The Great ObamaCare Debate, Part 237: Back to Court - Page 765 - Politics and Economics

But guess what? Ryan’s plan once again will not be an actual plan at all, but a series of generalized ideas that sound good in the abstract yet fail to specify how they would work. “House Republicans’ ObamaCare replacement plan will not include specific dollar figures on some of its core provisions, and will instead be more of a broad outline, according to lobbyists and aides,” reports Peter Sullivan.

Kind of disappointed Ryan won't have a specific plan before Ikes gets banned
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...snt-exist.html

06-18-2016 , 11:30 AM

#19102

Loki

binary duo

Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 12,772

I'm just sad that the post-policy Reagan worshippers have stopped even trying to govern. Just get into office, spout rhetoric, and hope things turn out okay because Reagan or some other nondescript reason.

Paul is the "thoughtful, intelligent policy wonk" of the Conservative party and he can't policy-propose his way out of a paper bag. Sad!

But that's what half of the major American political parties have become. And due to only have two choices when voting, they're going to control the reins in a lot of places.

08-03-2016 , 06:48 AM

#19103

domer2

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Aetna may withdraw from Obamacare because they're losing massive sums of money. Obamacare continues to proceed EXACTLY AS PREDICTED.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/aetnas-o...ock-1470178316

Quote:

Health insurers have been taking a financial beating for the ages on ObamaCare, but Aetna was always more bullish than the rest of the industry—until now. The entitlement’s keenest corporate patron announced Tuesday that it is cancelling its ObamaCare expansion plans for 2017 and may withdraw altogether.

Aetna posted fabulous second-quarter earnings, though the exception is its Affordable Care Act line of business that the company expects will lose more than $300 million this year. Aetna runs ObamaCare plans in 15 states and planned to join another five exchanges. But now it says it will undertake “a complete evaluation of our current exchange footprint, as the poor performance of these products warrants such an analysis,” as CEO Mark Bertolini put it on an investor call.

As recently as April, Mr. Bertolini called ObamaCare “a good investment.” At the big J.P. Morgan health-care conference in January, he said the law’s goal of universal coverage is “incredibly important” and suggested this social mission helped offset the company’s losses on the exchanges for ObamaCare first two years. “This is our first attempt to make this happen,” he added at the time, “and we believe we have an obligation to stick it out and work with it until we know that it won’t work, and I believe it is too early to give up on this process.”

Mr. Bertolini rehearsed these themes on the Tuesday call but also noted that “at the same time, we are committed to being good stewards of our balance sheet.” Well, yes. Publicly traded insurers like Aetna can endure losses for a time but eventually they need to make a profit to stay in the market.

Beyond Aetna, most insurers including nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are hemorrhaging cash amid rising costs, disappointing enrollment and the failing ObamaCare co-ops. UnitedHealth Group said in April it would liquidate all its Affordable Care Act coverage. About the only companies above water are Medicaid contractors accustomed to delivering a lower standard of medical care.

08-03-2016 , 12:25 PM

#19104

einbert

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Noodle Wazlib

That's a pretty generous way of describing "repeatedly try to shut the government down and blame the other party whenever government doesn't work properly."

08-03-2016 , 04:55 PM

#19105

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,097

Quote:

Obamacare continues to proceed EXACTLY AS PREDICTED.

How did Trump ever happen to this vibrant party of intellectuals?

08-03-2016 , 04:55 PM

#19106

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,097

Who can forget the main thrust of the 2009-2014 GOP: that Obamacare would, in 2017, suffer some companies leaving the marketplace?

Those wonks on AM radio sure did show those uppity libs whats what

08-03-2016 , 11:49 PM

#19107

hobbes9324

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,872

Aetna leaving the marketplace isn't "some company" - they were pretty much the only credible player from the big companies to say they thought it was a good program and one they could at least break even in. Them leaving is a bad omen for Obamacare.

And just to be clear, Obamacare has been great for my group. I'm not a doc tossing rocks at it. But I think at this point if Aetna pulls out it's fair to ask how viable it is in the long term.

MM MD

08-04-2016 , 12:55 AM

#19108

maxtower

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What company is an example of a "Medicaid contractor" ?

08-04-2016 , 10:12 AM

#19109

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by maxtower

What company is an example of a "Medicaid contractor" ?

Centene and Molina are large Medicaid focused companies.

08-04-2016 , 10:37 AM

#19110

DudeImBetter

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Company I work for exclusively bills Medicaid for work with clients.

08-04-2016 , 11:01 AM

#19111

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by DudeImBetter

Company I work for exclusively bills Medicaid for work with clients.

Do you work with the mentally ill? The area where I live is served by Behavioral Health Services who do a nice job in the area. A solid impatient treatment program and outpatient program for addicts. The meth scourge has gotten better and not much heroin. Mostly die to the change in suppliers (home cooled vs Mexican cartels) but local efforts have helped.

08-05-2016 , 02:15 PM

#19112

wj94

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Well everyone in Phoenix that isn't highly subsidized is screwed. Aetna just changed their requested rate increase from 18% to 86%. Phoenix Health Plans from 60% to 122%. BCBS is now "only" 51%. Cigna went from 8% to 19% but will probably revise theirs again now that they are the lowest priced by far. Here's the rate filing:

https://insurance.az.gov/sites/defau...1_20160803.pdf

Of note from the filing: "**Insurer requests revised threshold increase due to market exit of some insurers, and changes in number and location of other insurers’ offerings."

Some sample rates in Phoenix, and all of these are for crappy HMO networks:

50 yr old for cheapest bronze plan:

Aetna - $273 up to $507/mo

Phx - $225 up to 506

Cigna - 307 up to 365 (clear winner) (their medical groups will be overwhelmed)

60 yr old cheapest bronze:

Aetna = $588 now, up to $1093/mo

Phx = $433 up to $961/mo

Cigna = $550 up to $654/mo

Family of 4 - age 47 - cheapest bronze:

Aetna = $671 up to $1250/mo

Phx $554 up to $1229/mo

Cigna $756 up to $900/mo = $10,800 a year

Coming to a state near you. BUT WHO COULD HAVE FORESEEN THIS?!!??

08-06-2016 , 03:22 PM

#19113

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,195

Obamacare haters - how hard does your anger boner get reading this? ****ing freeloaders. Just get a corporate job.

08-06-2016 , 07:02 PM

#19114

domer2

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Quote:

Originally Posted by wj94

Maybe we can nationalize Aetna?

08-06-2016 , 07:06 PM

#19115

Huehuecoyotl

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Thr smart play is not to nationalize Aetna but to make it so it doesn't need to exist.

08-06-2016 , 07:06 PM

#19116

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,195

Well we could maybe fix Obamacare if by some Trump-miracle the Dems can take back the Senate and House.

Which is why it's MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER to vote Republican. The self-employed, the working poor, and others under 65 w/o good corporate jobs must not be allowed access to healthcare. The fate of the free world hangs in the balance.

08-06-2016 , 07:40 PM

#19117

domer2

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Huehuecoyotl

Thr smart play is not to nationalize Aetna but to make it so it doesn't need to exist.

Here's the thing: both of these are the same.

08-06-2016 , 07:45 PM

#19118

cuserounder

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Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 8,218

Quote:

Originally Posted by wj94

Coming to a state near you. BUT WHO COULD HAVE FORESEEN THIS?!!??

So we should go back to the way it was and leave millions of people without healthcare? They should just work harder and/or be born without any illnesses/chronic issues, am i right?

08-06-2016 , 08:15 PM

#19119

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,195

BEEP... tort reform... BEEP... healthcare across state lines... BEEP... BOT SHUTTING DOWN...

08-06-2016 , 08:21 PM

#19120

Huehuecoyotl

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Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 29,296

Quote:

Originally Posted by domer2

Here's the thing: both of these are the same.

Not really. No one would be taking Aetna's assets. They'd just make Aetna largely superfluous. No need to manage risk pools of some segment of the population when someone's managing the whole pool.

Last edited by Huehuecoyotl; 08-06-2016 at 08:29 PM.

08-07-2016 , 03:26 AM

#19121

markksman

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Single Payer here we come. Time to stop the charade. Tying the ability for people to get proper healthcare with the demands of the modern day stock market's desire for results has been a failure. Free market free market is not the answer to everything. If the private sector can't provide healthcare to everyone then we really have no other choice.

Going back is not an option.

08-07-2016 , 11:02 AM

#19122

renodoc

Casino Olympics Champion

Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 8,357

Quote:

Originally Posted by markksman

We havent had free market healthcare since before WW2

08-07-2016 , 04:49 PM

#19123

maxtower

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Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 7,996

Quote:

Originally Posted by markksman

Yeah, if ACA starts to death spiral, there will be no going back. This is a feature for Dems, not a bug. It makes it much easier to sell the public option.