... But you don't see much of that here because people aren't on here blatantly pushing the Democratic Party.
I could think of one, though he would deny it. Sorry that you got lumped in with him.
... But you don't see much of that here because people aren't on here blatantly pushing the Democratic Party.
Socializing medicine is not the answer, free market competition across state lines and tort reform would be a better idea.
That's why this BS of cutting hours and raising rate to accommodate Obamacare is just a load of BS.
I see all of this as the natural culmination of decades of conditioning that someone else is responsible for paying for our healthcare, i.e. - third party payer system. Too many people wanting the absolute best of everything but wanting someone else to pick up the tab. This system is too easy to exploit, with each party involved in providing the payment/services always pointing the finger at someone else because "costs" are going up, therefore, constant price increases. Why do you think hospitals charge $20 for Tylenol or $500 for IV bags of saline (salt water)? Until we get back to a free market system where the actual "consumer" is actually paying for the bulk of the service that THEY are receiving, this unsustainable system will only get worse until it breaks. Spend some time and do a little research regarding the cost of healthcare BEFORE government/insurance got involved (1940's and before).
Simple math!
Insurance companies and healthcare providers have no real market forces other than what they negotiate between themselves and the government and pharma. Consumers are largely left out of the transaction. I don't get to tell my doctor I'm shopping elsewhere because he's charging too much. I no longer have any real idea what he's charging. That transaction is between him and my insurer. How in the heck can that keep the cost of healthcare in check?
This is exactly the problem, which is why ObamaCare is the exact opposite of the solution.
The plan is quite genius, in my opinion. The government continues to provide a disconnect between services and the consumers' wallets. It has happened in a lot of different areas. Income taxes are a wonderful example. If every single one of us received an itemized bill for the government services we were paying for each year, and then had to cut a check to Uncle Sam to pay for it, things would change. Instead, they have it set up so that they take a bunch of our money automatically, and then graciously return a small portion of it to us. And we get excited!
Health care is exactly the same. If there was a $4,000 price tag hanging from the MRI machine, we would be asking much harder questions of our doctors' choices of tests. And the hospitals obscene prices for them.
This disconnect is the heart of the problem. If consumers are disconnected from paying for services and goods, the free market can never function.
Insurance premiums have been going up steadily for many years now, without Obamacare. Even without the ACA they would have likely gone up anyway. Even though the ACA will be having an impact on prices, it's not the only factor, by a longshot. Pleasing the shareholders comes first for the insurance companies.
I've been saying something similar to this for years.
Can you imagine the paradigm shift for all us but in particular for the medical providers if their customers dealt with them like they do when they feel like they deserve a better deal from a cell phone or cable tv provider or a car salesman?