Obamacare Upheld By Supreme Court

[nthlghts]

You read the law? WOW! Every expert says its a mine feild and uniterprtable, but you know! Listen to this readers the same crap in media, being told all good from the mouth of a fool.

Please check your facts. You are dead wrong.

[Restorium2]

Obamacare added a trillion dollars in new health care spending. To pay for it, the law raised taxes by $500 billion on everyone from middle-class families to innovative medical device makers, and then slashed $500 billion from Medicare.

That's not what the Doc from John Hopkins just said on the news. The only problem he could see was that more people would get their proper health care which would make it so we need more doctors. What a problem to have no?

[AKenewell]

No. I just listened to a doctor from John Hopkins and he said 30% MORE people will qualify for medicare now after ObamaCare. There is a TON of bad info and outright lies being spread to help Romney into office.

 

Lies..Obama is on tape saying Obamacare is not a tax. Then when he had to defend it he sent his solicitor general to the SC to argue it was exactly that.. a Tax. Many many more similar situations with Obama. Obama Lies..Freedom dies!!!

[cristinew]

Now we need to get more drs education please not prisons

[cristinew]

so do you all support Mitt and Bill S ??

[nthlghts]

I always agreed with this;

 

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

 

Ben Franklin

[cristinew]

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

 

as the republicans push the patriot act

[nthlghts]

Hmm government cut our throat with the patriot act. Citizen responds by cutting own throat for health care. Good point!

 

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

 

as the republicans push the patriot act

[cristinew]

do not forget about the NDAA another freedom ending bit brought to us by the republicans and dems

[thanks2]

It seems they are cutting Medicare funding by 500 billion over the next ten years. And increasing taxes by 500 billion over the next ten years. Much of the wait is going to be put on the lower and middle class. I am scared, Medicare is not the best ins. now, what can be cut from it?

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/spinning-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-obamacare/2012/06/28/gJQAuuou9V_blog.html

[Petyr]

It seems they are cutting Medicare funding by 500 billion over the next ten years. And increasing taxes by 500 billion over the next ten years. Much of the wait is going to be put on the lower and middle class. I am scared, Medicare is not the best ins. now, what can be cut from it?

 

http://www.washingto...uou9V_blog.html

 

You should actually read the articles you link.

 

We’ve already dealt with the tax issue; the $500 billion figure is essentially correct. But, as we have often noted, the claim about Medicare is technically correct but misleading.

 

Under the health-care bill, Medicare spending continues to go up year after year. The health-care bill tries to identify ways to save money, and so the $500 billion figure comes from the difference over 10 years between anticipated Medicare spending (what is known as “the baseline”) and the changes the law makes to reduce spending. (Look at slide 15 of

this interesting tutorial on the law’s impact on Medicare by the Kaiser Family Foundation to see a chart of the year-by-year savings.)

 

The savings actually are wrung from health-care providers, not Medicare beneficiaries. These spending reductions presumably would be a good thing, since virtually everyone agrees that Medicare spending is out of control. In the 2013 House Republican budget, lawmakers repealed the Obama health-care law but retained much of the Medicare savings — and even

sought an additional $205 billion beyond Obama’s budget. (Republicans argue they use Medicare savings for Medicare reform, not something new like the health-care law.)

 

The health-care law also raised Medicare payroll taxes by $113 billion over 10 years, further strengthening the program’s financial condition, a

ccording to the Congressional Budget Office. Since about half of the $500 billion stems from reduced outlays for Medicare hospitalization expenses, the payroll taxes and those reductions would add about $358 billion to

Medicare trust fund balances

 

 

.

 

Nothing is being cut, in fact Medicare will be strengthened due to these changes.

[thanks2]

You should actually read the articles you link.

 

 

 

Nothing is being cut, in fact Medicare will be strengthened due to these changes.

 

I did read it. It said spending on medicare is being cut by 500 billion over the next ten years. Did you read it?

 

Are you confused on how budget cuts are calculated? I am not. All cuts are calculated this way

Edited June 29, 2012 by thanks2

[mrd]

Look what we need is single payer health care. All the other industrialized countries do it that way and they pay half as much per head. Our healthcare generates so much heat in terms of money going to insurance companies and pharma. Lets not forget that the republicans at 3 in the morning passed the medicare drug bill that FORBIDS negotiating for price. Who benefited from that? The VA negotiates (i thought this was capitalism) and pays low prices and medicare has to pay what is asked. In whose book except big pharma thinks that negotiating price when you are a BIG purchaser is dumb?

Our system is very inefficient.

 

 

Also I have good insurance from my wife yet they are always denying coverage on meds saying that that is not in their spes for that illness despite my doctor prescribing it. So who is my doctor? We already have rationing through the insurance companies. They eat up 20-40% of the dollars they get in administrative costs and incredibly high salaries for their ceos who really produce nothing. The head of United Healthcare made one billion dollars over the course of 10 years. The new ceo is on the same path. Who is worth one hundred million a year? At least the pharmaceutical companies make a and invent their products.

 

Look at the rate of healthcare costs going up? What is the driver behind that ? It far exceeds inflation.

[Dr. Bob]

The one observation I will add, having not read or formed an opinion on the bill, is that with or without it, people will continue to get sick or hurt, and doctors will continue to treat them.

 

What is telling me is that those that DID read the bills, because they invest in the healthcare industry, made the 28th an interesting day on Wall St. Insurance Co stock WENT DOWN, whereas Hospital stock WENT UP?

 

How do we interpret this? Perhaps by taking out the abilty to 'cherry pick' healthy patients and toss sick ones under the bus, the insurance industry will be less profitable, therefore their stock will return less? That hospitals will finally get paid for all those ER visits by folks without insurance, because there will be fewer patients without any insurance or means to pay?

 

Someone pays for healthcare. The patient, the insurance co, the government, or the hospital. Many times, especially with the poor, who have more health problems than is their fair share, the patient cannot pay. The insurance companies regularily DON'T pay, and the government doesn't have a program to pay. The result is the hospital ends up paying for it (mostly because they employ people to do it, with equipment they have to buy), and can't make up the difference from other patients as the government and the insurance companies TELL THEM WHAT THEY CAN CHARGE, they don't even set their own prices.

 

I am taking a different approach in my practice, certifications/pain/suboxone. My theory is that healthcare costs are driven up by the added expense of dealing with insurance, in the setting of low cost visits. I think folks should have insurance for high dollar procedures, not low cost office visits. That is what I am going to do in my practice. I figure the cost of healthcare is about 35% higher than I can do it without having to deal with it, or hire staff to deal with it. While those that have good insurance may not like the higher 'co-pay' of paying for their visits, those that don't will appreciate the savings.

 

Either way, folks will continue to get sick, and doctors will continue to treat them. You don't check a wallet biopsy when a middle aged man shows up at an emergency room with chest pain, you treat first and ask questions later. It would be nice to eventually get paid for it.

 

Dr. Bob

[Celliach]

My dad said his medicare coverage has been cut because of this bill, is this true? Is rationing already starting?

 

It doesn't even go into effect until 2014. I have medicare too and nothing has been cut and there's no plans to cut it except for the Republican Paul Ryan's budget plan. I'm not sure why your dad would think his coverage was cut.

[Celliach]

Lies..Obama is on tape saying Obamacare is not a tax. Then when he had to defend it he sent his solicitor general to the SC to argue it was exactly that.. a Tax. Many many more similar situations with Obama. Obama Lies..Freedom dies!!!

And at the time he believed it wasn't a tax. The supreme court is the ones that said it was.

 

.....and here's the thing, the court said that the tax was the penalty for not getting insurance, not the insurance itself. If you decide not to get insurance, you will have to pay an extra "tax" to help the government pay for you if you end up in the emergency room.

[MightyMightyMezz]

My health plan is to educate Americans about truly healthy diet and exercise and repeal all laws against Cannabis. Can you imagine the savings? Not to mention the incalculable reduction in human suffering.

Edited June 29, 2012 by MightyMightyMezz

[Dr. Bob]

I have to admit that I am not impressed with medicare/medicaid as the model for a single payor system. Having WORKED at the VA, I can tell you the policy and procedures take precidence over care, and there is no incentive to see patients (they interfer with paperwork you see). Competition is good.

 

There are a couple of things I think would really be game changers. Automatic approval on charges of less the $100 (how many office visits would go to $99) would take so much of the hassle factor out of dealing with Medicare- the frustration of denied claims, the extra staff, the constant second guessing from the CMS 'auditors'- that would really encourage rank and file doctors to participate. User friendly software to help prepare the Medicare forms- so many claims are denied for 'diagnosis not consistant with procedure' for things as simple as a kidney check for patients on blood pressure medicine. When a form is rejected, we as doctors need to know why. This is a simple thing, but currently they just give a generic reason for denial and expect you to literally pour through HUNDREDS of pages of 'guidelines' first to translate the rejection code, then to try and guess why that code was used. Something as simple as you claim for a chem 7 was denied under this diagnosis, but here are three similar diagnosis codes that do approve it.

 

We don't need government regulation, we need clarification and streamlining. I fought with medicare in SC for 18 months over trimming toenails- no one in town would do it so I did. First the code was wrong, then the procedure code was wrong, then I didn't list a 'referring physician' because I actually was the doctor and I was listed one line above. Finally it was all perfect. Every code, every red medicare form, all typed in a stack 1.5 inches thick. Great they said, it is perfect. We are denying them all because trimming toenails isn't medically necessary.

 

And you wonder why doctors don't take it any more.

 

Dr. Bob

[Dr. Bob]

My health plan is to educate Americans about truly healthy diet and exercise and repeal all laws against Cannabis. Can you imagine the savings? Not to mention the incalculable reduction in human suffering.

 

Best post I've seen all day!

 

Dr. Bob

[Kevin]

Your an idiot! For people that complain about government tyranny, you liberal fools sure are stupid. More tyranny was just created then ever seen in this country. Most of the poor are lazy complainers, and I could care less about their needs. Maybe the fat and lazy poor should get of their donkey!

 

Such compassionate and intelligent soul you are. You must be a Republican.

 

May you never get into the unfortunate position where someone else has to care for your needs.

[quietone]

Watch the name calling people.

[AKenewell]

And at the time he believed it wasn't a tax. The supreme court is the ones that said it was.

 

.....and here's the thing, the court said that the tax was the penalty for not getting insurance, not the insurance itself. If you decide not to get insurance, you will have to pay an extra "tax" to help the government pay for you if you end up in the emergency room.

 

It is Obama's solicitor general that made the argument to the court that it should stand as a tax..he takes his direction from Obama himself.

[Celliach]

Your an idiot!

 

Actually it should have been written "You're an idiot!"

[Celliach]

It is Obama's solicitor general that made the argument to the court that it should stand as a tax..he takes his direction from Obama himself.

 

So you're against people paying a tax if they decide not to get insurance when they can afford it, so that we all don't have to share the extra cost of them ending up in the emergency room?

 

Should they just not get insurance and we cover them anyway?

[mrd]

Look Obamacare is very close to rommney care which is still working in MA. They have a high compliance rate because most people would like health insurance if it was affordable. OB care was modeled on the Republican ideas that were once put forth and popular amongst Repubs since it keeps private insurance companies in the game, but are now regarded as far too liberal. The name calling is all politics in an election year.

 

Rommney says he would do it differently but so far he has not revealed anything about that.

 

Dealing with bureaucracy is definitively frustrating and obviously improvements should be made. On the other hand medicare spends 3% for admin costs versus the 20-40% that private insurance gets. The government can do many things right. Just making sure you use it for what it does best and not where it is inefficent. Same goes for private industry.