The Obamacare Alternative

3 Responses to The Obamacare Alternative

1. Nidster says:

   November 15, 2012 at 7:25 pm

   So, as usual, the health care industry will continue to ratchet out-of-control because there is no real incentive to be competitive when a 3rd party is paying the bills. The comparison of costs for the same medical procedure given in the article shows the problem: The Surgery Center all-inclusive cost is $5,885 vs. Integris cost of $33,505, which is not all-inclusive. The Surgery Center can do the procedure for about 17% of what Integris charges the insurance companies and or the government.

   Open competition is exactly what the most informed critics said was needed in terms of health care reform. What we are saddled with (in almost every industry) is something akin to corruption and abuse of the system. The idea of Self-funded companies paying their employees health care cost is OK, but if individuals were in charge of shopping for health care, and paying the cost directly out-of-pocket things would change dramatically for the better.

   Also needed very badly is tort reform and a separate penal colony for lawyers and judges unless they can prove their innocence beyond reasonable doubt.

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2. jackkeats says:

   November 24, 2012 at 11:34 am

   There is a broad range of prices for any commodity in a free market. Most folks can’t shop for health care services because of the insurance plan their employer has chosen for them.
   This is a really complex problem, even for those of us in the industry.
   On the matter of tort reform, that ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, due to the dreaded unintended consequences.
   When damages are limited, you can’t find a lawer who will take a legitmate case because the damages aren’t enough to cover the cost of fighting the insurance company’s lawyers, See Erin Brocovitch. Or go to one of those states that have tort reform on the books and check with the lawyers there about taking a malpractice case. So what happens to the quality of care when a poor doc can move there and afford to practice?
   As I see it, a major problem has been that our medical system is already socialized. A big chunck of the rising rates are being passed on by the insurance industry from medicare & medicade demanding services they are unwilling to pay for.
   Demographics are a bitch. Our population is rapidly retiring and 90% are not prepared for it. Wait until Obamacare tries to swallow that economic
   pill, after having killed off the rest of the insurance industry!
   These government people have no idea what they are getting into. Government administration costs are usually twice what the private sector runs, and I don’t want to be sick while trying to deal with a snotty “civil servant” who I can’t complain about or my file “gets lost”.
   I’m wearing my bullet proof vest. This nation is too well armed.

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   • Nidster says:

     November 24, 2012 at 10:47 pm

     The government people have a precise idea of what they are doing. The plan is well known and is proceeding as designed, which is to grow the number of government employees, kill the private insurance industry and to ‘hell’ with retirees. A recent article was published in September or October that admits the so-called ‘death panels’ are a major part of the plan.

     Don’t misunderstand my sentiments, there is to be too much money being spent on the health care system. The problems only appear to be complex because of all the unnecessary layers that are not needed. If individuals were in charge of shopping for their own health care, and paying the cost directly out-of-pocket, things would change dramatically for the better.

     I do think there are lawyers and judges who are honest, which is the reason for allowing the innocent to have the opportunity to prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

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