President Obama announces health law fix

[NeverSure]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

[NxaiPan]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

So what is the best solution to this "broken system"?

[Publicus]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

Anyone knows stock prices are equities and that their value increases when the value of the product increases. A greater pool of those eligible for medical insurance will predictably increase the bottom line of the providers - private enterprise - because the new law will attract more buyers of the providers' stock in volume and in value, i.e., price.

Concomitantly, all things being equal, when defense spending is decreased - as it currently is due to sequestration - the value of stock in defense companies can be expected to fall.

However, this is not the purpose or design of Prez Obama nor of the Democratic Party in initiating ObamaCare. The purpose and design is to increase the availability of medical insurance to as many Americans as possible and to provide quality insurance. The stock prices and value of insurance providers increasing is strictly a by-product, as virtually any analyst of political economy will attest.

A related question to the cynical American is whether there is diabolical scheme in the White House that has resulted in the fact that since Prez Obama took office the value of the stock market at the NYSE has doubled, adding $6.8 trillion in value to American equities investors.

And whether a grand scheme of evil is at work in the White House that since Prez Obama took office has also doubled the value of the S&P 500 index?

The new medical insurance law is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, not the insurance companies direct promotion and increased value act. Another impact of the ACA is that more doctors and medical centers nationwide will get more patients and make more bucks. Not every one or every category of doctor or medical center, but that too is a fallout of the new law, not its direct intent, purpose or design.

I don't trust or like the medical insurance companies but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't follow the laws of the market in the natural order of society and the economy.

It's very likely at this point anyway that the insurance companies themselves will have to pick up the ball fumbled by the administration concerning the website by providing enrollment assistance services directly to citizens - not by signing them up directly, but by advising them of their plans and directing them to a functioning website.

(Can you believe from here in Thailand that in the law the federal website is referred to as the "hub"? The hub?! )

[MaxYakov]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

Anyone knows stock prices are equities and that their value increases when the value of the product increases. A greater pool of those eligible for medical insurance will predictably increase the bottom line of the providers - private enterprise - because the new law will attract more buyers of the providers' stock in volume and in value, i.e., price.

Concomitantly, all things being equal, when defense spending is decreased - as it currently is due to sequestration - the value of stock in defense companies can be expected to fall.

However, this is not the purpose or design of Prez Obama nor of the Democratic Party in initiating ObamaCare. The purpose and design is to increase the availability of medical insurance to as many Americans as possible and to provide quality insurance. The stock prices and value of insurance providers increasing is strictly a by-product, as virtually any analyst of political economy will attest.

A related question to the cynical American is whether there is diabolical scheme in the White House that has resulted in the fact that since Prez Obama took office the value of the stock market at the NYSE has doubled, adding $6.8 trillion in value to American equities investors.

And whether a grand scheme of evil is at work in the White House that since Prez Obama took office has also doubled the value of the S&P 500 index?

The new medical insurance law is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, not the insurance companies direct promotion and increased value act. Another impact of the ACA is that more doctors and medical centers nationwide will get more patients and make more bucks. Not every one or every category of doctor or medical center, but that too is a fallout of the new law, not its direct intent, purpose or design.

I don't trust or like the medical insurance companies but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't follow the laws of the market in the natural order of society and the economy.

It's very likely at this point anyway that the insurance companies themselves will have to pick up the ball fumbled by the administration concerning the website by providing enrollment assistance services directly to citizens - not by signing them up directly, but by advising them of their plans and directing them to a functioning website.

(Can you believe from here in Thailand that in the law the federal website is referred to as the "hub"? The hub?! )

Hubba, Hubba!

Publicus on 22 Nov 2023 03:28, said:

"A related question to the cynical American is whether there is diabolical scheme in the White House that has resulted in the fact that since Prez Obama took office the value of the stock market at the NYSE has doubled, adding $6.8 trillion in value to American equities investors.

And whether a grand scheme of evil is at work in the White House that since Prez Obama took office has also doubled the value of the S&P 500 index?"

No, it was and has been a "diabolical scheme" of Bernanke known as Quantitative Easing I, II, III.

Publicus on 22 Nov 2023 03:28, said:

"It's very likely at this point anyway that the insurance companies themselves will have to pick up the ball fumbled by the administration concerning the website by providing enrollment assistance services directly to citizens - not by signing them up directly, but by advising them of their plans and directing them to a functioning website."

Sounds like a bad idea to me and I'm sure the obsessive within the Democrats will too, since, in order to provide a centralized customer database, it would require the insurance companies to interface with the healthcareless.gov database. Somebody should be assigned to ensuring that the Medicaid databases are able to take the new, massive data/volume loads.

BTW, what is with this "Prez" title you use for Obama, POTUS.

Do you think that's cute? What high school do you attend?

[NeverSure]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

Anyone knows stock prices are equities and that their value increases when the value of the product increases. A greater pool of those eligible for medical insurance will predictably increase the bottom line of the providers - private enterprise - because the new law will attract more buyers of the providers' stock in volume and in value, i.e., price.

Concomitantly, all things being equal, when defense spending is decreased - as it currently is due to sequestration - the value of stock in defense companies can be expected to fall.

However, this is not the purpose or design of Prez Obama nor of the Democratic Party in initiating ObamaCare. The purpose and design is to increase the availability of medical insurance to as many Americans as possible and to provide quality insurance. The stock prices and value of insurance providers increasing is strictly a by-product, as virtually any analyst of political economy will attest.

A related question to the cynical American is whether there is diabolical scheme in the White House that has resulted in the fact that since Prez Obama took office the value of the stock market at the NYSE has doubled, adding $6.8 trillion in value to American equities investors.

And whether a grand scheme of evil is at work in the White House that since Prez Obama took office has also doubled the value of the S&P 500 index?

The new medical insurance law is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, not the insurance companies direct promotion and increased value act. Another impact of the ACA is that more doctors and medical centers nationwide will get more patients and make more bucks. Not every one or every category of doctor or medical center, but that too is a fallout of the new law, not its direct intent, purpose or design.

I don't trust or like the medical insurance companies but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't follow the laws of the market in the natural order of society and the economy.

It's very likely at this point anyway that the insurance companies themselves will have to pick up the ball fumbled by the administration concerning the website by providing enrollment assistance services directly to citizens - not by signing them up directly, but by advising them of their plans and directing them to a functioning website.

(Can you believe from here in Thailand that in the law the federal website is referred to as the "hub"? The hub?! )

You are missing so many things. There is no limit on how much insurance companies can charge for this Obamacare insurance, and they have canceled about 5 million policies on ordinary citizens, and those people are finding the rates for new policies to be much higher. And this is just the start.

This program is a mandate that people must buy the insurance at whatever price the insurance company offers it at, or pay a fine. What a windfall for insurance companies.

Where are all of these new customers? The great majority of people who have signed up for Obamacare are the ones who get it cheap or for free due to low income, but it's not real insurance. It's Medicaid. Already many health care providers won't accept medicaid patients, and we have an article and a link above where many hospitals and doctors have stated that they won't accept this new Obamacare.

So with it known that medicaid doesn't pay enough to the providers causing providers to refuse it, what should we think the providers will do if millions more show up with it?

One big problem is that almost all health care providers and insurance companies are privately owned and they don't have to accept Obamacare as payment. They are already busy with patients who have the ability to pay more.

The law of supply and demand says that prices will go up for health care and insurance. The failure of this system is that it did nothing to address costs or increase supply, but rather exacerbated the problem, and it threw those costs onto the public.

As for your comments about the stock market, it has about doubled since it started recovering in 2008, but this law wasn't passed until 2010 which is where you should start your numbers. The market has gone up by about 35% since this law was passed, but the health care insurance stocks have gone up 200% - 300%. That's astonishing.

[NeverSure]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

So what is the best solution to this "broken system"?

Well, I think most people are aware that health care is far too expensive in the US. So job 1 would be to get the costs down. In order to do that you'd need to repeal Obamacare because it's a windfall for the health care industry, which remains private and able to set its own prices, while having the government throw more money at it. Throw 40 million more customers at any private business without increasing the supply that business has to offer, and prices will go up.

We need to double the number of doctors we have simply to obey the law of supply and demand. The doctor's lobby called the AMA gets to approve and rule over all medical universities. They create a shortage to benefit themselves. A lot of bright young people would like to attend medical school but there aren't any openings. So let's fix that and within 5 years the prices doctors charge would begin to decrease. Also, they would be less likely to accept a lower paying insurance because they'd need the business. As it is, doctors are swamped, can charge as much as the traffic will bear, and Obamacare is threatening to send them 40 million more patients. It won't work.

Next we need to release the stranglehold that insurance companies have, which is almost a monopoly. They aren't allowed to sell across state lines, so the few that sell in each state have their own little fiefdoms where they charge what they will. The State of Vermont has only one insurance company which will sell to Obamacare buyers. That's ridiculous when we have dozens of insurance companies which could come in and compete, but each locked into just one state.

So far we haven't spent any money, have we? We simply remove all authority to limit medical schools from the AMA, and allow insurance companies to sell across state lines. We increase supply of doctors, and increase competition among doctors and among insurance companies.

One more, but I have lots more. My private health insurance company contracts with certain providers to get the best prices it can. As long as I go to one of those providers, I have low deductibles and co-pays. But if I'm out of the area, even within my state, my co-pay increases to 40%. Fortunately I also have Medicare which is good anywhere in the US, so it picks up the slack. But you have to be at least 65 to get Medicare. So one simple little law requiring insurance companies to complete coverage anywhere in the US would lower real costs for a lot of people who need to go out of the area to a big city (even within their state) to get the proper care they need. Again, there is this little fiefdom between local insurance companies and the providers. Kill it.

Not only did none of the above get addressed with Obamacare, but it got worse. Obamacare is a huge windfall for all of these huge businesses who will profit from it.

Thanks for asking.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted.

[chuckd]

I tread with trepidation here but...a Republican bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that addresses most of the problems. The bill currently has over 100 co-signers and is in committee within the House.

Of course, Harry Reid (D-NV) will kill it in the Senate but it could easily come up when the Senate reforms after the 2014 election.

Following are some of the provisions contained in the bill:

1, Fully repeals Obamacare, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.

2. Spurs competition by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to gain buying power.

3. Reforms medical malpractice laws to limit trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages as it keeps protections for patients.

4. Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs providing a standard deduction for health insurance.

5. Encourages access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

The bill: http://rsc.scalise.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_american_health_care_reform_act.pdf

[Jingthing]

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

That's a joke!

[NeverSure]

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

That's a joke!

Then why am I not laughing? Could you please be more specific with your thoughts on the idea? (Remembering that the US is a republic of states, and that some things are available only for each state to do.)

[NeverSure]

I tread with trepidation here but...a Republican bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that addresses most of the problems. The bill currently has over 100 co-signers and is in committee within the House.

Of course, Harry Reid (D-NV) will kill it in the Senate but it could easily come up when the Senate reforms after the 2014 election.

Following are some of the provisions contained in the bill:

1, Fully repeals Obamacare, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.

2. Spurs competition by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to gain buying power.

3. Reforms medical malpractice laws to limit trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages as it keeps protections for patients.

4. Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs providing a standard deduction for health insurance.

5. Encourages access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

The bill: http://rsc.scalise.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_american_health_care_reform_act.pdf

Good start. IMHO the biggest thing they missed is not taking the medical school authority away from the private AMA lobby. The US has a real shortage of doctors and needs more medical schools so that the number of doctors and therefore competition will increase. There are simply too many bright and qualified college students who would make great doctors but they can't get into a school.

The supply side always needs to be part of the equation. It hasn't been addressed, and I remain dumbfounded as to why. (AMA campaign contributions?)

[thaibeachlovers]

Really not sure that Twain, Thoreau or Dante are relevant to this discussion.

But on second thoughts you could perhaps paraphrase Thoreau's widely misquoted line: "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government"

and this could read: "Iask for, not at once no healthcare, but at once for better healthcare".

Surely the point about US healthcare is that it is a bust (literally) and utterly unsustainable, and in need of a comprehensive reworking. Obamacare is obviously not perfect by why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?

"...why throw baby out with the proverbial and therefore use it as a startpoint for something better?"

Because it's far worse than what we had, and a massive step in the opposite direction of where we need to go. It makes the original broken system harder to fix.

I wish people (and most Americans do by now) understood that Obamacare is nothing but welfare for the big insurance companies, big pharma, the health care providers, and all other big money interests. It is a pat on the back to the big campaign contributors. It makes health insurance more expensive when it was already too expensive and it forces those costs onto the public.

How else could the stock prices for the big health insurance companies be up 200% - 300% since this law was passed? I posted a link to prove that already.

DO YOU REALLY think that something which benefits only the big cronies of the politicians and greatly increases their profits at the expense of the people is good for the people?

Really?

So what is the best solution to this "broken system"?

Single payer. The so called insurance offered by companies was nothing more than a scam and the US should be ashamed that it had so many uninsured and underinsured.

[thaibeachlovers]

On the news today- California rejects Obama's fix as being illegal.

[Publicus]

I tread with trepidation here but...a Republican bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that addresses most of the problems. The bill currently has over 100 co-signers and is in committee within the House.

Of course, Harry Reid (D-NV) will kill it in the Senate but it could easily come up when the Senate reforms after the 2014 election.

Following are some of the provisions contained in the bill:

1, Fully repeals Obamacare, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.

2. Spurs competition by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to gain buying power.

3. Reforms medical malpractice laws to limit trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages as it keeps protections for patients.

4. Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs providing a standard deduction for health insurance.

5. Encourages access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

The bill: http://rsc.scalise.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_american_health_care_reform_act.pdf

The effect of this unrealistic proposal is to create chaos out of the present, temporary, disorder which teapublicans have been central to creating.

The new teapublican proposal is overkill. It's going nowhere no matter what. If it ever should get past the Senate, which is highly unlikely, it will die its due death in the White House.

Let's stick with what we have and improve it, which is the prevailing view of most Americans.

Further, let the Republican Party governments in so many states reverse their conscious and deliberate obstructionist strategy against the ACA by instead cooperating to provide state websites to their citizens and to accept the new Medicare provisions. Teapublican governors are no better than Washington teapublicans due to their own brand of willful obstructionism.

ObamaCare originates from the right wing Heritage Foundation. So now comes another unrealistic right wing proposal? Medical insurance proposals from the right are impossible to clean up because they are unrealistic.

Obama chickened out of the public option to ObamaCare so we see some of the direct negative results of that error.

Tax deductions don't help lower income Americans. This provision is another unrealistic and absurd flaw in teapublican thinking and behaviors. Teapublicans keep proving their unrealistic thinking and behaviors and their inability to provide viable government or workable public policy.

I see the new Republican proposal includes the obnoxious favorite of the doctors and hospitals bogusly called tort reform, which in fact makes the new and desperately slapped together teapublican proposal the doctors and hospitals liability and malpractice relief act. Contrary to teapublican belief, if a jury of citizens determines that a doctor or hospital needs and deserves punishment, as the present laws have provided for a long time, then that's fine with me too.

Teapublicans aren't governing and can't govern. Teapublicans can only be confounding and know only how to create chaos, as we saw most recently with another government shutdown and their jeopardizing the full faith and credit standing of the United States. And the most recent teapublican fiasco wasn't the first one.

Teapublicans are more unpopular than the plague. They need to get real by rethinking everything, to include this new chaotic proposal which just doesn't cut it.

[MaxYakov]

On the news today- California rejects Obama's fix as being illegal.

California Rejects Obama's Insurance Cancellation Fix - Bloomberg

[MaxYakov]

I tread with trepidation here but...a Republican bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that addresses most of the problems. The bill currently has over 100 co-signers and is in committee within the House.

Of course, Harry Reid (D-NV) will kill it in the Senate but it could easily come up when the Senate reforms after the 2014 election.

Following are some of the provisions contained in the bill:

1, Fully repeals Obamacare, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.

2. Spurs competition by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to gain buying power.

3. Reforms medical malpractice laws to limit trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages as it keeps protections for patients.

4. Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs providing a standard deduction for health insurance.

5. Encourages access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.

6. Protects individuals with pre-existing conditions by boosting state-based high risk pools and extending current HIPAA availability protections.

The bill: http://rsc.scalise.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_american_health_care_reform_act.pdf

NIH, DOA, RIP

[sustento]

Not only did none of the above get addressed with Obamacare, but it got worse. Obamacare is a huge windfall for all of these huge businesses who will profit from it.

Thanks for asking.

What would you do for those with pre-existing conditions or minimum wagers with chronic conditions that require life-time medication?

[Jingthing]

Not only did none of the above get addressed with Obamacare, but it got worse. Obamacare is a huge windfall for all of these huge businesses who will profit from it.

Thanks for asking.

What would you do for those with pre-exiting conditions or minimum wagers with chronic conditions that require life-time medication?

Church bake sales?

[MaxYakov]

Not only did none of the above get addressed with Obamacare, but it got worse. Obamacare is a huge windfall for all of these huge businesses who will profit from it.

Thanks for asking.

What would you do for those with pre-exiting conditions or minimum wagers with chronic conditions that require life-time medication?

Church bake sales?

I hope you're not suggesting cannibalism ...

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts removed.

[MaxYakov]

Single payer. The so called insurance offered by companies was nothing more than a scam and the US should be ashamed that it had so many uninsured and underinsured.

And just how deep are those "single payer" pockets for individuals who habitually agree to: "Super Size Me"

[chuckd]

Not only did none of the above get addressed with Obamacare, but it got worse. Obamacare is a huge windfall for all of these huge businesses who will profit from it.

Thanks for asking.

What would you do for those with pre-existing conditions or minimum wagers with chronic conditions that require life-time medication?

Here is an example of a quick $9 - 10 Billion that could have been spent to boost state based high risk pools. This is from one day's news events.

1. $350-500 Million

How much did HealthCare.gov cost?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2013/10/24/how-much-did-healthcare-gov-cost/

2. $2 Billion

Sebelius asked to explain $2B in Obamacare loans

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/sebelius-asked-to-explain-2b-in-obamacare-loans/#k7bxQ66ui22Pd7hA.99

3. $7 Billion

HHS Plans to Spend Up to $7B to Find Ways to Reduce Costs Under Obamacare

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/hhs-plans-spend-7b-find-ways-reduce-costs-under-obamacare_767960.html

IMHO if they were serious about reducing costs under Obamacare they wouldn't spend $7 Billion to find the ways.

[meechai]

HHS Plans to Spend Up to $7B to Find Ways to Reduce Costs Under Obamacare

As crazy as it sounds it is SOP under Obama & his Merry Band Of Thieves

[Jingthing]

The republican "plan" does not address the issue of preexisting conditions as follows:

1. Private Insurance companies could and would still refuse to sell insurance to people with these conditions and still boot off people who get sick and start making claims.

2. HPAA is based on previous insurance you got from your PREVIOUS employer. The premiums are very high and the people needing to pay for the policies are now out of work. Currently, there is a time limit on the option to buy this. Not sure what "enhancements" the republicans propose but the basic program is already logically flawed, as stated.

3. There is nothing in their plan about expanding Medicaid beyond the limited scope of the current qualifications for non-Obamacare-expanded Medicaid levels. Very indigent only, almost NO assets.

4. There is nothing in their plan for economic subsidies for lower income levels, above Medicaid but not able to afford private insurance full retail.

5. Nothing requiring states to offer high risk pools and again, those policies must be PAID for privately and so many people can not afford the full retail rates, so even if sold, that's no good if you can't afford it.

As far as an access solution for those with preexisting conditions, yes, their plan is a SICK JOKE!

The American people might not love the entire Obamacare package, they don't, but are they so STUPID that they would actually believe this republican joke plan actually addresses the preexisting condition issue which is something the majority DO want addressed? No, I don't think they are THAT stupid.

The republicans accuse Obama of lying about Obamacare. Speaking of lying, if the republicans want to tell the TRUTH why don't they just come out with it and say it, that they do not care about the problems of people with preexisting conditions, that in their nihilistic radical right wing political dogma, it's OK with them if government does not solve this. If they actually suggest their new "plan" is a real solution for those with preexisting conditions, yes, they are telling a big lie.

[sustento]

As a non-US citizen I find it disconcerting that many US citizens appear to rely on their employer for their healthcare. No job - no healthcare. Is that correct? I'm looking for facts and am not shit-stirring.

[Scott]

That's not exactly correct, but it is pretty close. You can still purchase insurance, but if you are not working it is pretty expensive.

[Ulysses G.]

The republicans accuse Obama of lying about Obamacare.

They accuse him of lying, because he did. It is a proven fact. Millions of people will not be able to keep their health plan, their doctor or save money on premiums, despite what he promised to get it passed.

[Jingthing]

That's not exactly correct, but it is pretty close. You can still purchase insurance, but if you are not working it is pretty expensive.

Not exactly. Before Obamacare, it was commonly impossible for those with certain common preexisting conditions to purchase ANY private health insurance policy. Obamacare fixes that and yes that is a BIG deal. Obamacare also in non-obstructionist states deals with the cost issue for the less wealthy, with expanded Medicaid or DIRECT SUBSIDIES for private insurance premiums (in all states).

[Jingthing]

The republicans accuse Obama of lying about Obamacare.

They accuse him of lying, because he did. It is a proven fact. Millions of people will not be able to keep their health plan, their doctor or save money on premiums, despite what he promised to get it passed.

So what now? Throw the baby out with the bathwater, tea party style? The choice is clear, deal with reality, make adjustments and move on with PROGRESS or back to the horrific status quo before Obamacare.

As far as long term solutions, the only one OBVIOUSLY being some kind of fully NATIONALIZED system, while it seems now that might take 50 years or so, I am reminded that about 5 years ago most people felt (including me) that U.S. same sex marriage recognized by the federal government would possibly take another 50 years, and yet, it is really happening NOW.

Personally, as a lifetime leftist, I do see a connection between these two issues. To leftists like me, BOTH are civil rights issues. Access to health care for all citizens should be a basic CIVIL RIGHT for all U.S. citizens. Health care isn't the same thing as luxury items. It's life and death.

So you never know ...

[Asiantravel]

The republicans accuse Obama of lying about Obamacare.

They accuse him of lying, because he did. It is a proven fact. Millions of people will not be able to keep their health plan, their doctor or save money on premiums, despite what he promised to get it passed.

So what now? Throw the baby out with the bathwater, tea party style? The choice is clear, deal with reality, make adjustments and move on with PROGRESS or back to the horrific status quo before Obamacare.

How anyone can possibly consider the leader of the free world (once the greatest nation on Earth) deliberately distorting the truth to the American people is progress is totally beyond me?

If he was chief executive of a company the consumers would be suing him for misrepresentation