Health Care Costs

Yep .... the time has finally come for the insurance companies to pick up the tab for the newly insured health needs instead of hospital emergency rooms. I'm not sure which approach is going to cost society more in the long run.

A lot of health care policy is based on the idea that it is always cheaper for someone to be treated in a doctor's office and receive preventative care, rather than developing into an emergency situation.

But yes, the people who were uninsured prior to obamacare are mostly the sickest people -- those who could not get insurance because they had pre-existing conditions, and getting sicker over time because they were unable to afford high-cost care out of pocket.

I'm not sure where you got your numbers, but I believe most of the people newly insured are enrolled in the expanded Medicaid or could not afford insurance without the taxpayer provided subsidy. Yes many of us could not get insurance on the open market due to health reasons, but I believe we are not the primary beneficiaries. I do not qualify for a subsidy and shelled at over $26k in premiums, deductibles, and co-pays last year for my wife and me.

I have nothing against insurance companies. Just consider having to pay for a quad bypass out of pocket. They are not the cause of high insurance rates. Obamacare basically broke the business model for health insurance with the rule they have to take all comers and not charge based on risk, just age.

Meanwhile... This

Health care-insurance firm Aetna announced a $37 billion agreement Friday to acquire smaller rival Humana in a deal that continues the rapid consolidation in the U.S. health care industry.

Must be pretty lucrative...

Not surprising as it was estimated in 2010 that by 2020 the cost of health care would double in cost to all Americans.

pasusan wrote:
Meanwhile... This

Health care-insurance firm Aetna announced a $37 billion agreement Friday to acquire smaller rival Humana in a deal that continues the rapid consolidation in the U.S. health care industry.

Must be pretty lucrative...

That was my thought too. At the same time the health insurance companies are crying they are loosing money and must raise their rates. :M

I have a relative who is an emergency room doctor. He earns $400 per hour. No wonder is costs so much.

Health care companies have always wanted higher rates and sought big increases since they were first founded.. The reason is not that the new members are sicker than thy expected, it is GREED. What's worse is in the past if you got sick many companies would drop you like a hot potato. Oh they were very happy to take your money for 20 or 30 years but one heart attack and you were no longer "Insurable" according to them.


Thankfully the Affordable health care act changed all of that and the reports are in already.. Billions in savings... .

But you are right, Greedy insurance executives still want rate increases.

No stopping the 10-15% rate increases every year. Just no way to do it.

Tom Trostel wrote:
I have a relative who is an emergency room doctor. He earns $400 per hour. No wonder is costs so much.

Ridiculous. He/she should be paid the same as the Fry Cook at McDonalds. I mean, they have no special skills, no special training, and if they screw up what's the big deal? Personally, the pay could be 100 times that amount if they saved my life or limb.
But petty jealousy is a powerful force, so go right on believing they are overpaid. (And I would bet all I have that you DON'T really know what that doctor actually makes, since doctors generally have to pay their own expenses such as staff, malpractice insurance (often six figures), office space, equipment etc.) As far as I am concerned, doctors earn every penny they make.