurance $95.00 , they pay him $65.00
                      I don't pay a co-pay for my reg. Dr., every time I see the Dr.
                      they send me a statement..

                                                            Cheers....Joe..

Sounds like you had a policy you liked, and were able to keep it, Joe.

Agree with above comments.  Changing the system will occur when enough people get pissed off.  Insurance companies can earn a reasonable profit by doing business in an honorable manner.  It is said that there is honor among thieves.  Perhaps that's what happened to honor.

12/6/2013

                               Ann..

                                        It's called Humana Senior..

                                                Cheers..Joe....................

Each state and county has a variety of insurance choices. Hard to compare

True, but Joe's experience is a good indication that ACA works. As Obama said, If you like your plan you can keep it. That has proved true for the majority, including Joe, it seems.

I think they should have retired used car sales people handle the medical billing...that way we would know which end of the stick they are screwing us with.

In 1980 I worked for GM. I paid $17,000 for a new Cad. GM's cost to build the car? $3,500.
That Cad was my last new car.

Is there anything we don't get screwed on?

12/6/2013

                        Ann..

                                 National Health Care has nothing to do with Senior Medicare or
                        Humana Senior HMO , if they started screwing with that then I'll be
                        first in line of 50 million seniors marching on Washington....

                                                              Cheers...Joe..

What is National Health Care, Joe?  Medicare is a government health care program, and has connections to the ACA.  The point is, you have a health care plan that you like, and have not had to change it because of the ACA.

12/6/2013

                        The ACA has nothing to do with that, seperate entity...
                        The ACA affects other people ...I think your pulling my chain ?

                                                Cheers..Joe...

No, the ACA is connected to Medicare.  Because of the ACA, Medicare now pays 100% for a list of pre-screening services such as colonoscopy and mammogram.  Also, the ACA made improvements to the payment to providers system that reduced the cost of Medicare and extended its life by eight to ten years.  Also there is a reduction in the pharmaceutical "donut hole" that Medicare recipients paid before the ACA.

Medicare is an exceptionally well run program.  Though fraud is a problem in private and government businesses, Medicare fraud is actually a very small percentage and that percentage is closing all the time as more scrutiny is demanded of providers and insurers to actually prove they have improved the lives of patients.  This proof is unfortunately a greater amount of paperwork for physicians who abhor being financially accountable and therefore drop services to medicare recipients because they don't want to do the paperwork and want to continue charging for unnecessary services and tests.  If they were all honest, that paperwork would not be necessary.  Fat chance.

A benefit of the ACA no one seems to talk about is the refunds individuals and businesses are getting from their insurance providers.  Before providers could charge exorbitant premiums and provide minimal services.  Now, if a certain percentage of the premium costs are not delivered in services, businesses and individuals receive refunds.  For some businesses, they are substantial.

I forgot to add that Medicare includes more services because of the ACA such as medical counseling for weight issues, etc.

joefrank wrote:

12/6/2013

                        The ACA has nothing to do with that, seperate entity...
                        The ACA affects other people ...I think your pulling my chain ?

                                                Cheers..Joe...

Kind of, but gently, Joe.  My point is that you had a plan you liked and were able to keep it, so why are you so upset?  The law worked as it should have worked for you and the vast majority of people.

Just sayin'