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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
  
Location: Bastrop, Texas | This may not be related to barrel racing, but it sure effects our health and well being, including our financial well being.
Read this article. It's short and easy to follow. This, in my opinion, goes to the heart of the problem and gives direction on the fix to our screwed up, dysfunctional system. I've been trying to say this for years. The plutocrats in DC want us to think that the problem is so very complex and nearly insurmountable. Don't buy that crap.
There is so much corruption baked into the healthcare cake, we don't even know the half of it. We either fix this properly, or turn it over to the plutocrats, bend over, and take it up the ass by accepting a Canadian style socialized healthcare system.
http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/10/hhs-secretary-tom-price-the-epic-... |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
 
Location: Opelousas, LA | Good article! I honestly can't believe that anyone thinks socialized medicine is a good idea, especially combined with accepting large numbers of unemployable immigrants into a country with "free" healthcare. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Watch this interview from Tucker Carlson last night:
https://youtu.be/Suw4QDli3xE |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Great article!
I'm so sick of reading lib crap how the cost % of healthcare has slowed down with Obamacare. I sure don't remember our premiums skyrockting until Obamacare went into play. People that pay for their insurance, no longer have healthcare. They now have catastrophic medical insurance. I'm so sick of politicians padding their pockets while the people that actually pay for our government through taxes, keep getting hosed.
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | I do know that price gouging is in effect for procedures. If you get a cat scan here at one place and pay cash, it is $600. If you use insurance, they bill the insurance company $2,300 plus.
I don't really believe what they wrote that medicare pays excessive charges and over paid providers. I can't see how a Dr's office can operate on $35 dollar visits.
Me personally, they would not cover a shot for osterposis until I had tried over by-mouth pill there was. And, had to have a scope and GERD too. The reason, the pills gave me acid reflux. So the insurance company spent over $6K for all of this. One shot - $1,300.
I see a lot of the problem is that non-medical persons are also making the decisions, based on text book info they have in front of them about our medical decisions. This to me is a big problem that also needs to stop.
Let the Drs make our medical decisions.
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Chew on this factoid. The real problem is not health insurance, per se'. Insurance companies by law must pay out at least 80% of their revenues from premiums to claims. This is called the "80:20 rule". Say 100 customers of a health insurance plan pay a total of $1 million in premiums per year (a modest premium by today's standards of less than $1000 per month).
Let's say that particular population is very healthy, and the insurers end up paying out a relatively small amount in claims. Somehow they have to come up with a way to pay out $800,000 (80%) in order to avoid a mandated lowering of premiums. That's one explanation for John Doe being billed $25,000 for his episode of chest pain, while the self-paying Joe Schmo pays $3000 for the same thing, out of pocket.
Price transparency and principles of free market capitalism are absent. The absolute best way to insure the best possible product at the lowest possible price is through robust, open competition and free market capitalism. In effect we have legalized "price gouging" throughout the system.....that includes medications, perhaps the most obscene example. There are laws on the books that make price gouging illegal and they effect things like water and gasoline. Well, those things are pocket change compared to what we pay for insurance and healthcare, yet they are in effect getting away with it at this very moment.
Chew on that for a while.....then check your blood pressure. |
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 Nicknameless
Posts: 4565
Location: I can see the end of the world from here! | Bear - 2017-02-22 10:33 AM Chew on this factoid. The real problem is not health insurance, per se'. Insurance companies by law must pay out at least 80% of their revenues from premiums to claims. This is called the "80:20 rule". Say 100 customers of a health insurance plan pay a total of $1 million in premiums per year (a modest premium by today's standards of less than $1000 per month). Let's say that particular population is very healthy, and the insurers end up paying out a relatively small amount in claims. Somehow they have to come up with a way to pay out $800,000 (80%) in order to avoid a mandated lowering of premiums. That's one explanation for John Doe being billed $25,000 for his episode of chest pain, while the self-paying Joe Schmo pays $3000 for the same thing, out of pocket. Price transparency and principles of free market capitalism are absent. The absolute best way to insure the best possible product at the lowest possible price is through robust, open competition and free market capitalism. In effect we have legalized "price gouging" throughout the system.....that includes medications, perhaps the most obscene example. There are laws on the books that make price gouging illegal and they effect things like water and gasoline. Well, those things are pocket change compared to what we pay for insurance and healthcare, yet they are in effect getting away with it at this very moment. Chew on that for a while.....then check your blood pressure.
Wow! THAT puts it into perfect perspective!
I signed the petition and shared it on fb...it's great to see this 'out there'...finally!!!
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | So, in other words, the laws we have do nothing to incentivize healthy lifestyles. They do incentivize price gouging, basically.
They incentivize raises in healthcare costs. The laws encourage immoral practices throughout the industry.
How come the politicians haven't been shedding light on this? This is why the swamp needs to be drained. Being a plutocrat should be just as criminal as what Bernie Madoff did. In fact, if I had my way I would boil them all in oil. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 454
Location: Decatur, Texas | I do not understand why people are so adament that socialized medicine is so terrible. I loved it when I lived in Germany riding reining horses. True capitalism isn't going to work with healthcare because the demand for healthcare is always high. Everyone is going to use it during their lifetime. Supply and demand economics won't work here.
You know why the cost of healthcare and premiums is always increasing? Because of greed. You know why we Americans pay thousands of times more for medicine & pharmaceutical drugs compared to every other first world country? Greed. The health care companies do everything they can to make as high of a profit as possible.
I agree with the article- other countries I have lived in have price lists for every procedure and every surcharge. However, I seriously doubt that this will ever come to pass in this country as the health care lobby spends millions of dollars making sure our politicans only vote for their profit. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| I have been making this point all along. I remember way back when that if you did NOT have health insurance the Docs and hospitals would provide services at a reduced rate. Then the insurance companies started "negotiating" rates under the threat of not including providers in their network. And the corruption goes on from there.
I got a summary of costs for services and prescriptions for last year. I had a laparoscopic appendectomy, I am on Thyroid and hormone replacement. They "say" that I received $58K in benefits yet my out of pocket of $7500 was not reached?!! That means that they "negotiated" the prices down to under my out of pocket. Does anybody else see the tremendous room for "negotiating"? And if I had NO insurance I would have been charged the entire $58K.... I smell a rat...no...a rats nest!
Interesting to note, the $7K I paid out of pocket does not include the $3324 I paid in premiums last year. My premiums will be $3912 this year due to "normal" rate increases. So what the insurance company actually paid for that $58K was the 80% after my $5K deductible which would come out to be about $8K, and the actual monies paid out by both myself and the insurance company would be $15K....but they get to tell my that I received $58K in benefits. Sounds like they went to the school of Common Core not Common Sense. |
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I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| COautumn - 2017-02-22 1:00 PM
I do not understand why people are so adament that socialized medicine is so terrible. I loved it when I lived in Germany riding reining horses. True capitalism isn't going to work with healthcare because the demand for healthcare is always high. Everyone is going to use it during their lifetime. Supply and demand economics won't work here.
You know why the cost of healthcare and premiums is always increasing? Because of greed. You know why we Americans pay thousands of times more for medicine & pharmaceutical drugs compared to every other first world country? Greed. The health care companies do everything they can to make as high of a profit as possible.
I agree with the article- other countries I have lived in have price lists for every procedure and every surcharge. However, I seriously doubt that this will ever come to pass in this country as the health care lobby spends millions of dollars making sure our politicans only vote for their profit.
The exact reason why socialized healthcare won't work well here can be shown in the $1800 fro two ashtrays, the $16 muffins mention in the article , the ridiculous prices our corrupt government has approved for in all their pork barrel spending on government contracts ( I remember and $800? hammer and something about toilet seats???).
Take a good, hard look at the VA's medical care and I have heard nothing but horror stories on Tricare that covers the military and their families. Our government cannot be trusted to implement and approve our medical needs and decisions.
You might trust Big Brother but I sure don't! |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | COautumn - 2017-02-22 1:00 PM
I do not understand why people are so adament that socialized medicine is so terrible. I loved it when I lived in Germany riding reining horses. True capitalism isn't going to work with healthcare because the demand for healthcare is always high. Everyone is going to use it during their lifetime. Supply and demand economics won't work here.
You know why the cost of healthcare and premiums is always increasing? Because of greed. You know why we Americans pay thousands of times more for medicine & pharmaceutical drugs compared to every other first world country? Greed. The health care companies do everything they can to make as high of a profit as possible.
I agree with the article- other countries I have lived in have price lists for every procedure and every surcharge. However, I seriously doubt that this will ever come to pass in this country as the health care lobby spends millions of dollars making sure our politicans only vote for their profit.
So.....what did you pay for healthcare while you were riding horses in Germany? Was it free? |
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | hell if the republicans put a fix in it it will be f-ed up. they need to get out of the insurance business or be required to get on obamacare for 5 years and they they might be a little smarter...............
so frustrating......cancel the full time rule for employers if they work over 30 hours that is killing hours and employers out here in california......... Its not my responsibility to insure them. or keep tabs on them at the end of the years...........stop the mandate and make insurance available across state lines.........they are the biggest chicken asses ever...........our pliticians.................. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | Bear - 2017-02-22 10:25 AM This may not be related to barrel racing, but it sure effects our health and well being, including our financial well being. Read this article. It's short and easy to follow. This, in my opinion, goes to the heart of the problem and gives direction on the fix to our screwed up, dysfunctional system. I've been trying to say this for years. The plutocrats in DC want us to think that the problem is so very complex and nearly insurmountable. Don't buy that crap. There is so much corruption baked into the healthcare cake, we don't even know the half of it. We either fix this properly, or turn it over to the plutocrats, bend over, and take it up the ass by accepting a Canadian style socialized healthcare system. http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/10/hhs-secretary-tom-price-the-epic-...
We have never had a healthcare problem in this country. We have always had an insurance problem. People don't recognize that because the insurance companies spend billions on false advertising to shift the blame. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | rodeoveteran - 2017-02-22 1:22 PM COautumn - 2017-02-22 1:00 PM I do not understand why people are so adament that socialized medicine is so terrible. I loved it when I lived in Germany riding reining horses. True capitalism isn't going to work with healthcare because the demand for healthcare is always high. Everyone is going to use it during their lifetime. Supply and demand economics won't work here.
You know why the cost of healthcare and premiums is always increasing? Because of greed. You know why we Americans pay thousands of times more for medicine & pharmaceutical drugs compared to every other first world country? Greed. The health care companies do everything they can to make as high of a profit as possible.
I agree with the article- other countries I have lived in have price lists for every procedure and every surcharge. However, I seriously doubt that this will ever come to pass in this country as the health care lobby spends millions of dollars making sure our politicans only vote for their profit. The exact reason why socialized healthcare won't work well here can be shown in the $1800 fro two ashtrays, the $16 muffins mention in the article , the ridiculous prices our corrupt government has approved for in all their pork barrel spending on government contracts ( I remember and $800? hammer and something about toilet seats??? ). Take a good, hard look at the VA's medical care and I have heard nothing but horror stories on Tricare that covers the military and their families. Our government cannot be trusted to implement and approve our medical needs and decisions. You might trust Big Brother but I sure don't!
Tricare is insurance, not healthcare. And it's **** fine insurance. About the best money, (taxpayers), can buy. ChampVA is another story. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | jd&ez - 2017-02-22 4:27 PM
Bear - 2017-02-22 10:25 AM This may not be related to barrel racing, but it sure effects our health and well being, including our financial well being. Read this article. It's short and easy to follow. This, in my opinion, goes to the heart of the problem and gives direction on the fix to our screwed up, dysfunctional system. I've been trying to say this for years. The plutocrats in DC want us to think that the problem is so very complex and nearly insurmountable. Don't buy that crap. There is so much corruption baked into the healthcare cake, we don't even know the half of it. We either fix this properly, or turn it over to the plutocrats, bend over, and take it up the ass by accepting a Canadian style socialized healthcare system. http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/10/hhs-secretary-tom-price-the-epic-...
We have never had a healthcare problem in this country. We have always had an insurance problem. People don't recognize that because the insurance companies spend billions on false advertising to shift the blame.
Do you sell health insurance? |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Great solution as soon as someone figures out how to get Congress out of the pockets of the healthcare and pharma industries. |
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  The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | Tricare...good? Holy crap are you kidding? |
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Veteran
Posts: 103
| Totally agree....................but I also think that there should be a law that puts a specific cap on what medical companies can charge for things/procedures. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| Bear - 2017-02-22 1:27 PM
COautumn - 2017-02-22 1:00 PM
I do not understand why people are so adament that socialized medicine is so terrible. I loved it when I lived in Germany riding reining horses. True capitalism isn't going to work with healthcare because the demand for healthcare is always high. Everyone is going to use it during their lifetime. Supply and demand economics won't work here.
You know why the cost of healthcare and premiums is always increasing? Because of greed. You know why we Americans pay thousands of times more for medicine & pharmaceutical drugs compared to every other first world country? Greed. The health care companies do everything they can to make as high of a profit as possible.
I agree with the article- other countries I have lived in have price lists for every procedure and every surcharge. However, I seriously doubt that this will ever come to pass in this country as the health care lobby spends millions of dollars making sure our politicans only vote for their profit.
So.....what did you pay for healthcare while you were riding horses in Germany? Was it free?
Lol I have a German hand that told me all about the "great health care" in Germany. He had a bad tooth and wanted to extract it but he wasn't allowed to make the decision the government said he had to pay to fix it. Uh no thanks! |
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Folks on-line