Obama Care Part II

[MTK]

Nobody said change is easy.

People freak and can't even handle it when Facebook makes changes.

[12thMan]

The roll out was a complete disaster. The buck stops with President Obama on this one. You don't campaign for several years on your signature legislation and just hand something of this magnitude and consequential over to bureaucrats and government contractors without fierce accountability along the way. This has been poorly managed and, frankly, reflects badly on the president's executive skills.

All of that said, the kinks will get worked out and people will enroll. To say Ocare is a failure or a success without any deep knowledge of changes taking place in the marketplace and how many people will ultimately enroll is premature. We simply don't know at this point. Drips and drabs of data here and there will inform us, but we can't conclude a whole lot. We might not know for a few years. My guess is premiums will rise in some states and fall in others. People will cherry pick the data to suit their partisan purposes. What we do know is that more red states are starting to warm up to the Medicaid expansion, which will help.

Here's a good link from a credible source breaking down winners and losers.

CHART: 'Winners And Losers From Obamacare'

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

The roll out was a complete disaster. The buck stops with President Obama on this one. You don't campaign for several years on your signature legislation and just hand something of this magnitude and consequential over to bureaucrats and government contractors without fierce accountability along the way. This has been poorly managed and, frankly, reflects badly on the president's executive skills.

All of that said, the kinks will get worked out and people will enroll. To say Ocare is a failure or a success without any deep knowledge of changes taking place in the marketplace and how many people will ultimately enroll is premature. We simply don't know at this point. Drips and drabs of data here and there will inform us, but we can't conclude a whole lot. We might not know for a few years. My guess is premiums will rise in some states and fall in others. People will cherry pick the data to suit their partisan purposes. What we do know is that more red states are starting to warm up to the Medicaid expansion, which will help.

Here's a good link from a credible source breaking down winners and losers.

CHART: 'Winners And Losers From Obamacare'

That's about as bias of a chart as I've seen. Its say's "cancellation notices for stripped-down individual market plans that failed to meet the benefit requirements of the ACA". That's not all true. If my plan changed from a 20% co pay to a 10% copay anytime after they grandfathered plans I will not be geandfathered and reguired to purchase a new plan. I like how they also use the term stripped-down plan. So if we elected not to carry a coverage like maternity because we will not be having any more kids then our plan will get dropped because it does not meet the requirments. So I guess having choises of what we need and don't need is considered a stripped dow plan. It also assumes that employers will not take measures to cut back cost. It also seems they assume prices will stay the same. Well who the hell is going to cover the people who cannot affored coverage, have reduced rates, etc...

[mlmpetert]

Yeah that chart is complete garbage. And it not breaking down anything. Its just a pie chart some dude made off of guesstimates of generalities summarized in a dumb downed cartoon publication for liberals from a short conversation between a liberal author and an obamacare friend, supporter and architect.

The most ridiculous part of the whole thing is how its divided up. The 6% that is split 50/50 as either losers or those without consequence, is specifically refereeing to people who already have insurance through the individual market place, NOT people with insurance through work (most Americans).

Secondly, its impossible to know what Gruber is referring to when he says 80% of people are unaffected, but he is definitely not talking about ANY of the people who are receiving cancelation letters in the mail from their group insurance providers. Not to mention the fact that at least 15% of that 80% HAVE TO BE people who are covered through Medicare.

And 14% of people are clearly not clear winners. Of the 14% or so of people with or without insurance, many of them don't want it. To broadly state that all of them are "clear winners" is completely disingenuous.

This graph isn't a reflection of anything more than off the cuff optimistic liberal water cooler talk.

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Yeah that chart is complete garbage. And it not breaking down anything. Its just a pie chart some dude made.

From M.I.T., the dude .

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Giantone

From M.I.T., the dude .

The dude who made the pie chart wasn't from MIT. The MIT dude was the obamacare friend, supporter and architect who spoke in generalities with a liberal "reporter".

Of course, GW went to Harvard so im sure you must think hes right about everything too.

[BaltimoreSkins]

I have to admit I have beaten up Obama for his statement about being able to keep you insurance if you are happy with it, but I like that he did man up, although I would like a little more formal of an apology. I know his critics will still ridicule him, but that comes wioth the territory.

[mlmpetert]

I got another letter in the mail over the weekend....

This time is was an announcement from my doctor, a primary care physician/ internist, that his practice was going to a concierge service.

For those unfamiliar with concierge type doctors, all it means is that they charge a yearly fee on top of the standard cost of a doctors visit. Basically a retainer to go to your doctor. In the past most of the doctors did this to cater to wealthy and/or demanding patients who wanted to spend more than 10 mins with their doctor each visit or perhaps to call them to get a prescription instead of going in for something minor.

Its become much more common place in the last few years with the growing shortage of doctors. I also personally believe established doctors are going concierge to cut back their hours without significantly cutting back their incomes as they transition into retirement. It probably makes sense from a succession planning perspective too. And now with Obamacare its never made more sense. With more patients on the immediate horizon (increasing demand) and an aging physician population (reducing supply), doctors are now in good position to charge all of those who can afford it (the middle class) a retainer.

[Daseal]

Interesting. Never seen a Dr. do that before, but not surprising. Out of curiosity, what is the retainer? Is it significant?

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

I got another letter in the mail over the weekend....

This time is was an announcement from my doctor, a primary care physician/ internist, that his practice was going to a concierge service.

For those unfamiliar with concierge type doctors, all it means is that they charge a yearly fee on top of the standard cost of a doctors visit. Basically a retainer to go to your doctor. In the past most of the doctors did this to cater to wealthy and/or demanding patients who wanted to spend more than 10 mins with their doctor each visit or perhaps to call them to get a prescription instead of going in for something minor.

Its become much more common place in the last few years with the growing shortage of doctors. I also personally believe established doctors are going concierge to cut back their hours without significantly cutting back their incomes as they transition into retirement. It probably makes sense from a succession planning perspective too. And now with Obamacare its never made more sense. With more patients on the immediate horizon (increasing demand) and an aging physician population (reducing supply), doctors are now in good position to charge all of those who can afford it (the middle class) a retainer.

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Interesting. Never seen a Dr. do that before, but not surprising. Out of curiosity, what is the retainer? Is it significant?

It wasn't on the letter but I just called them and its $1,650 per year. That seems on the higher end of what ive heard from other people. Plus there isn't really anything special about my doctor, so in my opinion it seems really high.

I think normal in the Richmond area is 1k - 1.5k. I think for the really good doctor practices where you are truly getting additional care, the people who can afford it are paying 5k. I have a client whose wife has chronic illness and they pay 20k for her doctor, but that's for someone who needs special medical attention and things like regular house calls.

[BaltimoreSkins]

Trio of young coders build health-care website in days - CNN.com

After all the problems with the website this is kind of funny to me. I heqard it on NPR this morning and can't find the story so I put this CNN link up instead.

[mlmpetert]

Thought this was pretty neat

Americans 34 Times More Interested In Buying Guns Than Obamacare | Zero Hedge

[RedskinRat]

[BaltimoreSkins]

Great graph. Obviously we are doing something wrong. How much of that decrease in cost stems from healthier lifestyle choices and better regulation of the food industry I wonder? Clearly there is a healthcare inflation we have in the U.S. if doctor's visits cost 4x.

[NC_Skins]

Harry Reid exempts some of his Senate staff from Obamacare exchanges


ROFL. The irony and hypocrisy.