How About Some Health Care Reform?
I called my health insurance company this afternoon to see if I could make an adjustment to my deductible. After waiting 40 minutes to talk to an actual human being, it turns out I’d need to switch onto a different plan altogether to change my deductible. Fine. Until we had this conversation:
Agent: You might not want to change plans right now.
Me: Why’s that?
Agent: If you keep your existing plan, you’ll be grandfathered into the new system at your current premium. If you change plans now, you’ll be subject to much higher rates due to the mandates in the new health care legislation.
Me: How much higher?
Agent: Much higher. We don’t know precisely how much, but it will be a lot. I’d advise that you not purchase new insurance for the next three years since new mandates will be going into effect every few months that will continue to increase your premiums.
Dismayed that Obama’s health care triumph amounts to less choice, higher costs, and more uncertainty in the health insurance market? Yes. Surprised? No.
And now I join Claire in her grumpiness.
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May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Only the press believed that "savings" nonsense. Here's an article with a fine quote from a Bush cousin in the NYT...
Q. What do you think will happen to the total cost of health care under reform?
A. Oh, it’s going to go through the roof! It’s widely accepted that this is not a cost-reform bill — it’s an access bill. It’s in fact a cost-expansion bill.
(end of quote)
I work on a similar medical software application, and I am hearing very much the same thing. Everyone is gearing up for the "big confusion". If this doesn't get repealed in the next term, it will be a major issue on the 2012 election.
Edited on Sep 9, 2010 at 3:30pmMay '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Clearly there needs to be a change of Congressional control, and a careful, stealth, cherry-picking elimination/revision of the most onerous and anti-market provisions in the legislation.
Then later, before 2014, revise the major pieces to make them pro-market.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
G.A. Dean
Only the press believed that "savings" nonsense. Here's an article with a fine quote from a Bush cousin in the NYT...
Q. What do you think will happen to the total cost of health care under reform?
A. Oh, it’s going to go through the roof! It’s widely accepted that this is not a cost-reform bill — it’s an access bill. It’s in fact a cost-expansion bill.
(end of quote)
I work on a similar medical software application, and I am hearing very much the same thing. Everyone is gearing up for the "big confusion". If this doesn't get repealed in the next term, it will be a major issue on the 2012 election. · Sep 9 at 3:29pm
I have a problem even calling it an "access bill." If the legislation makes health care less affordable, how will that increase access? What a bunch of malarkey.
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
In point of fact, figures I've heard and read suggest that, of the roughly 15% of Americans that have no coverage, about 3/4 would still not be covered by Obamacare.
So, it wrecks what presently works, increases the costs, for less service, and still doesn't significantly improve access. It just creates a huge bureaucracy and gives the government potential access and control to virtually every aspect of American life.
Other than that, it's a great bill.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Tom Lindholtz:
Other than that, it's a great bill. · Sep 9 at 4:44pm
It's a mess of a bill, and if my experience is any indication, it's about to make things worse for a whole lot of people.
So the question becomes, why are so many Republicans afraid to just state outright that they'll work to repeal it? (I must note that one Republican who isn't afraid to demand that we repeal it is Ricochet's own Haley Barbour who discussed it in his interview with Peter on Uncommon Knowledge).
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Make no mistake, the President has been very clear. He has said and he will continue to say, if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it. The time for debate is over. This bill will reduce the cost of our healthcare by improving the quality and quantity of our health care. The notion that somehow your healthcare costs went up requires the willful suspension of disbelief.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Mark, have you ever read anything by the great Russian absurdist Daniil Kharms? Here's a sample for your enjoyment:
I think it's time for absurdism to make a comeback!
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Thanks for sharing that Diane. I just got a notice that my high deductible policy was rising from $86 to $111 a month, a 30% increase, due to my birthday next month (50th). Sounds like shopping for a better deal would be fruitless.
Jun '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
I had a similar experience when trying to buy insurance for our daughter. I was told that no company, very soon, will be selling policies for individual children separate from their parents. Several companies said that the new law made such policies too expensive for them to turn a profit so they just gave up offering such plans at all.
I wonder what will happen to all of those uninsured children. Could they be headed to various state and federal programs - furthering the dependence of scores on the government.... perhaps that's a bit too cynical...
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Samwise Gamgee: I had a similar experience when trying to buy insurance for our daughter. I was told that no company, very soon, will be selling policies for individual children separate from their parents. Several companies said that the new law made such policies too expensive for them to turn a profit so they just gave up offering such plans at all.
I wonder what will happen to all of those uninsured children. Could they be headed to various state and federal programs - furthering the dependence of scores on the government.... perhaps that's a bit too cynical... · Sep 9 at 7:17pm
Sam, I'm afraid you're too right. All it takes is a small incentive to change something, and you will see a complete shift in the market. If separate children's plans go from slightly profitable to slightly unprofitable, we could go from 10,000 market choices to zero very quickly.
That is the explicit goal of many Obamacare supporters, as the surest was to arrive at a single payer system. Listen to these people cheer at the idea making the healthcare marketplace so hostile that it puts the private insurance industry completely out of business.
Edited on Sep 9, 2010 at 7:35pmAug '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Markets responding to a change in the rules? Gee, imagine that.
When the inevitable government report comes out in 5 years "discovering" that premiums rose and access stayed the same or declined, I imagine Obama et al will be shocked--shocked--to suddenly discover that the reform process had:
(You could make it into a choose-your-own-adventure game, if you wanted to get a jump start on writing talking points into the future press release.)
I'm officially predicting the inevitable Paul Krugman column declaring that health care reform could have been perfect... but we just didn't do enough, we needed to throw more money at it.
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Mark, have you ever read anything by the great Russian absurdist Daniil Kharms? Here's a sample for your enjoyment:
I think it's time for absurdism to make a comeback! · Sep 9 at 6:13pm
That's delightful!
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Tom Lindholtz:
Other than that, it's a great bill. · Sep 9 at 4:44pm
It's a mess of a bill, and if my experience is any indication, it's about to make things worse for a whole lot of people.
So the question becomes, why are so many Republicans afraid to just state outright that they'll work to repeal it? (I must note that one Republican who isn't afraid to demand that we repeal it is Ricochet's own Haley Barbour who discussed it in his interview with Peter on Uncommon Knowledge). · Sep 9 at 4:55pm
I think that they believe that the tactics and strategy for killing it are more effective if less visible until TVG isn't there to veto it. I agree with the sentiment, confrontational bluster isn't always the best way toi get it done. Who was the most effective SCOTUS justice in recent years (unfortunately)? Under-the-table Brennan, while Douglas drew all the ink.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Duane -- I'm missing something. Could you spell out "TVG" for me?
Jun '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
We can't repeal until we retake the presidency, but as long as we retake the House in November, all spending bills must originate in the House, right? Could the GOP House leadership simply strip every last dime of funding from all the agencies responsible for issuing all these new mandates? The mandates won't write and issue themselves.
Jun '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Tom Lindholtz: In point of fact, figures I've heard and read suggest that, of the roughly 15% of Americans that have no coverage, about 3/4 would still not be covered by Obamacare.
So, it wrecks what presently works, increases the costs, for less service, and still doesn't significantly improve access. It just creates a huge bureaucracy and gives the government potential access and control to virtually every aspect of American life.
Other than that, it's a great bill. · Sep 9 at 4:44pm
Tom, you are right on - see WSJ below (my emphasis)
U.S. health spending is projected to rise 9.2% in 2014, up from the 6.6% projected before the law took effect. New mechanisms kick in that year to expand insurance coverage. The report estimates 92.7% of U.S. residents will have health insurance by 2019, up from 84% this year. WSJ 9/9/2010 Health Outlays Still Seen Rising (may be behind pay wall)
Aug '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
So, if they're expanding access to certain populations while at the same time pricing other populations out of the market, what's to guarantee that health-care coverage expands overall?
Maybe it doesn't even expand access. Maybe it just mushes it around at great expense. Or maybe access will actually decrease, and maybe this is even what some folks secretly hope for.
We're already experiencing less freedom to choose in our own plan, too.
May '10
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Sorry- "The Vacuous Garment", DO-pompous-speak for "The Empty Suit". I've been using that acronym since Spring 2008 to describe a then-Presidential candidate, based on his alleged qualifications for office.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
Kharms!
Love it.
I would be excited about our devolving into a dystopia if it were just the plot of a novel.
Re: How About Some Health Care Reform?
whatsthefracas
I would be excited about our devolving into a dystopia if it were just the plot of a novel. · Sep 10 at 2:36pm
This is a great line. Well, you've got great material for a second novel if you feel up to the task!