whats wrong with the current health care reform bill:
1. Illegal aliens are not excluded
2. Congressmen are excluded (remember all the rhetoric about every American deserving the same health coverage that they get?) Do as I say not as I do.
3. It does nothing to ensure private health plans will be able to compete and stay in business
4. It will balloon an already inflated federal deficit by another trillion dollars over the next 10 years (by their own estimation which is always about half of the real cost)
5. It will mean less pay for physicians and that will lead to a shortage just like it has in Canada and the UK. If I am an Indian or Philippine doctor, I will no longer have any incentive to move the the US to practice. I'll just stay home.
Top 5 reasons healthcare in America is broken
Summary
What's wrong with the healhcare system in the U.S.? Insuremonkey.com's CEO Alex Rivlin says the big problem is that we only focus on taking care of the sick people.
Topics
Commentary - Here are the Top 5 reasons healthcare in America is broken:
5. Doctors are rewarded for prescribing drugs. Big pharmaceutical companies are known to hand out “consulting agreements” worth more than your annual salary to doctors who prescribe their drugs like candy. And unlike contributions to political candidates, there is no way to track what doctors are considered “top-performers” and receiving the most lavish gifts. This is one of the worst practices I can think of that drives a stake right through the heart of healthcare’s credibility.
4. Big Healthcare, i.e. pharmaceutical companies, hospital networks, insurers and their support industries, spend hundreds of millions each year lobbying Congress to make sure there are not major changes to the business structure we call healthcare. They have a vested interest in keeping things the same (again, see #1) which is good for some and bad for many.
3. Tens of millions of healthy people choose not to pay for health insurance, putting the financial solvency of the system at risk. This leaves those that do pay into the insurance system paying more. The concept of insurance is to spread the cost so that when you need help, you are not buried under steep bills that you could not possibly afford to pay back. So those who opt out are cheating everyone else. Including, probably, their own family and friends.
2. We are killing ourselves. Our choices bring on diabetes, heart-attack-inducing high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity, chronic illness, and the like. We eat crap. We supersize it. We consider the walk from the parking lot to our office exercise. We only see the doctor when we get sick. Even then, we only listen to the prescribed advice about half the time. And we’re totally aghast at the increasing costs of care when we get really sick.
And the #1 reason healthcare in America is broken...
1. The current system is set up to reward sickness. Doctors get paid when you see them. And you only see them when something’s wrong, right? Hospitals get paid when someone gets injured or is sick. Pharmaceutical companies make outrageous profits when their drugs are prescribed (and they lavish gifts worth more than your annual salary to the doctors who prescribe the most…see #5). Insurance companies take in more money when there are more sick people to cover. Everything revolves around us being sick.
biography
Alex Rivlin is CEO of InsureMonkey
Talkback Most Recent of 193 Talkback(s)
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zmud16th Jul 2009 -
2 remarks
Zmud: "It will mean less pay for physicians and that will lead to a shortage just like it has in Canada and the UK".
Wrong. The shortage of doctors in Canada is not due to low pay. It is due to two factors: (1) The liberal government of some time ago drastically reduced incentives to become doctor. Less influx in medical schools = less output of doctors later (=now); (2) The medical professional associations furiously defend their turf: they have a vested interest in keeping the number of doctors low - and therefore salaries high. Yes, salaries are high.
Blogger: "So those who opt out are cheating everyone else".
Wrong. They make a choice not to consume medical services (except for emergency care); alternatively they pay for it themselves.
nizuse16th Jul 2009 -
Here's why your comlpaints are misguided
1. Illegal aliens. If we don't insure them, they'll go to the emergency room. Emergency room costs more then preventative medicine. Hence, including illegal aliens lowers cost in the long run if they are educated to use it for preventative measures. Is it a challange? Yes, yes it is, but fact remains.
2. Congressmen excluded - I'll give you that one. GOod point.
3. Private health plans - if they can't compete they need to go out of business anyway. Its how capitalism works. I thought you right-wingers were all about that - you know.. free market always can do stuff cheaper then government? Well, time to put your money where your mouth is.
4. another trillion over 10 years. OK. Now tell me the expected costs associated with health problems that arise as a result of people NOT being insured. You know what THAT answer is?
Well, "according to the 2007 Milken Institute report, An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease, the implementation of a national effort focused on prevention, early detection and chronic disease management could save the country hundreds of billions annually, with savings surpassing a trillion dollars annually in about 15 years."
(source: http://www.uspreventivemedicine.com/News/Press-Room/USPM-News/U-S--Preventive-Medicine---Healthcare-Savings-More.aspx)
So an extra trillion over the next 10 years compared to a trillion in savings EVERY YEAR. now lets see.. what is 10 x $1,000,000,000. Wheres my calculator again?
THe point here is that you citing the extra costs without also citing the associated cost savings in other areas is naiive, short sighted, and a terrible way to think about the issue.
5. Disincentive to become doctor - this was already responded to by someone more knowlegable then I on this topic so I'll let that argument rest. But you know, there ARE people who actually become doctors because, you know, its their passion and interest, not $$$. People caring about $$$ go to business or law school (or at least they used to, and probably will again in 3-5 when credit markets free up again).
In conclusion, I hope you reconsider your opinion on the issue and do some further research. As it is, you are simply quoting various propaganda that has little basis in logic or fact.
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
gnesterenko16th Jul 2009 -
Seriously?
1. Do you also think illegals should have driver's licenses? I think you do.
3. Private health plans competing with a taxpayer-subsidized plan is NOT "how capitalism works". Seriously?!?
4. You are comparing apples and oranges. The savings can be realized without a public health plan's TRILLION $ burden on American tax payers. And.. don't think that the cost of a public health plan will only be $1T. We are looking at $2T+.
henrikjahn116th Jul 2009 -
response
1. In fact I DO think illegals should have drivers licenses. THe alternative is them driving ANYWAY without one and when they rear-end me they'll just hit and run and I'm stuck paying the deductable. Plus there's enough terrible drivers on the roads as it is.
2. Well lets see. UPS and FedEx seem to be competing just fine with USPS. Private lenders did just fine vs government lenders. Private schools do just fine vs public schools. Ok that last one is debatable - one offers education but a sheltered environment while the other offers terrible education but is great for developing kids' social skills.
Second, at the moment, privat health plans have effective geographical monopolies. Kinds of like cable companies - sure they have competition, but for the place you work/live, they are usually the only option. For instance, I have zero choice with my health care - I get AEtna cause thats what my employer has. How is that real competition. In fact, a tax-subsidized plan would introduce competition where previously there has been ZERO competition.
4. I don't think I'm comparing apples and oranges at all. Its money that we as a public have to spend. We either pay it little by little into a health plan, or we roll the dice and hope that we aren't the ones that have to dish out the BIG payments for serious illenesses. Its redistributing the losses amongst everyone. The cost savings to our society through preventative medicine are huge, as I mentioned, upwards of a trillion a year. Sure the person paying the taxes may not see the actual savings if they didn't get sick otherwise, so it will benefit some while hurting others, thats for sure. But if we are talking about the good for our country as a whole, you need to look at the total picture of our expenses which is = taxes + personal spending. If taxes increase, but personal spending decreases by vastly greater amount, thats a win for the country as a whole. You may not see that as a worth-while goal, and thats fine. The majority of us do however.
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."gnesterenko17th Jul 2009 -
Nonsense
Your thinking is nonsense and reflects our current political leadership. It would be nice if you and yours could be governed the way you see fit and the rest of us could put our individual efforts toward sensible health care for us and ours. Unfortunately, we're stuck in the same boat with you.
I suggest you follow a healthy lifestyle, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get an annual physical, prevent health issues before they begin, explore other ways of treating diseases than pharmaceuticals, and learn to spell.
djsmith@...17th Jul 2009 -
That's the sad thing about the koolaid drinkers
I have incentive to stay healthy. My insurance is good and is half covered by my work. It's still expensive when I get sick. Now, I get to pay a huge tax, and by all reasonable assumptions, lose my private insurance when they can't compete with Obamacare. Soon, nothing I can do will control my medical costs.
I'm telling you now, this has nothing to do with Illegal aliens (who should be deported, not insured), or the 2% of the population who are truly uninsured (they are covered now!). This is about a power grab. I never took a handout I didn't earn. Now, I will FORCED to participate in a social program.
20kwfence17th Jul 2009 -
Well, I give up
Some people refuse to see the light. Perhaps in a few years when the see the benefits actually materialize, they'll realize that maybe they were listening to folks that actually had no idea what they were talking about. BUt then again, I fully expect those folk to shout that they were for the idea all along. Its fine. Us left-wingers will help the country thanklessly, yet again. We're kind of getting used to it. At least the younger generation isn't a completely lost cause, thank GOD.gnesterenko18th Jul 2009 -
Words from Obama:
"If you like your doctors, you can keep them. If you like your health insurance, you can keep that too."
If they can't compete, and go under? It's because they couldn't compete with something that doesn't charge 30 cents out of a dollar on overhead. It's THEIR fault that they don't have a viable business plan, not Obama's.
Remember, this is what Free Market is all about. Good products stay, bad companies die.
Michael Alan Goff22nd Jul 2009 -
What a Waste
I will keep it short and let this be my last response to you. Your thinking is so skewed that I will not waste any more time. Let the readers make the call...
1. I knew it.... Do you really think issuing driver's licenses to illegals will make them purchase auto insurance???
2. The USPS receives very limited subsidies, which are related to the government/public postal deliveries. Do some homework.
That's it. I'm done.
What damage Obama has already done will catch up with us soon. If a public health plan is also pushed through, we will see the disastrous results even sooner. Either way, I am sure his frivolous spending will catch up with us before the next election. That's the only good thing to come out of this. Our children and grand children will pay dearly!henrikjahn117th Jul 2009 -
Ignorant and short-sighted
As I read your responses to this poster time and again I see that the other poster answers to your query and then you respond with further queries instead of acknowledging the facts affronted in the name of proving the argument.
You stated that "the readers" should make the call, well here it is: you failed to respond to valid debate and your points hold no credibility because they lack sources, whereas the other poster clearly indicated their sources and had credible points.
Therefore, you lose.
kckn4fun17th Jul 2009 -
How Sad
It is not about winning or losing - it is about the debate. What are YOU bringing to the table? Nothing!henrikjahn118th Jul 2009 -
Yep, they'll pay. Oh boy will they pay!
All that being "healthy" stuff will totally kill them. And the fact that we're paying for it, mostly, with money in the system? They'll be getting it without breaking THEIR bank.
How will they learn anything if they don't have to decide between eating and going to the doctor?!Michael Alan Goff22nd Jul 2009 -
On illegals
Don't treat them at all. Or send the bill to their country. The solutions are there, but the problem is most liberals lack the back bone to exercise the solution.
I don't really care, if you are a legal citizen that pays into the tax base and supports the national and local economy then you have every right to access our resources as needed. But if you are here illegally, not paying into the tax base and undermining the local and national economy by sending the greater majority of your illegally earned wages south... you don't deserve a damn thing from this nation or it's services. It's really simple.
Legal citizen you get it, illegal you don't. If you die, we ship you back to your country and bill them for the storage, handling and shipping fees. After all they are citizen of Mexico and other southern nations... it's their problem not ours.
NOW if a person comes in LEGALLY and follows the RULES and learns the language and so forth then they earn their in for services. It's so simple... really it is.
Linux User 14756016th Jul 2009 -
wow
good luck pushing THAT one through... any elected body at all. You realize of course that for every illegal there is a legal relative with voting power right? Your world entirely idealistic and hence completely unrealistic. Sorry.
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."gnesterenko17th Jul 2009
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