Massachusetts' Decisive Move to Attack Health-Care Costs

"Massachusetts' health-care costs have escalated at an unsustainable rate. Consumers experience these increases as higher deductibles, copayments, and out-of-pocket costs."

No surprise there.

Same thing will happen to ObamaCare.

It too will need to be FIXED.

A work in progress: A better solution or a bigger problem??

Eleanor wrote:

"Massachusetts' health-care costs have escalated at an unsustainable rate. Consumers experience these increases as higher deductibles, copayments, and out-of-pocket costs."
No surprise there.
Same thing will happen to OPhilistines
.
It too will need to be FIXED.
A work in progress: A better solution or a bigger problem??

Elinore, Elinore, this is what is happening everywher, before what you call "Obamacare" has had an effect or impact.

This is a result of the older "insurance" system.
We instituted 'health insurance' in the first place, because doctors and hospitals had become too expensive.

The solution grew like topsey, and now is just a center of wasted money.

The real solution is true national healthcare, with multiple tiers, and a single payer layout. That was sabataged by hte GOP; so we will struggle along under GOPCare.

Mr_Bill wrote:

<quoted text>
Elinore, Elinore, this is what is happening everywher, before what you call "Obamacare" has had an effect or impact.
This is a result of the older "insurance" system.
We instituted 'health insurance' in the first place, because doctors and hospitals had become too expensive.
The solution grew like topsey, and now is just a center of wasted money.
The real solution is true national healthcare, with multiple tiers, and a single payer layout. That was sabataged by hte GOP; so we will struggle along under GOPCare.

Multiple tiers?? like the poor get tier #1 treatment.

Tier #2 gets a little better treatment.

Tier #3 gets really good care??

OR does EVERYONE put into the system and EVERYONE gets mediocre care??

Please explain your true national healthcare system. Thank you.

Eleanor wrote:

<quoted text>
Multiple tiers?? like the poor get tier #1 treatment.
Tier #2 gets a little better treatment.
Tier #3 gets really good care??
OR does EVERYONE put into the system and EVERYONE gets mediocre care??
Please explain your true national healthcare system. Thank you.

Yes.

Why should those who pay little or less get the top-shelf care.
I believe that everyone should have access to health care, reasonably priced.
I believe that there should be a more pricy system, where those who can afford more can get premium care.

Single payer prevents huge profits (gouging) for providers, or for insurers.

Mr_Bill wrote:

<quoted text>
Yes.
Why should those who pay little or less get the top-shelf care.
I believe that everyone should have access to health care, reasonably priced.
I believe that there should be a more pricy system, where those who can afford more can get premium care.
Single payer prevents huge profits (gouging) for providers, or for insurers.

Thanks for the info.

Massachusetts passed the law, it made the calculated decision to tackle the thorny issues of cost and quality later. Massachusetts' health-care costs have escalated at an unsustainable rate.

I don't remember that being part of the conversation when we passed Obamacare, wait a minute there was no conversation, they did not give the legislators or the public the chance to read the final bill before they shoved it down our throat. Nothing but a dirty back room deal kind of legislation no wonder it is unsustainable.

We need to dump this, elect Romney and repeal Obamacare before it becomes a unsustainable yoke around the us budgets neck.

Regardless of how things turned constitutionally or how they turn out in the next election, the biggest problem with the US healthcare system both predated Obamacare and will not be solved by Obamacare. It will still be here whether it is repealed or remains the law of the land.

The fact is we spend 18% of our GDP on healthcare, more than any other nation in the world and that is too much. The next closest country only spends 10% and has better life expectancy.

The way we finance healthcare is in a shambles, the way we buy it, the way we pay for it, and the way we use insurance. Almost half of Americans already receive their healthcare from government, government workers, military, Medicare, and Medicaid, that is half the country; it is not working or we would not be having these arguments, more government is not going to be the solution.

Employer based healthcare was an accident of history and is a bad idea. If you work for a small company your screwed if you work for a big company you have insurance. You don’t go to your employer and say I want to talk to you about my car insurance, or I want to talk to you about my homeowners insurance and you should not getting your health insurance from your employer either. Businesses have enough to worry about trying to stay afloat without being doctors. The GM bankruptcy and bailout would likely never have happened at all if GM just made cars. Employer based coverage is dysfunctional, it distorts the market, and takes decisions away from where they need to be made, with the patient.

When the employer first started paying for healthcare, you had a provider saying I am going to do this service someone is going to pay me, the insurance company. You had the insurance company saying someone provided the service I will reimburse them. You had the employee saying I don’t know whether I need this or not but it is covered so I’ll get it. That leaves you with the employer as the only one concerned with cost, what are they supposed to do? say here is your benefit don’t use it. Of course not.

In the old days it used to be just major medical that was covered, but now days people want the nickel and dime stuff covered too. It went from insurance to more like a healthcare payment plan. The problem with that is when you do the nickel and dime the insurance company instead of the paying you add layers of administration to the bill and the nickels and dimes become quarters.

Employers should not be paying for healthcare and we need for insurance companies to be insurance companies not healthcare payment plans. Once we do that then the people getting the services will be good consumers and pay attention to the cost.

We should end all government-provided health care in the U.S., and outlaw employer-provided health care. We should allow people to choose their own coverage, just like they do now with Auto, Home or Life insurance. But it should not be mandated for citizens to purchase it.

So what happens if someone who has chosen not to purchase it gets sick, in this scenario? Do we say "tough luck," and let people die, or do we provide care anyway? It's a tough societal question which should not be solved by re-creating the wheel for everyone else.

It is best to allow workers to choose between standardized plans from private health care companies, with the free market setting the price for the premiums. The low-income earners and the elderly would be given vouchers to cover much of the bill. But not all of it.

People have to have a little "skin" in the game, monetarily, it will make people much more concerned with improving their diet, exercising more, and generally taking care of their own health.

With the economic and health systems broken, and U.S. lifespans significantly trailing most other first-world countries, the solution is a radical one: individual responsibility, and individual coverage.

First we have to repeal Obama since he is to blind to the facts to do it.

Romney Hood vs Obamacare;-0000

Eleanor wrote:

<quoted text>
Thanks for the info.

...I know what you are thinking Eleanor...Mr Bill is one dumm dikkhed...!!

Joe B wrote:

<quoted text>...I know what you are thinking Eleanor...Mr Bill is one dumm dikkhed...!!

how u know Dr. Bill_mr!is dick chainey or maybee Ms_Bill! U is his gay friend dat he dump?!;-000h, don't get personne in here kids;)

Augustinkee 8th 2030 wrote:

<quoted text>
how u know Dr. Bill_mr!is dick chainey or maybee Ms_Bill! U is his gay friend dat he dump?!;-000h, don't get personne in here kids;)

...speak english ya ignorant azzho!..000h ;}{P h1//1/1??