American Public Too Stupid Cancel The title field is required!

1. Sandy Clark

   

   0 posts
   
   11/12/2014 3:11 PM

   Can't believe I am the first one to bring this up. One of the authors of Obama care openly admits they used basically fraud to get it through and the American people were not smart enough to understand it but it was for their own good! I sure remember more than a few of us pointing out how horrible this bill was and that everyone should wake wake up. Others thought we were just crazy based on our position. Don't many of you finally feel lied to and badly used? This guy just told you all you were too stupid to understand this but they had to do this so you wouldn't catch on. You can't get the doctors you want in the program or in some cases any doctor at all. Costs have soared and the program will implode when 13 million sign ups are not reached. The Supreme Court has ruled pieces of this program unconstitutional with more to come. Do some of you still think this is a great idea even if they had to lie and deceive to get it through with Harry Reid using parlimentary procedures and no republicans voting for it?

   
   
   
   
2. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   11/12/2014 5:11 PM

   I'm not offended that Gruber called the voters stupid. Ignorant is a more appropriate word but stupid can be used for all I care. I'm more upset with the lies and manipulation used to pass the legislation. At least it's finally coming to surface and hopefully some of the ignoramuses will see the light.
   
   I'd like to say that I'm shocked that this story hasn't made it's way to the news headlines but that would be giving the media credibility.

   
   
   
   
3. Wahlin Scott B

   
   11/12/2014 9:11 PM

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF2sEnEfirc

   
   
   
   
4. Frank McQuiggan

   

   2 posts
   
   11/13/2014 6:11 AM

   My thought is we should have based our system off the European models for health Insurance, its a fair system and you can use any Doctor or hospital in the country. I was insured under this system for over 8 years when I retired from the military and lived overseas. I paid a percentage of my income (14.1%) for my insurance for my entire family. This system worked out very well for me as both my daughter who was severely handicapped was taken care of and so was I (suffered a heart attack and a stroke) The most that came out of my pocket for the hospital stays was around $12 dollars a day for the hospital stays. Plus the fact that every hospital and every doctor accepted all insurances made life much easier.
   
   Now with my current insurance which I have from being retired from the U.S Army I have to search for a network provider before I can see a doctor, sometimes the closest network doctor is 50 miles from my house. This so I only need to pay my co-pays and not a percentage of the bill. This whole health insurance system here is broken, from people bring lawsuits against the doctors and hospitals because they feel they were mistreated and done wrong. Look at the only Ebola victim to die in the U.S his family just received a settlement from the Texas hospital because they did misdiagnosed him the first time, doesn't matter that he didn't tell them he had been in contact with Ebola victims days prior, it was the hospitals and doctors fault. Now who do you think is going to pay for this settlement It's not coming from the doctors and the hospitals its coming from all of us who need to use the hospitals, they are raising their costs to offset the loss. Doctors and hospitals charge us more to pay their malpractice insurance which is costing us more to see them. I think we should stop bring these frivolous lawsuits against the doctors and hospitals and then maybe we could see better health care because the doctors and hospitals would stop worrying so much about their livelihoods and be able to concentrate on taking better care of the people.
   Just my thoughts

   
   
   
   
5. Peter Bowman

   

   11 posts
   
   11/13/2014 8:11 AM

   Probably the first time someone in government openly told the truth about lying to us. POS.

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   11/13/2014 9:11 AM

   Is it a lie about the American Public being stupid? Do you see who we continue to vote for election after election? On both sides of the aisle?
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
7. Sandy Clark

   

   0 posts
   
   11/13/2014 9:11 AM

   Mel, you can't defend this on just the stupid comment. He told you they manipulated the wording and masked everything because they knew it wouldn't pass if it was presented honestly! Don't all of you who have defended this nightmare that is already falling apart feel personally used and insulted? Yes, the American public as a whole unfortunately is very ignorant. Just listed to the many man in the street type interviews. It is shameful how ignorant the general public is. My point is those of you who supported the President and this Affordable Care Act have been used, tricked and I am amazed not fully insulted! They lied through their teeth to you and you bought it! Personally, I would be totally ashamed and ticked!

   
   
   
   
8. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   11/13/2014 11:11 AM

   Sandy Clark, CGCS said: Mel, you can't defend this on just the stupid comment. He told you they manipulated the wording and masked everything because they knew it wouldn't pass if it was presented honestly! Don't all of you who have defended this nightmare that is already falling apart feel personally used and insulted? Yes, the American public as a whole unfortunately is very ignorant. Just listed to the many man in the street type interviews. It is shameful how ignorant the general public is. My point is those of you who supported the President and this Affordable Care Act have been used, tricked and I am amazed not fully insulted! They lied through their teeth to you and you bought it! Personally, I would be totally ashamed and ticked!

   
   
   Actually I think who he really is calling stupid are the politicians that voted on it, they were able to manipulate them. We didn't vote on the law, they did. Of course we are responsible for putting those people in office on the premise that they would fix the health care system that was getting out of hand with costs, something needed to be done. We bought into the plan that was presented and asked our legislators to pass it on our behalf, since the program was already working at the state level. The Republicans really didn't help much to begin with, to shape it how they thought it should work because they didn't want the President to take any credit from the get go. I remember Senator McConnell's famous words of "making this a one term president" He and his fellow Republicans showed right then and there that they didn't care about anyone but themselves.
   
   As for support for the law, I'm 95% for it, I would be 100% for it but it does need some fixes. Or maybe we just go to a single pay system. I know we benefit from it because I know we cannot be denied coverage. My son can stay on my plan (that I pay for) until 26 unless he gets insurance from his employer before that point. We can't be dropped from coverage down the road due to an illness or health getting worse. We don't have a lifetime payout cap of 1 million (or 2 million in coverage is what our insurer provided until the change). One operation and associated hospital stays could have hit the 1 million mark. We haven't seen our premiums rise in two years, and changes in out of pocket and deductibles either. (We had seen that change about 3 years ago).
   I could go on about what some of the fixes could be, and I have seen smarter people then I present those better than I could.
   
   Because I can see the benefit of this law, I'm not going to feel ashamed, mad, or tricked. I am not going to listen to the fear mongers either. I will insist that the plan is either made better, or if the Republicans want to repeal it, they better have something better in place before that happens. They have provided no sound alternatives, and some of what they want to do to fix this plan really will hurt the law even more (from what I see, such as the tax on medical devices, its intent is to help pay for the subsidies, if they can pay for those without the tax, I will support them on repealing that).
   
   And let me remind you that this plan came from the Republican Heritage Foundation and was implemented under a Republican governor in Mass. earlier. If it was so bad, why did they first think of it? Were they the stupid ones back then?
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
9. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   11/13/2014 12:11 PM

   You're barking up the wrong tree, Sandy. Some get fed a
   spoiled sandwich and go back for seconds.

   
   
   
   
10. Corey Eastwood

    

    82 posts
    
    11/13/2014 1:11 PM

    The original intent of the Health Care was to be Single Payer as was the case on an earlier reply. The Republicans would have nothing to do with this. I say give it a chance and then make improvements that are needed. I still know no one that lost their doctor. My supplemental is going down in cost for 2015, but then I must be the only one according to the entertainers on radio..

    
    Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
    
    
11. Sandy Clark

    

    0 posts
    
    11/13/2014 2:11 PM

    Corey, I know several people that had to start all over and then found their doctor if they could find one may be in National City and they live in Vista, 30 mile away! Seen more carnage here than I guess you have up there. Mel, all of the politicians knew what they were buying into and the dems voted willingly. They in turn went to the public and lied through their teeth!

    
    
    
    
12. Ronald Kirkman

    

    42 posts
    
    11/13/2014 4:11 PM

    Mel;
    
    As Nancy Pelosi said vote on it and then read it. Mr. Gruber an economist from MIT, Cambridge,MA was paid $400,000 to help create Obama Care.In his own words he said the American voters are stupid and he and Senator Reid and Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats voted it in. He DID NOT SAY the Senators are stupid. I guess we fooled them all with the votes we got last Tuesday.
    
    He and the Democrats used DECEPTION and LIED to the American people about Obama Care.
    
    In 2015 the people entering in Obama Care is about 6 million down from 15 million it would take to fund this.
    
    Mr. Obama is a racist, a liar, and the worst President this country has ever seen and he NEVER wanted to work with the Republicans. He is not a LEADER.
    
    He will try and use his power to admit over 5 million illegals in this country. And, the border will not be sealed. His plan, no doubt is to change the demographics of America. There are two countries in South America that want two billion dollars per year or they will send a flood of children across the border. One is Honduras and I forget the other one. The illegal children here are getting 46% of our Medicare. Many towns cannot afford to hire more teachers. Most of the children do not speak any English at all. He will do anything he can to destroy the Republicans. He is in denial and he could care less about what he does.
    
    You are lucky your health plan has not gone up in two years. Mine has gone up each of those two years. Oh, almost forgot - there are millions that have lost or will lose their present health care.
    
    I'll go a step further and say that Harry Reid should be put in jail for what he has done in the past two years.
    
    Capt. Kirk
    Retired Alien
    Needham Golf Club
    Needham, MA

    
    
    
    
13. Peter Bowman

    

    11 posts
    
    11/14/2014 7:11 AM

    Clay Putnam, CGCS said: You're barking up the wrong tree, Sandy. Some get fed a
    spoiled sandwich and go back for seconds.

    
    
    He's been standing at the counter dinging the bell for quite some time now. Will somebody please get Scott another sandwich? Extra relish, please.

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF2sEnEfirc

    
    
    
    
14. Sean Hoolehan

    

    0 posts
    
    11/14/2014 12:11 PM

    Sandy,
    
    The democratic leadership decided in 2009-2010 to get the PPACA passed while they still had both houses in congress. The PPACA was/is front loaded with $ so the true costs will not start to show up until after 2016. The problem was they (democratic party leadership) did not expect the roll out fiasco. I think most business simply decided to go along, and since the new law mandated a rather paltry minimum insurance plan many business simply passed on costs to employees with higher deductibles and co-pays in order to keep premiums down, creating more angst. Since many of these plans are on a calendar year the open enrollment (when employers must communicate plan changes) was happening right before the election. I know our employees are looking at higher deductibles and a 15% premium increase in 2015.
    
    The problem now is how to fix it. There is no going back. After 4 years of preparation, plan and services alignment to match the PPACA it would be chaos to gut the new law. It has many pieces that make sense to keep. The thing that needs to go away is the is the employer mandate. Make individuals get insurance, allow insurance to cross state borders, continue to develop a national exchange that employers can tap into. One big problem is that employers were not allowed to use the exchanges. Most employers would benefit from having a exchange that offers their employees to pick the insurance that is right for them. So instead of employers working with brokers and managing plans themselves they simply give the employees a insurance subsidy (pre-tax) in place of paying a premium. Individuals will have to provide proof of insurance when they file their taxes. This would simply be a 1099 reporting the period and premium, your W-2 would report your employer subsidy. This is already how we all pay/file taxes. The thought of a 14% health insurance tax just too much. Much of the umbrella protection we give the poor through state and federal taxes would not go away, myself as a example 28% federal income tax, 10% state income tax, 6% payroll tax, + property tax, + license fees it feels like about 50% of my income already goes to taxes. There is no room for another 14%. We give the government enough money already
    
    Benefits have become a 800lb gorilla for many businesses. Health insurance meetings used to be between a HR person and the broker. Today you will find CEO's and CFO's along with HR Directors spending considerable time on the health insurance plan. For my company we spend more than $8 million a year to insure 800 employees, and our administrative fees are only 7%.
    
    Last rant if you have stayed with this post this far. Right now we have China showing off their latest fighter jet, the design they hacked off a American jet maker, Russia is flying bombers over the Gulf of Mexico, waging war in the Ukraine, the Middle East is being overrun by Islamic extremists, beheading, and our Presidents biggest concern is providing amnesty to 8 million illegal aliens.

    
    
    
    
15. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    11/14/2014 12:11 PM

    Sean Hoolehan, CGCS said: Sandy,
    
    The democratic leadership decided in 2009-2010 to get the PPACA passed while they still had both houses in congress. The PPACA was/is front loaded with $ so the true costs will not start to show up until after 2016. The problem was they (democratic party leadership) did not expect the roll out fiasco. I think most business simply decided to go along, and since the new law mandated a rather paltry minimum insurance plan many business simply passed on costs to employees with higher deductibles and co-pays in order to keep premiums down, creating more angst. Since many of these plans are on a calendar year the open enrollment (when employers must communicate plan changes) was happening right before the election. I know our employees are looking at higher deductibles and a 15% premium increase in 2015.
    
    The problem now is how to fix it. There is no going back. After 4 years of preparation, plan and services alignment to match the PPACA it would be chaos to gut the new law. It has many pieces that make sense to keep. The thing that needs to go away is the is the employer mandate. Make individuals get insurance, allow insurance to cross state borders, continue to develop a national exchange that employers can tap into. One big problem is that employers where not allowed to use the exchanges. Most employers would benefit from having a exchange that offers their employees to pick the insurance that is right for them. So instead of employers working with brokers and managing plans themselves they simply give the employees a insurance subsidy (pre-tax) in place of paying a premium. Individuals will have to provide proof of insurance when they file their taxes. This would simply be a 1099 reporting the period and premium, your W-2 would report your employer subsidy. This is already how we all pay/file taxes. The thought of a 14% health insurance tax just too much. Much of the umbrella protection we give the poor through state and federal taxes would not go away, myself as a example 28% federal income tax, 10% state income tax, 6% payroll tax, + property tax, + license fees it feels like about 50% of my income already goes to taxes. There is no room for another 14%. We give the government enough money already
    
    Benefits have become a 800lb gorilla for many businesses. Health insurance meetings used to be between a HR person and the broker. Today you will find CEO's and CFO's along with HR Directors spending considerable time on the health insurance plan. For my company we spend more than $8 million a year to insure 800 employees, and our administrative fees are only 7%.
    
    Last rant if you have stayed with this post this far. Right now we have China showing off their latest fighter jet, the design they hacked off a American jet maker, Russia is flying bombers over the Gulf of Mexico, waging war in the Ukraine, the Middle East is being overrun by Islamic extremists, beheading, and out President biggest concern is providing amnesty to 8 million illegal aliens.

    
    
    Sean,
    
    That is some great information and thoughtful insight on how to fix it, but isn't it the individual mandate that is under attack? I can agree if the employer mandate is lifted, (why should larger companies be treated differently than smaller companies, although that seems to happen with tax policy too), the individuals would scream bloody murder, if we ask the small employers (under 50 people) to help with a pre-tax subsidy would small employers scream about they can't afford the costs? Of course could they all receive tax credits to offer? I do find it funny that you say businesses find the plans minimums paltry when individuals who have had premiums double because they had a bare bones plan, scream about all what the policies require.
    
    I like that idea of the companies getting to use exchanges or even pooling with other companies to create a larger risk pool to help bring down costs. I do remember before the law took effect we had some small businesses in SW MO who banded together to find and provide insurance options for their employees, with the thinking, I'm sure that they keep their employees healthy so they can come to work to produce, and to provide that benefit so they didn't lose employees to companies that provided health insurance and it was the right thing to do for their neighbors? When the ACA was implemented, that wasn't an option any longer. That is certainly something that should and could be addressed to improve the law. I like many of your other ideas as well.
    
    I would really like to know how the selling across state lines would work and how it might lower costs. It would work differently then say auto insurance? Which I know I am paying more in some areas because of the higher volume of traffic? Could states be looked that way for example where coal mining might be big, or a more elderly population or a low population in certain states creates smaller risk pools? Is it the states that want the control there, or is it the insurance companies that have to manage the risks? I don't understand the issue with selling across state lines, isn't done for other insurances? Or is that just the big insurance companies have to sell to that state under the company umbrella?
    
    When are you running for office? You have a much better handle on this than those that we elected.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
16. Frank McQuiggan

    

    2 posts
    
    11/14/2014 2:11 PM

    [quote">The thought of a 14% health insurance tax just too much. Much of the umbrella protection we give the poor through state and federal taxes would not go away, myself as a example 28% federal income tax, 10% state income tax, 6% payroll tax, + property tax, + license fees it feels like about 50% of my income already goes to taxes. There is no room for another 14%. We give the government enough money already
    
    
    I'm not saying to add another 14% tax to anyone. The breakdown was sort of the same as I pay now in Federal, Medicare, Social Security taxes. Total out of my pay over in Germany was around 22.5% of my total income. From this total My health insurance was paid, federal, social security and medicare tax were all paid. Now granted at the end of the year I never received anything back in way of a refund from the German system but I always had to file a tax form, the tax their is figured out almost to the penny as to how much you were going to have to pay. Now one thing that I found unfair was the income tax was based solely on Marital status, Single, with or with out kids. I know some single people were paying almost 40% out in taxes, again only 14% went for health the government kept the rest. There was no Big refund at the end of the year for anyone. Unlike here where people file their taxes and get back more than they paid in all year. I know a lot of people who receive EIC that fall in this category, paid $2400 and receive a refund of $3400 because of EIC. No wonder our federal deficit is so high.
    
    I might be just a small uneducated person in the big scheme of things but it seems to me that if we want to fix something that is broke, you need to offer up suggestions on how to fix it. What's the old saying "don't just tell me something is broken, Give me some ideas on how to fix it" My solution take every man woman and child that is working, have them pay in a flat rate of say $1000 if we have 3,000,000,000 people working that makes 3,000,000,000,000 that the government has to spend for this year. simple math to me and I don't see $1000 being a lot to pay in one year, that's your complete tax bill for this year for income. What ever is not used for our country use it to pay down the deficit. Stop sending money to all these other countries to help them. Welfare ever person who is able to work make them work, even if its just pushing a broom to clean the streets make them work for that welfare check.
    
    Nothing is free in life I've been working over 30years now, as well as most of you I don't believe in handouts nothing was ever given to me as a handout, put everyone to work. I could go on and on but I'll hold my rant to this one

    
    
    
    
17. Sean Hoolehan

    

    0 posts
    
    11/14/2014 2:11 PM

    Mel,
    
    The government has a minimum plan that they say all people must have (at a minimum). The PPACA does not require employers to provide insurance now, it simply taxes them if their employees qualify and receive a government subsidy when buying insurance on the federal exchange. Most of the penalties are really a minor compared to the cost of health insurance.
    
    Why does business provide us with health insurance? Our employers don't provide us with auto insurance but it is law we have it. They (employers) don't pay our rent or buy our food but we need them to live. Employers deduct our taxes but its our responsibility to file them.
    
    Health care in the USA has been broken for a long time. Personal responsibility has been replaced with legislation or executive action. Consequences of all this legislation is a squeezed middle class. The poor are provided essentials that the middle class pays for through taxes. When we (middle class) are close to 40-50% taxes then another 25% to pay for lifes essentials (if you are living within your means) that means the middle class is working for about 25-35% of their earnings. Since, if you were not working the government would pay for your essentials and you would not have taxes to pay. Even if you are generous its hard to argue that we are working for more than 50% of our earnings.
    
    When I explain this to young people it turns them into Republicans voters pretty fast (even though i am a Independent).This is why libertarians like Rand Paul are very popular with young people. I think the era of big government is at a cross roads. It seems like personal liberties are being sold out for stuff. When the majority of people care about their free stuff more than their freedom; well thats the end of the American experiment. I said that the PPACA was a Trojan Horse when it passed, more about control/power than fixing health care. The recorded speeches by Jonathan Gruber PPACA architect, actually confirms this.

    
    
    
    
18. Sean Hoolehan

    

    0 posts
    
    11/14/2014 2:11 PM

    Nothing is free in life I've been working over 30years now, as well as most of you I don't believe in handouts nothing was ever given to me as a handout, put everyone to work. I could go on and on but I'll hold my rant to this one
    
    Frank,
    
    Very good suggestions.
    
    I do not see any government (State or Federal) efficiently operate anything. The government should stick to passing laws and enforcing them. I do not think they should provide health care (nor your employer), but they should work to enhance it with sensible regulation, and providing incentive to providers.
    
    Some people find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. The intention of Welfare in America was to provide a safety net for the widows, orphans, disabled, sick and old. All admirable! Some people need a hand up more than a hand out, but unfortunately the system is set up for the hand out.
    
    Have a great weekend,
    Sean

    
    
    
    
19. Kim Brock

    

    3 posts
    
    11/14/2014 7:11 PM

    Mel,
    Being able to purchase health insurance across state lines would allow me to search for the least expensive insurance. If Maine has a low premium and low deductible plan available, I should be able to purchase it even though I live in Washington State. It would create competition among insurance companies which should lower costs, theoretically that is.
    Have a good weekend!! Kim

    
    
    
    
20. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    11/15/2014 8:11 AM

    Thanks Kim, in theory it sounds good, but will it really work? Wouldn't your services in your local area actually dictate the cost? I do know here in Springfield there is little choice in service, there are two major health providers, where in the KC or St. Louis markets there is more choices. We have heard the new ACA premiums for 2015 will most likely go up in our Springfield market but actually will go down in the KC and St. Louis markets. How will selling across state lines increase competition to provide services? Aren't the major health insurance companies basically national anyway just like auto and home, yet those prices are predicated on populations? Although I know my car insurance in NJ was a lot higher (well not so much then Springfield because these people suck at driving) because of more cars on the road? While maybe my health insurance would be less because of more people and health providers in the system and state, providing more competition?
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
21. Christopher Thuer

    

    101 posts
    
    11/15/2014 7:11 PM

    The additional cost, taken from my wife's pay, to add me and the kids to her employer paid policy has gone from about $450 a month 5 years ago to about $950 a month this year. It increased about 25% from last year to this year. Same coverage, deductibles, copays, etc. We were promised $2,500 by the POTUS. Everyone thought he meant annually, not monthly as it appears to where we are heading. We haven't heard what the increase next year will be. I haven't had a raise in 7 years. With the cost of everything rapidly increasing we are struggling as a family.

    
    Chris Thuer, CGCS, Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero, IN
    
    
22. Joel Rhodes

    

    0 posts
    
    11/17/2014 3:11 AM

    It is very easy to place the blame at the foot of the POTUS. As the greatest Country in the World should we not have an ethical need to provide health care for all of our citizens? At least the ACA, with all of its problems, is a step in that direction. It does need to be fixed. It does need to be tweeked. Our dysfunctional Gov't does not care about you or me as individuals and we all know this. What is the base salary and bonus sytem for the CEO of a Health Care Provider or that of a Hollywood Plastic Surgeon?
    The preamble to the Constitution talks about promote the general welfare for ALL citizens. We all know about taxes and welfare and COE pay and and and... If we, as a nation, refuse to provide basis health care ofr all of our citizens because of worship of the all mighty stock holder profit perhaps we are not the great Nation that we claim to be.
    I , like Frank, retired from the Army in Germany. My wife is German and pays 48% off the top in taxes. Add in property tax and 19% Value added tax on everything that you purchese except food and books and the US tax does not seem so bad. We slo pay in excess of $600 a month for medical insurance on top of that. But, we are never turned away at a Dr or hospital. All kids can go to college tution free! Yes, even Americans can come here and get a college degree! We need to take a good hard look at ourselves and ask what it is that we could do better! Our system is broke. At least the ACA is a first attempt at fixing this. Repel is out of the question at this point.
    Dont just complain please offer a fix as regressing to the way things were certainly will not help. Social Security and Medicare were also the most horrible ideas to some when first brought up. These programs, albeit with some problems also, have certainly helped millions and millions.
    Fix the problems TOGETHER! Although the together part of that is what always seems tobe the problem.

    
    
    
    
23. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    11/17/2014 7:11 AM

    Thanks for the insight and very well said. It is always good to hear about what it is like elsewhere.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
24. Steve Nelson

    

    0 posts
    
    11/17/2014 8:11 AM

    Sandy Clark, CGCS said: My point is those of you who supported the President and this Affordable Care Act have been used, tricked and I am amazed not fully insulted! They lied through their teeth to you and you bought it! Personally, I would be totally ashamed and ticked!

    
    
    ARE WE STILL LOOKING FOR WMD'S IN IRAQ TOO? The ability to lie to the American public is not a mutually exclusive talent. Now that Republicans have both the House and Senate, I can't imagine it will be too long before their first attempt at a riduculous overreach.
    
    Frank got it right, single payer is the ultimate solution. Insane that a HMO family plan costs my employer $20k a year.

    
    
    
    
25. Trevor Monreal

    

    5 posts
    
    11/17/2014 11:11 AM

    If all of us 'stupid' Americans would have taken the time to read his book in 2012...
    
    [img">https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30950781/ACA_Gruber-2012.jpg[/img">
    
    We would all understand how beneficial the ACA is
    After all, he made the effort to write it at our level

    
    
    
    
26. Sean Hoolehan

    

    0 posts
    
    11/17/2014 11:11 AM

    The problem with fixing our system by using a private insurance/government provided hybrid (insert ACA) is thats what caused the problem with affordable insurance in the first place. Below is a quote from an article that does a decent job of explaining how hospitals and doctors get paid in the USA.
    
    [quote">Private insurers pay hospitals predominantly on the basis of per-diems or fee-for-service schedules. On average these payments exceed the hospital's cost of providing the underlying services. The profits built into these payments cover the losses hospitals book on serving Medicare and Medicaid patients, who are billed high prices but often do not pay their bills in full. Private insurers also feed the net profits that most for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals book.http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/how-do-hospitals-get-paid-a-primer/?_r=0
    
    The ACA shifted more people to medicare/medicaid exasperating the problem even more. This is why many with private insurance are seeing premium increases. The problem is healthcare is a political hot button. The simplest fix is eliminate Medicare and Medicaid and replace them with a competitive private insurance marketplace that is subsidised for seniors and the poor. Of course thats not going to happen!
    
    In 2011 a bipartisan proposal written by Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Paul Ryan was a very sensible approach to fixing Medicare. Wyden took heat from the democratic party for working with the enemy and Ryan got Mitt Romney's attention so the rest of the republican candidates tore it apart. http://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-and-ryan-advance-bipartisan-plan-to-strengthen-medicare-and-expand-health-care-choices-for-all
    
    Unless we start electing nonpartisan sensible politicians (like Ron Wyden and Paul Ryan) we will never get things done.