You want to "fix" healthcare?

[Claudette]

Just a little anecdote to offer.

The last time I went to the ER was about 8 or 9 years ago. I was moving some furniture I'm my house barefoot and in the process broke my toe. Literally snapped it in two and it was pointed towards my heel.
After getting it set in the ER and getting a referral to an orthopedic surgeon I offered to pay for the bill. I don't remember the exact conversation but was basically told that wasn't possible and they couldn't even give me the bill. I had to wait weeks for the bill to come in the mail. I went back and asked for a cash price as I only carried catastrophic and they told me that I could fill out financial assistance forms! I told them I wasn't looking for assistance and wouldn't qualify anyways and was just looking for a cash price that didn't include fees for dealing with insurance companies.
The bill was absurdly high and no discount was given.

They need to open up the country to all the insurance companies.

Competition will bring the price down because people are going to shop for the best price they can get.

 

[Flopper]

Just a little anecdote to offer.

The last time I went to the ER was about 8 or 9 years ago. I was moving some furniture I'm my house barefoot and in the process broke my toe. Literally snapped it in two and it was pointed towards my heel.
After getting it set in the ER and getting a referral to an orthopedic surgeon I offered to pay for the bill. I don't remember the exact conversation but was basically told that wasn't possible and they couldn't even give me the bill. I had to wait weeks for the bill to come in the mail. I went back and asked for a cash price as I only carried catastrophic and they told me that I could fill out financial assistance forms! I told them I wasn't looking for assistance and wouldn't qualify anyways and was just looking for a cash price that didn't include fees for dealing with insurance companies.
The bill was absurdly high and no discount was given.

They need to open up the country to all the insurance companies.

Competition will bring the price down because people are going to shop for the best price they can get.

There is nothing in Obamacare that prevents insurance companies from going nationwide. State regulations are a significant barrier but they are not the big problem.

Selling insurance in a new region or state takes more than just getting a license and including all the locally required benefits. It also involves setting up favorable contracts with doctors and hospitals so that customers will be able to get access to health care. Establishing those networks of health care providers can be hard for new market entrants and costly. The areas where more competition is badly needed are rural areas in which revenue potential is low and establishing networks are the most difficult.

The barriers to entry into new markets are not regulatory. They are financial and the problems associated with establishing networks. The democrats were not able to solve this problem and doubt the republicans will either.