How the Healthcare Industry Lobby Attacks (when its profits are threatened)

[Industrialsize]

This is why we don't trust insurance companies:
Accounting Firm Admits Cost Savings Left Out Of Report Prepared For AHIP Report


Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers has issued a statement about the audit it performed for America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) that we have been following closely.
Most notable about the statement, issued late last night, is an acknowledgment the cost savings from the bill weren't included......

"The reform packages under consideration have other provisions that we have not included in this analysis. We have not estimated the impact of the new subsidies on the net insurance cost to households. Also, if other provisions in health care reform are successful in lowering costs over the long term, those improvements would offset some of the impacts we have estimated."

In other words, we left out ANY savings in our report to scare the bejeesus out of you.

Accounting Firm Admits Cost Savings Left Out Of Report Prepared For AHIP Report | TPMDC

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

The actions of the healthcare insurance lobby (and the industry itself) have really opened up my eyes to the true nature of corporate capitalism.


I now think of the multi-billion dollar, for-profit healthcare insurance industry (whose motive, by the very nature of capitalism, is the profit motive; denying healthcare claims, maximizing profits) as a sort of microcosm for the entire capitalistic system -- the logical extent to where capitalism leads.


The healthcare insurance companies have already admitted that premiums will double in the next 10-11 years, with or without the reforms now on the senate floor. Don't the american people deserve a public option that puts the interest of the people before the interests of the CEOs and stockholders?


With the public option, WE, the taxpayers, ARE the stockholders. We get an affordable healthcare for our investments, instead of billions of dollars of premium monies siphoned off to a tiny percentage of greedy corporate marketeers.


The healthcare insurance companies represent the failure of capitalism.

 

[JTalbain]

I've always maintained that a purely capitalistic system doesn't work for the medical industry. Capitalististic theory states that people will always try to do the least amount of work for the greatest amount of gain. In the medical industry, the way they gain the most isn't by curing you of your ills, it's by treating the symptoms in order to addict you to treatment. This way they make money off of you indefinitely. Since these costs are generally cheaper, even the insurance companies are on board. In fact a few of my friends have needed some expensive treatments or tests (CAT scans for instance) and they were denied or almost denied by their insurance company, who said that it was too expensive; just "give them a drug and send them home."

That's the problem with capitalism running our hospitals. Hospitals only want to treat people with insurance for major conditions, because they're a business and need to protect their profits. However, the insurance companies, in order to protect their profits, can deny coverage (and hence effective treatment) to the patients. In essence, one of the things that the Republicans have been claiming would come about with the Health Care Reform (a bureaucrat determining what medical care you get and when) already exists. At least if it was a government bureaucrat, we'd have somebody without a conflict of interest.

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

...SNOWE MELTS...
GOP Senator Joins With Democrats





Snowe report: I'm a yes

 

[B_Nick4444]

It's like reading a statement from Glenn Beck.
Health Care Reform is not going to equate to Fascism in America. Only an idiot would even try to draw parallels between the two.

depends on which reform package is adopted and implemented -- the Dems' or the Repubs'

alas! latest word is the Dem package is moving forward, with the help of one turncoat Repub:

WASHINGTON – The Senate Finance Committee Tuesday approved its health-overhaul measure, pushing a revamp of the U.S.'s health-care system closer to reality than it has been in decades.
The vote was 14-9, with Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine the only Republican to join the 13 Democrats on the panel. Ms. Snowe indicated earlier in the day that she would support the measure.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125543637111982309.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection

mourn the Republic!

"Let the moron classes tremble at a Libertarian Revolution!"

time for action, boys!

 

[Industrialsize]

depends on which reform package is adopted and implemented -- the Dems' or the Repubs'

alas! latest word is the Dem package is moving forward, with the help of one turncoat Repub

mourn the Republic!

"Let the moron classes tremble at a Libertarian Revolution!"

time for action, boys!

I didn't realize the Republicans had a health care reform package. I've yet to see one.

 

[B_Nick4444]

analysis has been highly politicized and polarized; but yes I have come across viable proposals

alas for the Republic:

“House Republicans have brought forth several plans to lower health care costs by increasing competition,” said Mary Vought, spokeswoman for the House Republican Conference. “Yet each plan offered by Democrats and the Administration will raise costs, place bureaucrats between patients and doctors and reduce access to care.”
In all, Republicans cite 37 health care bills they’ve introduced.
An analysis by the Center for American Progress, a liberal group, argues that these bills are not what Republicans claim they are. Many are repetitive, according to the memo; eight of the ideas have already been incorporated into Democratic legislation; five lie outside the jurisdiction of the relevant committees; and five have been around for more than a decade, so Republicans could have enacted them when they were in power.

GOP Health Care Proposals: Absent or Abundant? - Washington Wire - WSJ

 

[Industrialsize]

analysis has been highly politicized and polarized; but yes I have come across viable proposals

alas for the Republic:

“House Republicans have brought forth several plans to lower health care costs by increasing competition,” said Mary Vought, spokeswoman for the House Republican Conference. “Yet each plan offered by Democrats and the Administration will raise costs, place bureaucrats between patients and doctors and reduce access to care.”
In all, Republicans cite 37 health care bills they’ve introduced.
An analysis by the Center for American Progress, a liberal group, argues that these bills are not what Republicans claim they are. Many are repetitive, according to the memo; eight of the ideas have already been incorporated into Democratic legislation; five lie outside the jurisdiction of the relevant committees; and five have been around for more than a decade, so Republicans could have enacted them when they were in power.

GOP Health Care Proposals: Absent or Abundant? - Washington Wire - WSJ

I refuse to read an opinion piece from the WSJ, my head will explode.

 

[B_Nick4444]

:biglaugh:

I refuse to read an opinion piece from the WSJ, my head will explode.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

He basically called your source a piece of shit, and you're laughing.
In other words, you agree with his assessment or you just like having your beliefs shit upon. Is this that new Libertarian way you were screaming about earlier? Please... if you're a Libertarian than Lady Gaga is a man.

Well.. perhaps a drag queen. But you know what I'm saying.

 

[B_Nick4444]

no, laughing because it was funny

not my "source", because I've been reading different "sources", it is just the "source" I selected to cite, because it was "all in one place", rather than having to cite a multitude of "sources"

funny, because it is just a factual statement, not an editorial position

funny, because his head will not in fact explode

but, me thinks you are far too polarized and entrenched in your position to see any of that

 

[B_VinylBoy]

but, me thinks you are far too polarized and entrenched in your position to see any of that

Heh... the one that blames every problem in America and government on "libs" is trying to call me polarizing? Now you're making ME laugh. LOL!!

At least I can vote for a Republican or other person who isn't a Democrat if the RIGHT ONE appeared. For instance, William Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts. My beliefs on may social issues tend to be liberal, but I always pick the person I feel is right for the job. Now, what's your excuse, Ms. Pseudo-Libertarian?

 

[slurper_la]

guess what folks - the insurance industry lied about the Price Waterhouse report, citing only the portion favorable to thier position.

The folks over at PW are livid...

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Premium Problem | FactCheck.org

 

[B_Nick4444]

guess what folks - the insurance industry lied about the Price Waterhouse report, citing only the portion favorable to thier position.

The folks over at PW are livid...

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Premium Problem | FactCheck.org

I'm aghast and astonished

 

[slurper_la]

I'm aghast and astonished

actually, you're more like a gaping hole

 

[MercyfulFate]

The one thing about healthcare legislation that makes me really, really angry is the provision to force insurance on everyone.

Without a public option and major overhaul otherwise, this is a terrible idea. In Massachusetts where I live, they did this and not much has changed. Sure more people have insurance, but costs have still shot up and it's basically just given the insurance companies more customers and money.

People who don't have insurance probably don't have it because of financial issues. So forcing $200 a month (or whatever it may be) on someone is just cruel.

There was talk about assistance for people, but it's still wrong to me. The insurance companies are one of the biggest problems, and handing them more customers and money will only make things worse.

 

[JTalbain]

The one thing about healthcare legislation that makes me really, really angry is the provision to force insurance on everyone.

Without a public option and major overhaul otherwise, this is a terrible idea. In Massachusetts where I live, they did this and not much has changed. Sure more people have insurance, but costs have still shot up and it's basically just given the insurance companies more customers and money.

People who don't have insurance probably don't have it because of financial issues. So forcing $200 a month (or whatever it may be) on someone is just cruel.

There was talk about assistance for people, but it's still wrong to me. The insurance companies are one of the biggest problems, and handing them more customers and money will only make things worse.

I agree that making health insurance madatory would be bad if it was not also accompanied with reform to decrease the cost. A public option would actually do wonders for it on this front. I think one of the best compromises would be to set up a public option that has the barely legal minimum coverage (like "Safe Auto" for auto insurance), in order to give an inexpensive option for those that don't want the insurance. Health insurance companies would likely create lower cost, lower coverage plans to accomodate them, because the majority of people that don't seek health insurance even though they could afford it are young and healthy, the perfect policy holder.

 

[slurper_la]

The Democratic Party | Call 'Em Out: Insurance Lobby