RWs, how do we fix our shitty healthcare system?

Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.
 
the exemptions and deductions were put in the tax code by congress to incentivize certain behaviors and investments.

Yes, a massive government behavioral control program. Yep.

Most of the tax code was written by liberal democrats who have controlled congress for most of the last 80 years.

You made that part up. It's something you want to believe that has no basis in fact. The fact is that both parties have corrupted the tax code to legislatively tilt the playing field to favor their donors.



But I agree with you, everyone should pay the same tax rate regardless of how much money they make. That would be "fair". Why don't you support any of the flat tax plans?
I support the Fair Tax. We should be taxing consumption, not production. Another conservative bedrock principle.

But as I keep saying, EVERY tax plan is just as likely to be corrupted by exemptions, deductions, and credits unless we flat out ban them. Any tax plan that does not ban tax expenditures as a starting point is doomed to the same failure as the current tax scheme.
 
The starting point of Ted Cruz's and Rand Paul's tax plans is a banning of tax expenditures.

Ted Cruz leaves only the mortgage interest deduction, plus a generic deduction for everyone, which is stupid. It's like taxing you seven cents, and giving you back two cents, when it would be smarter and simpler to just tax you five cents. It's this stupid con game which makes the rubes think the two cents back means "I get to keep my money".

Nonetheless, this massive elimination of most tax expenditures is a great start and about the only thing I really like about Cruz.
 
Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.


Read more: What is the usual profit margin for a company in the insurance sector? | Investopedia What is the usual profit margin for a company in the insurance sector? | Investopedia
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook
Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.
"The best estimates of the average insurance company net profit margin are between 3 and 8%, with a likely median average around 4 to 5%.' Just googled it like you said. So that's 4 to 5 percent extra cost for consumers on top of what big farma makes, and what it costs more to run those companies in a competitve enviremont. The solution is a governement run health insurance.

Read more: What is the usual profit margin for a company in the insurance sector? | Investopedia What is the usual profit margin for a company in the insurance sector? | Investopedia
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook
 
Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.
Yeah because they can. That is the problem with our healthcare system. Patents aside, the same drug being sold in the US is being sold in Canada and Western Europe for a fraction of the cost.
 
We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.
Yeah because they can. That is the problem with our healthcare system. Patents aside, the same drug being sold in the US is being sold in Canada and Western Europe for a fraction of the cost.
part of the problem is the fear of litigation if someone takes a pill wrong, or the wrong pill or too much or, anything.
America has become a nation of idiots with lawyers.
Look at any product sold. a stove comes with a warning that the burners get hot, why? because if some retard puts his hand on the hot burner, and gets burned, if there was no warning the manufacturer gets sued for negligence.
Same with food processors, the bitch is chewing up a damn carrot, what would common sense tell you its going to do to your finger when you stick it in the rotating blades? another warning sign so they don't get sued.
Generally speaking, I tend to think Europeans are just a bit smarter, and if they do engage in some stupidity, their courts are going to laugh them right back out the door.
 
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?


competition, dingworthy. When companies compete, prices go down. When insurance companies compete across state lines, prices will go down.

The other thing that would help drug prices would be to reduce the length of patents, get generics in the market sooner.
More competition would help to a small degree, but there is no way that would be enough. In fact there's evidence that competing across state lines wouldn't do anything at all. Our healthcare system is a business like any other. Where is the incentive for them to lower the cost of premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles dramatically when they are making 10s of billions in profit every year from it? These prices have not stopped increasing for decades.


Aw, the rich capitalists are making money. Do you know what profit rate health insurance companies make? Google it, its not what you think.

Now, the drug companies, that's a completely different story. Big pharma is raping us and using some of the profits to bribe congresspersons to leave them alone.

competition would bring drug prices down, why do they need a 16 year patent on a new drug? Why are they selling you Cialis for $42/pill? answer: because they can.
Yeah because they can. That is the problem with our healthcare system. Patents aside, the same drug being sold in the US is being sold in Canada and Western Europe for a fraction of the cost.
part of the problem is the fear of litigation if someone takes a pill wrong, or the wrong pill or too much or, anything.
America has become a nation of idiots with lawyers.
Look at any product sold. a stove comes with a warning that the burners get hot, why? because if some retard puts his hand on the hot burner, and gets burned, if there was no warning the manufacturer gets sued for negligence.
Same with food processors, the bitch is chewing up a damn carrot, what would common sense tell you its going to do to your finger when you stick it in the rotating blades? another warning sign so they don't get sued.
Generally speaking, I tend to think Europeans are just a bit smarter, and if they do engage in some stupidity, their courts are going to laugh them right back out the door.
But of course you are forgetting the burden of proof against powerful corporate lawyers.
 
We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?

You didn't specifically mention prescriptions. Competition will lower Heath insurance costs, as far a prescriptions go, I'm not sure if the GOP plan on that. I'm sure there is one.
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
 
And how, in anyway, would that lower the cost of medical services like prescriptions?

You didn't specifically mention prescriptions. Competition will lower Heath insurance costs, as far a prescriptions go, I'm not sure if the GOP plan on that. I'm sure there is one.
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
'I'm from Belgium my wife's American, so I speak from first hand experience and in the US there are alot of costs that we simply don't have. No need for advertising for instance, there simply wouldn't be any point. Alot of jobs you guys need to keep those umpteen insurance companies administratively running, pharmecy tech's spring to mind immediatly. No wait for meds because they don't have to call the insurance company to ask if they cover said meds. No let's sue the doctor mentality. In short we don't have most of those things wich have nothing to do with the core business of providing healthcare and drive up cost unneccessarily. Resulting in a more efficient, cheaper system.'This is a repost predfan. So you can socialize it. We do it. It's basicly political will. I'm willing to compare both cost and quality with you.
 
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You didn't specifically mention prescriptions. Competition will lower Heath insurance costs, as far a prescriptions go, I'm not sure if the GOP plan on that. I'm sure there is one.
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
'I'm from Belgium my wife's American, so I speak from first hand experience and in the US there are alot of costs that we simply don't have. No need for advertising for instance, there simply wouldn't be any point. Alot of jobs you guys need to keep those umpteen insurance companies administratively running, pharmecy tech's spring to mind immediatly. No wait for meds because they don't have to call the insurance company to ask if they cover said meds. No let's sue the doctor mentality. In short we don't have most of those things wich have nothing to do with the core business of providing healthcare and drive up cost unneccessarily. Resulting in a more efficient, cheaper system.'This is a repost predfan. So you can socialize it. We do it. It's basicly political will. I'm willing to compare both cost and quality with you.

No, you have those costs, your taxes pay for them.
 
Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how would you go about doing that? There are 35 health insurance companies in the US that provide either directly or through subsidiaries, 99% of all private health insurance. In the 1980's and 90's the number of companies in the US were increasing but by the 2000, mergers and acquisitions began reducing the competition. In 2009, the industry seem to freeze mergers and acquisitions waiting to see the effects of Obamacare. However, the parts of law designed to increase competition has failed to do so. Now with the law fully implemented, the industry is pursuing mergers and acquisitions once again with a vengeance.

The federal government is prohibited by law from taking any action and therefore it is up to the state insurance commissions. The problem is state insurance commission are political and most of them are heavily influenced by companies doing business in their state and are not likely to take any action.
ACA regulation cut insurers' non medical spending from 30% to 20%. Just the beginning. It also made Big Health and hospitals report all their prices. Next, reform.
 
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
'I'm from Belgium my wife's American, so I speak from first hand experience and in the US there are alot of costs that we simply don't have. No need for advertising for instance, there simply wouldn't be any point. Alot of jobs you guys need to keep those umpteen insurance companies administratively running, pharmecy tech's spring to mind immediatly. No wait for meds because they don't have to call the insurance company to ask if they cover said meds. No let's sue the doctor mentality. In short we don't have most of those things wich have nothing to do with the core business of providing healthcare and drive up cost unneccessarily. Resulting in a more efficient, cheaper system.'This is a repost predfan. So you can socialize it. We do it. It's basicly political will. I'm willing to compare both cost and quality with you.

No, you have those costs, your taxes pay for them.
60 to 30 % of our costs...
 
You didn't specifically mention prescriptions. Competition will lower Heath insurance costs, as far a prescriptions go, I'm not sure if the GOP plan on that. I'm sure there is one.
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
'I'm from Belgium my wife's American, so I speak from first hand experience and in the US there are alot of costs that we simply don't have. No need for advertising for instance, there simply wouldn't be any point. Alot of jobs you guys need to keep those umpteen insurance companies administratively running, pharmecy tech's spring to mind immediatly. No wait for meds because they don't have to call the insurance company to ask if they cover said meds. No let's sue the doctor mentality. In short we don't have most of those things wich have nothing to do with the core business of providing healthcare and drive up cost unneccessarily. Resulting in a more efficient, cheaper system.'This is a repost predfan. So you can socialize it. We do it. It's basicly political will. I'm willing to compare both cost and quality with you.
I think your best option is to move back where things are done better
 
Competition would not be nearly enough to bring costs down. We are talking about 10s of billions of profit per year. Why would they give that up? They might lower their prices with more competition, but they would never dramatically reduce their prices which is what's needed. Hell if anything the completion would just keep prices from increasing further which again would mean shit for making healthcare affordable for poor people.

Absolutely untrue. Competition would do it, but I don't expect you to agree, because that would end your rant against the GOP. You asked the question, I have you the answer. You don't like the answer? Hey, I can't force you to learn anything.
I don't deny that competition would help. My point is that wouldn't nearly be enough. It is a for profit system. That means poor people are going to get the shaft. Deductibles, premiums, and prescription costs have only increased the last couple of decades while wages remained flat. At this rate, many in the middle class won't be able to afford basic treatment for cancer. Poor people sure as hell cant. The best we can hope for is prices to stabilize but even that wouldn't be enough to fix the problem.

Can't save everyone and socializing it will give everyone poor healthcare. It's time for us to stop making poverty a viable option for people.
'I'm from Belgium my wife's American, so I speak from first hand experience and in the US there are alot of costs that we simply don't have. No need for advertising for instance, there simply wouldn't be any point. Alot of jobs you guys need to keep those umpteen insurance companies administratively running, pharmecy tech's spring to mind immediatly. No wait for meds because they don't have to call the insurance company to ask if they cover said meds. No let's sue the doctor mentality. In short we don't have most of those things wich have nothing to do with the core business of providing healthcare and drive up cost unneccessarily. Resulting in a more efficient, cheaper system.'This is a repost predfan. So you can socialize it. We do it. It's basicly political will. I'm willing to compare both cost and quality with you.
I think your best option is to move back where things are done better
My advice is to learn something SOME DAY, ugly American hater dupe of the greedy idiot billionaire GOP..
.
 
The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb...able=58&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=2008&LastYear=2010
4 = http://www.prudentbear.com/index.php/household-sector-debt-of-gdp
4 = http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/
5/6 = http://www.businessinsider.com/15-c...lity-in-america-2010-4?slop=1#slideshow-start

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts
 
REDFISH SAID:
Most of the tax code was written by liberal democrats who have controlled congress for most of the last 80 years.

Ay caramba....ACTUALLY, Reagan cut the top tax rate by more than half, doubled the payroll tax on the nonrich, and state and local taxes and fees went up so much in reaction that now ALL on average pay 20 to 30% and all the new wealth goes to the richest...
 
The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
4 = Federated Prudent Bear Fund (A): Overview
4 = FRB: Z.1 Release--Financial Accounts of the United States--December 10, 2015
5/6 = 15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts



Wonder what happened in 1982....
 
What do you mean by arcane middle ages billing processes?
THEY know, they know. Nobody else does.
They get lots of info from the hospitals and Big Pharm with ACA. Next they can use it for regulation.

YOU SAID a mouthful.. "use it for regulation"!

Did you ever think that there may be too much regulation???
-- The International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD-10) contains 141,060 code sets used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures.
That’s a 712 percent increase over the 19,817 code sets in the currently used ICD-9 version.
--- As we have noted before, physicians are already spending 22 percent of their time interacting with insurers on formularies, claims, billing, credentialing,
pre-authorizations, and quality measure data. The workload can only increase with the new codes.
Healthcare Is Turning Into An Industry Focused On Compliance, Regulation Rather Than Patient Care

How the U.S. Health-Care System Wastes $750 Billion Annually
How the U.S. Health-Care System Wastes $750 Billion Annually
More than 18 months in the making, the report identified six major areas of waste:
unnecessary services ($210 billion annually);
inefficient delivery of care ($130 billion);
excess administrative costs ($190 billion);
inflated prices ($105 billion);
prevention failures ($55 billion), and
fraud ($75 billion).
Adjusting for some overlap among the categories, the panel settled on an estimate of $750 billion.
Your post seems to be a general rant about healthcare.
FYI, ICD codes have nothing to do with government regulations. ICD (International Classification of Disease) listing assigns a code to essentially every know disease and all medically recognized treatments. Without ICD codes, computerized claim processing and billing would be virtually impossible. The ICD as we know it has been around for over a 150 years.

Most of what we call waste in the healthcare industry is unavoidable in American healthcare because there is no way of determine the full cost of diagnosis and treatment or whether it will be successful until after the services have been rendered. Furthermore, it's the people that are selling the service who actually determine the need for service. Pre-authorization is usually just a formality that delays the rendering of the service. The problem is fee for service which encourages waste and over-utilization.

So you have NO problem with what doctors have told us are over $850 billion a year in duplicate testing, referrals, all out of fear of lawsuits? You think they made that up?

http://www.jacksonhealthcare.com/media/8968/defensivemedicine_ebook_final.pdf

90% of physicians surveyed say they order $850 billion a year in wasted duplicate tests, referrals all out of FEAR of being SUED!
--- Emergency medicine, primary care, and OB/GYN physicians are most likely to practice defensive medicine.
--- 79 to 83% of surgeons and OB/GYNs have been named in lawsuits.
"Physicians contracted by the federal government practice significantly less defensive medicine as they are protected against lawsuits by the
1946 Federal Tort Claims Act. "
-- BUT........Only 48% practice defensive medicine compared to 92% of non-government physicians.
Consider that fact that of the physicians interviewed 52% DID NOT practice defensive medicine!
Who were they? Doctors contracted by federal government!
WHY did these doctors NOT practice "defensive medicine"??? 1946 Tort reform!
I have a problem with the study. In a 2014 study led by the Cleveland Clinic and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, fives years after the Jackson Healthcare study researchers asked a few dozen physicians in three hospital medicine services to estimate the defensiveness of their own orders. Fully 28% of 4,200-plus orders were reported by physicians as being at least partially defensive, but only 2.9% were seen as completely defensive in nature. The Cleveland Clinic study cited a national cost estimate of $46 billion related to defensive medicine, not $850 billion dollars. Also when doctors were asked would tort reform result in a significant decrease in healthcare cost, 80% said no.

Rarely is defensive medicine the sole reason why a doctor orders more than required number of tests. When doctors where asked, they cited requests by the patient, age of the previous test, not trusting the test, unable to locate the test, and fear legal action. When doctors were asked would they still practice defensive medicine after tort reform, 72% of the doctors said yes. The reason being doctors do not want to go to court regardless of the amount of the lawsuit.

The defensive medicine balancing act
Cost of Defensive Medicine


 
Ok so you hate ObamaCare. Whatever. You hate anything Obama comes up with so you come across like disingenuous douche bags anyway.

How do we fix our healthcare woes? What, exactly, should be done to curb the increasing cost to the consumer of healthcare costs while wages have remained flat? Keep in mind that healthcare costs have been increasing long before ObamaCare. With that in mind, why was our healthcare system ever feasible?

Just agree that legislation is what's needed to cap expenses such as prescriptions. In the end more socialization is what's needed to fix our system. Despite what the Neanderthals on Fox News will tell you, Canada's healthcare system works. 91% of Canadians favor their system over the US's system. Western Europe also has great, affordable healthcare systems.

Change of Subject: Never mind the anecdotes: Do Canadians like their health-care system?

WHO | World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems

"The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy."

Yes medical care here is sophisticated, but that hardly means jack shit if most Americans can't benefit from it.

We have been answering this question since before Obamacare. Get rid of the regulations that favor the industry and open up health insurance to the forces of the free market. Problem solved.
And how would you go about doing that? There are 35 health insurance companies in the US that provide either directly or through subsidiaries, 99% of all private health insurance. In the 1980's and 90's the number of companies in the US were increasing but by the 2000, mergers and acquisitions began reducing the competition. In 2009, the industry seem to freeze mergers and acquisitions waiting to see the effects of Obamacare. However, the parts of law designed to increase competition has failed to do so. Now with the law fully implemented, the industry is pursuing mergers and acquisitions once again with a vengeance.

The federal government is prohibited by law from taking any action and therefore it is up to the state insurance commissions. The problem is state insurance commission are political and most of them are heavily influenced by companies doing business in their state and are not likely to take any action.
I'm always amazed really, how so many Americans believe that the free market is a cure for everything. In my opinion there are certain area's where 'for profit' shouldn't be applicable. Health and education being the best examples. Private companies have no business profiting from persons misfortune. Every penny a company takes in profit is a penny that excludes ppl from receiving care.
There hasn't been significant competition in the healthcare industry since we banned the sale of snake oil to cure disease. The industry is highly regulated by federal, state, and local government as well as associations such the AMA, ANA, American Hospital Association, and a number of other professional groups. Startup costs and licensing requirements in most segments of healthcare are very high which dampens competition. 82% of the our hospitals and nearly half our nursing homes are either non-profit or operated by a governmental body. Almost half of our doctors do not own their practice.

Clearly the healthcare industry is not and has not been a profit orientated industry. What's amazing is that conservatives over the last 10 years have touted free market completion in healthcare as a solution for the high cost healthcare.
 

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