Obamacare wins? See you in 2014

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 07-29-2014 10:49 AM

I know what you're saying CK - for all of the rhetoric from the Democrats about the GOP blocking "progress", once bills get sent from the House, they languish in the Senate. It's very frustrating.

Again, BOTH sides have their issues. I don't know what it will take to break this gridlock, or, if we'll ever see the gridlock and divisiveness disappear. We certainly deserve more of our leaders.....
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Post by Riddick » 07-29-2014 11:40 PM

Just for fun? I'd like to see the Senate split down the middle. A rash of tie votes would really put Joe Biden in the hot seat.

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Post by BenSlain » 07-29-2014 11:42 PM

Riddick wrote: Just for fun? I'd like to see the Senate split down the middle. A rash of tie votes would really put Joe Biden in the hot seat.



Are you kidding? Him and his crime syndicate would love that.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world.

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Post by Riddick » 07-30-2014 12:15 AM

BenSlain wrote: Are you kidding? Him and his crime syndicate would love that.
At the same time, crime syndicates generally don't like exposure. With Joe breaking ties, it'd be all too obvious.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-30-2014 10:10 AM

I want the Senate to be GOP controlled - simply so that things passed by the House will at least get discussed - and the media will have to quit lying about the House not doing anything.

When both the House and Senate were DEM controlled under Obama - what did we get?? ACA - what else?

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Post by kbot » 07-30-2014 10:45 AM

Riddick wrote: At the same time, crime syndicates generally don't like exposure. With Joe breaking ties, it'd be all too obvious.


Isn't it obvious now? Only thing is, people don't pay attention.....
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Post by Riddick » 07-30-2014 12:35 PM

kbot wrote: Isn't it obvious now? Only thing is, people don't pay attention.....
True, though part of it is just what or who to pay attention to? The way politicians play the blame game, with all the back-and-forth football juggling, it's tough to pin down a party much less an individual on their position --

By my thinking with Joe as "point man", all fingers directed at him? He'd be a target hard to miss AND a fun one to watch.

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Post by Riddick » 07-30-2014 01:07 PM

Cherry Kelly wrote: When both the House and Senate were DEM controlled under Obama - what did we get?? ACA - what else?
Don't need anything else like it, it's already caused more than enough trouble eh!

Dems may take full control again someday, but odds are it ain't gonna be this fall.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-31-2014 10:14 AM

Riddick - no we don't need any more of the mess from ACA which continues to grow causing more problems!

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Post by kbot » 07-31-2014 11:48 AM

The full extent hasn't been realized yet.......
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Post by kbot » 08-05-2014 11:09 AM

kbot wrote: The full extent hasn't been realized yet.......


But, we're getting there.

Eight months into full implementation of Obamacare and private-practice physicians are starting to push back because...(wait for it......)

they can't cover their costs of providing care/ doing business with what Obamacare pays.

Doctors Begin To Refuse Obamacare Patients

Obamacare plans have shrunk payments to physicians so much that some doctors say they won’t be able to afford to accept Obamacare coverage, NPR reports.

Many of the eight million sign-ups in Obamacare exchanges nationwide already face more limited choices for physicians and hospitals than those in the private insurance market. But with low physician reimbursement rates, the problem could get even worse.

For a typical quick patient visit, Dr. Doug Gerard, a Connecticut internist, told NPR a private insurer would pay $100 while Medicare would pay around $80. But Obamacare plans are more likely to pay closer to $80, which Gerard says is unsustainable for his practice.

“I cannot accept a plan [in which] potentially commercial-type reimbursement rates were now going to be reimbursed at Medicare rates,” Dr. Gerard told NPR. ”You have to maintain a certain mix in private practice between the low reimbursers and the high reimbursers to be able to keep the lights on.”

Narrow networks have become a hallmark of many Obamacare exchange plans, as one of few options left to insurance companies that allows them to save money by lowering reimbursement rates and covering fewer providers. In the health-care law’s first year, 70 percent of all Obamacare plan networks were either narrow or ultra-narrow, according to an analysis from consulting firm McKinsey.

http://www.kfbk.com/articles/politics-1 ... -12637658/

It's one thing for the government to act like a deadbeat Dad not paying its bills, but, physicians who operate a private practice employ staff who expect to get paid so that they can pay THEIR bills, buy some food and utilities and such - and the docs also have bills to pay in terms of malpractice insurance, office rents, and so on.

Said it before and I'll say it again - until and unless the government addresses the root causes that drive up costs, this issue will never be solved. Laying the blame on "greedy docs and healthcare workers" won't solve the problem.

I guess that an option would be to have the government (congressional members and president) act as your healthcare provider. Since they aren't working at governing, they have all this free time. May as well do SOMETHING to earn their salaries........... In any event, the country's going o need a plan because as this one doc noted, this plan is unsustainable (eight months in...... :rolleyes: )
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Post by Riddick » 09-23-2014 05:23 PM

From JT Harris:

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Post by kbot » 09-23-2014 06:03 PM

:D

Bet the Far Left didn't see this coming.... although, under Romney's plan in Mass, you have to provide proof of insurance coverage when you file your tax return - a document provided by the insurance company you have coverage with. If you cannot produce such as document, you get wacked on your taxes. At the state level, this is manageable - as he state's been able to demonstrate. But, expand this out across the country, and get the federal government involved.....

Seems Obama took this component of Romneycare, put it on steroids, and has the IRS to impale (er, "enforce") the new regs.

As they say: "Be careful what you wish for....."
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 09-24-2014 02:03 PM

and -- rumor only - big changes in those already i the program -- late Oct or Nov??

----
in the meantime - several hospitals no longer accepting ACA (ObamaCare) patients....

and other hospitals not accepting other insurance plans??

---

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Post by kbot » 09-25-2014 06:30 AM

Probably not a rumor - the plans don't cover the costs hospital incur to deliver care.

It's that simple, and it is a very simple concept to grasp - if an entity cannot cover its costs (no matter what "product" they deliver or manufacture), they won't stay open very long.

Now, we can debate until the cows come home "why" health care costs so much compared to other countries - that in itself is a side issue.

The CORE issue, is that insurance plans just don't pay enough to cover the costs hospitals incur - and like any other business, promptly pass along to the consumer/ patient/ insurance company.

So, until the government can figure out how to control ALL of those other costs, the cost of delivering healthcare will continue to go up.

Here's another example of what I'm talking about (news that just came out...):

National Grid Electricity Rates To Rise 37 Percent
BOSTON — National Grid is warning customers that they will see a significant increase in their electricity bills beginning in November.

The company recently filed with the state to adjust rates for the winter and says bills could rise by 37 percent because of higher power supply prices — which the company describes as “the cost of the electricity National Grid buys for customers and passes on without a mark up.”

“Because that commodity has increased in price so much, customers are going to see a significantly higher bill this winter than they did last winter,” National Grid spokesman Jake Navarro told WBUR. “For a typical residential customer, who uses 500 kilowatt hours a month, we’re talking about a $33 impact to their electric bill. That’s definitely a significant increase.”

National Grid’s gas rates, however, are expected to be slightly lower this winter. The company filed to reduce that rate by 1 to 3 percent.

The Boston area is serviced by both National Grid and NSTAR. We’ve reached out for rate information from NSTAR, but have yet to hear back.

http://www.wbur.org/2014/09/24/boston-e ... rates-rise

Healthcare costs in the northeast are probably higher than most other parts of the country - but our costs for EVERYTHING is also higher than most parts of the country. Does anyone seriously thin that any healthcare facility can/ will be able to absorb a 37% increase in the costs of electricity?

Which leads to a larger question - "why" does the government allow this phenomenon where utilities can buy-up power plants and then close them down? This has been occurring a lot lately. We have at least three power plants closing in Massachusetts alone.......

Report: Households See Electricity Prices Rising At Record Levels

Electricity prices are on the rise across the country, according to federal government data. The average price has risen more than 3 percent since the same time last year — the highest year-over-year growth for the first half of the year since 2009.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential electricity prices — what households pay to keep the lights on — averaged 12.3 cents per kilowatt hour for the first half of this year. This is 3.2 percent above the average price this time last year.

New England, however, saw prices rise significantly more than the national average. Since last year, prices have risen 11.8 percent, the highest of any U.S. region. The Mid-Atlantic states also saw huge price increase as electricity rates have jumped 6.7 percent over prices during the same time last year.

In New England prices jumped after wholesale power prices were 45 percent higher during the first half of 2014 than the same period last year to $93 per megawatt hour. New England utilities have been trying to rapidly expand their energy infrastructure to get more energy to households and businesses, according to EIA, which is part of the reason for the prices hikes.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/09/02/repor ... rd-levels/

This price increase stems from the conversion of coal-fired plants to natural gas - which, we were told, is cheaper, because the US is the world's #1 producer of natural gas. So, why the rise in electricity rates? Makes you wonder, huh?
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

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