“According to the insurance industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, administrative costs for private health insurance plans have averaged approximately 12% of premiums over the last 40 years.”“A 2003 study published by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association also found that health insurer administrative costs were approximately 11% to 12% of premiums, with Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans reporting slightly lower administrative costs, on average, than commercial insurers.107 For the period 1998 through 2003, average insurer administrative costs declined from 12.9% to 11.6% of premiums.”“According to a report published by the CBO in 2008, administrative costs for private insurance represent approximately 12% of premiums.”Then there’s Ezra Klein, who I don’t always agree with, but who has some interesting data, where he claims the cost of Medicare is 2-5%, but private insurance is 7-30% based on size of organization insured. The bigger the company, the cheaper the healthcare. This suggests — and even he sees it — that large-scale single-payer would save us immense amounts of money on healthcare in administrative costs alone.http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/administrative_costs_in_health.html
A Republican already did create a health care program that works better than Obamacare. Obamacare is based on Romney’s program when he was governor, which borrowed a lot of ideas from suggestions made by Nixon. And, Romneycare works well enough that it’s approval rating is in the 80’s.is actually Social Security and Medicare also started out with a lot of glitches and strong Republican opposition. They now have high approval ratings. Nothing this huge begins with out some problems, but in ten years, Obamacare will be popular, and the Republicans will be claiming that it was their idea, which unlike most Republican talking points is actually sorta true.
Glad to see you realize I’m correct.Have you ever been on Medicaid?If not, I suggest you ask somebody who is how they like their healthcare and then weigh in on whether or not it would be good to have everybody on Medicaid.
There is really no question what the biggest problem is with healthcare in this country. Imagine if every highway were built to different standards by community — different widths, different signage, different lines, driving right or left differently. Now imagine how fast traffic would go, and how many lives would be lost due to lack of understanding the rules, as well as how costly it would be to maintain each different system independently. Especially if you had for-profit road paving companies all over the country.That’s our healthcare system. It costs too much (50% more than #2), and does too little (#28 on health quality AND still doesn’t cover everyone). Furthermore, it’s not like ours is the best of known systems; there are PROVEN approaches out there that we KNOW would reduce our costs, improve our healthcare, and eliminate the massive inefficiencies in our system. If you don’t like single-payer, then SUGGEST SOMETHING BETTER. Because what we have ain’t it.
Single payer systems are a mis-nomer. It really means the government pays for everyone. The Government does not create wealth, it can only take. To pay for universal health care means the Government must take the money from tax revenues. This is like grabbing your ankles, pulling up and calling the result a “jump”. To reduce costs, the Government must reduce services, lower payments to doctors & other providers, limit procedures and testing. Non-doctors, bean counters, will control who gets what service based on cost effectiveness studies. To this I add the fact there is no program the US congress can’t screw up by pandering to interest groups and the future is not good. I do hope I’m wrong. Enjoy the day while you can, Happy New Year…
My daughter is a nurse in New Zealand now, she does find things that need improvement, like more emphasis on preventative care and education, but overall, the system is far better than ours. BTW; real medical needs are fully met, but electives such as facelifts or more “vanity” procedures NOT medically necessary must be paid for by the patient, or through supplemental insurance policies: it’s a pretty good “single payer” system with valid option.
I’m now insured with my old working group plan (very expensive actually) to cover my wife as well, medicare, and VA. I’m not worried about getting medical care, but having a single payer, much larger “pool group” would be much cheaper.
My mom is 101, has been on Medicare and Medicaid for years now, and has supplemental policies as well for Parts B and D. Her rest home care has kept her alive for 9 years now with pretty good care, paid partly by her contributions over her working years (many of them) and partly by payments for supplements. NOT FREE, DuDES!
On another note, it appears now she may pass within the next day or two, and all her final arrangements were pre-paid 6 years ago, with an additional trust to cover “unexpected” additional expenses. Thus her final care and burial will be per HER desires, will, DNR, and specifics for funeral etc. Point is, “Be Prepared” should not just be the “Boy Scout Marching Song”, but what ALL Americans, should, but few do, take care of for their lives, and inevitable deaths.
Darsan54 Premium Member over 10 years ago
Now Republicans will just blow up the mountain.
Don Winchester Premium Member over 10 years ago
It’s unsustainable without the younger generation signing up for it. It’s set to implode.
ConserveGov over 10 years ago
“Just put everybody on Medicaid and things will be great!”
dzw3030 over 10 years ago
“a sane single-payer system…” A true oxymoron…
ossiningaling over 10 years ago
“We had to destroy the village to sell munitions.”
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
“According to the insurance industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, administrative costs for private health insurance plans have averaged approximately 12% of premiums over the last 40 years.”“A 2003 study published by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association also found that health insurer administrative costs were approximately 11% to 12% of premiums, with Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans reporting slightly lower administrative costs, on average, than commercial insurers.107 For the period 1998 through 2003, average insurer administrative costs declined from 12.9% to 11.6% of premiums.”“According to a report published by the CBO in 2008, administrative costs for private insurance represent approximately 12% of premiums.”Then there’s Ezra Klein, who I don’t always agree with, but who has some interesting data, where he claims the cost of Medicare is 2-5%, but private insurance is 7-30% based on size of organization insured. The bigger the company, the cheaper the healthcare. This suggests — and even he sees it — that large-scale single-payer would save us immense amounts of money on healthcare in administrative costs alone.http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/administrative_costs_in_health.html
Diane Lee Premium Member over 10 years ago
A Republican already did create a health care program that works better than Obamacare. Obamacare is based on Romney’s program when he was governor, which borrowed a lot of ideas from suggestions made by Nixon. And, Romneycare works well enough that it’s approval rating is in the 80’s.is actually Social Security and Medicare also started out with a lot of glitches and strong Republican opposition. They now have high approval ratings. Nothing this huge begins with out some problems, but in ten years, Obamacare will be popular, and the Republicans will be claiming that it was their idea, which unlike most Republican talking points is actually sorta true.
ConserveGov over 10 years ago
Glad to see you realize I’m correct.Have you ever been on Medicaid?If not, I suggest you ask somebody who is how they like their healthcare and then weigh in on whether or not it would be good to have everybody on Medicaid.
Enoki over 10 years ago
Obama went through the tree because he lives in an alternate reality where he’s actually important unlike this one where he is irrelevant.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
There is really no question what the biggest problem is with healthcare in this country. Imagine if every highway were built to different standards by community — different widths, different signage, different lines, driving right or left differently. Now imagine how fast traffic would go, and how many lives would be lost due to lack of understanding the rules, as well as how costly it would be to maintain each different system independently. Especially if you had for-profit road paving companies all over the country.That’s our healthcare system. It costs too much (50% more than #2), and does too little (#28 on health quality AND still doesn’t cover everyone). Furthermore, it’s not like ours is the best of known systems; there are PROVEN approaches out there that we KNOW would reduce our costs, improve our healthcare, and eliminate the massive inefficiencies in our system. If you don’t like single-payer, then SUGGEST SOMETHING BETTER. Because what we have ain’t it.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
Zero cubed = ?.
dzw3030 over 10 years ago
Single payer systems are a mis-nomer. It really means the government pays for everyone. The Government does not create wealth, it can only take. To pay for universal health care means the Government must take the money from tax revenues. This is like grabbing your ankles, pulling up and calling the result a “jump”. To reduce costs, the Government must reduce services, lower payments to doctors & other providers, limit procedures and testing. Non-doctors, bean counters, will control who gets what service based on cost effectiveness studies. To this I add the fact there is no program the US congress can’t screw up by pandering to interest groups and the future is not good. I do hope I’m wrong. Enjoy the day while you can, Happy New Year…
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
My daughter is a nurse in New Zealand now, she does find things that need improvement, like more emphasis on preventative care and education, but overall, the system is far better than ours. BTW; real medical needs are fully met, but electives such as facelifts or more “vanity” procedures NOT medically necessary must be paid for by the patient, or through supplemental insurance policies: it’s a pretty good “single payer” system with valid option.
I’m now insured with my old working group plan (very expensive actually) to cover my wife as well, medicare, and VA. I’m not worried about getting medical care, but having a single payer, much larger “pool group” would be much cheaper.
My mom is 101, has been on Medicare and Medicaid for years now, and has supplemental policies as well for Parts B and D. Her rest home care has kept her alive for 9 years now with pretty good care, paid partly by her contributions over her working years (many of them) and partly by payments for supplements. NOT FREE, DuDES!
On another note, it appears now she may pass within the next day or two, and all her final arrangements were pre-paid 6 years ago, with an additional trust to cover “unexpected” additional expenses. Thus her final care and burial will be per HER desires, will, DNR, and specifics for funeral etc. Point is, “Be Prepared” should not just be the “Boy Scout Marching Song”, but what ALL Americans, should, but few do, take care of for their lives, and inevitable deaths.