I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Medigal, your DD is a sweety to buy you such a nice present.  I bet she would love to see you in it and keeping warm.

I get the frugal thing - I wear clothes for years.  They get better as they get older.

http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/06/more-small-businesses-offering-health-care-to-employees-thanks-to-obamacare/

Increase in small businesses offerering healthcare to employees.

The first statistics are coming in and, to the surprise of a great many, Obamacare might just be working to bring health care to working Americans precisely as promised.

The major health insurance companies around the country are reporting a significant increase in small businesses offering health care benefits to their employees.

Why?

Because the tax cut created in the new health care reform law providing small businesses with an incentive to give health benefits to employees is working.

Kadeeb -

Two provisions of the ACA went into effect in 2010 that could increase premiums - no preexisting condition exclusions for children under 19, and no lifetime limits on coverage.  In 2011, a new requirement goes into effect that may offset those increases - insurance companies must demonstrate that they spent 80-85% of revenues on subscribers' medical care.  If they don't, they must pay subscribers a rebate.

We'll see how it works out, but with our disease it's good to know there isn't a lifetime max.  And for parents whose children were born with or developed serious illnesses, it's also a good thing.

As a matter for comparison, imagine a single payer system.  Doctors' costs and fees would drop because they'd only need one person to handle one payor, rather than 3 or 4 to handle multiple insurance plans.  The "premiums" we pay would drop because there'd be no profit-taking.  Administrative costs would also decrease because of economies of scale.  I know most people don't like to hear anyone talk of single payer because it sounds too "socialist," but it would be far more efficient and cost-effective.  Just my 4 cents.  :-)

E

Otter, Thanks for the Dave Barry link.  I love him.  One of my favorite columns of his, when he was still writing regularly, was about a Senate Hearing, when he was describing Strom Thurman's accent - and then said his hair was the color of Tang. Also like your labels describing your politics - probably cuz they see so close to mine.

Years, many, may years ago, while living in England, I saw this graffitti on the wall of a bulding in Oxford: "Don't vote, it only encourages them."  Still makes me chuckle...

It is all politics. They can't repeal it because President Obama has said he will veto a repeal. It's just posturing like apes in the zoo.

They can perhaps delay implemetation of some parts of the legislation. That's where we have to let our Senators and Congressmen know what we think of this. They send form letters to everybody but those who care what their constituents think keep track of how many letters emails etc they get on important issues. Our former rep did.

Going to add my 2 cents too -- now that the Cdn $ is a wee bit above par I don't have to add that extra 1/2 cent LOL!

There are many people who still cling to the belief that the healthcare industry should be treated the same as any other industry -- within a free market system.

But here's a problem with that:  A free market system relies on competition to control the quality of goods and services, as well as the prices paid by consumers.  But healthcare seekers are not price-sensitive.  We are all price-sensitive when we buy a new car, a new fridge, a new house, unless of course we are very wealthy and cost means nothing to us.  When seeking healthcare, we want the best available and as quickly as possible.  When purchasing a car, we might be ready to wait until March to get the best price when car dealers are eager to get last year's vehicles off their lot.  Not so with urgently-needed medical attention.

When seeking healthcare, it's vastly different.  Depending on your insurance coverage, you can choose your own doctor.  In most cases, you can get second and third opinions, but you don't choose your onc because he offers the "best deal". In fact, you probably have little idea of what it's really costing you until you get that letter from your insurance company saying "denied".  Likewise, if your insurance is covered through your employer, you also don't get to pick and choose your insurer.  If you lose your job, you lose your insurance and your choices are to pay exhorbitant rates for private coverage, or to pay exhorbitant rates (because healthcare is a for-profit industry in the U.S.) for your healthcare.  Your choice to be price-sensitive when seeking healthcare is virtually non-existent.  So much for the free market system when it comes to healthcare.  And so much for free choice!

Just my thoughts, to contribute to the discussion.

lindasa:  There ARE ways to be cost sensitive with drugs and doctors if one is willing to do what it takes.  As for drugs:  Insist your doc always writes for generics or substitute with something you can get in generic.  I keep my little "Pill Book" handy and before fill a brand RX I check to see what others are in the book that one can take for the same problem.  I then call the doc's office and ask them to call pharmacy and give them this cheaper RX.  The doc always tells me the one I selected will work just as good!  But for some reason it must be written in their vows to always give brand unless patient gives one a problem!  I recently was given an RX which pharmacy said only came in brand and it was $88.00 for a mouthwash.  I was still in donut crap hole so I had to pay it!  When I got home I called doc and told him if I ran out and still had the problem what could he substitute for the "Gold Mouthwash!"  Guess what?  He said I could buy a cheap bottle of children's Benadryl and another OTC liquid (I can't rememeber now) mix them and they would work just as good as the $88 liquid!! 

As far as selecting docs, we usually have to pick one from our booklets but there are ways around high costs.  My Onc does blood work for every visit but he leases his office from our local hospital and they add a "facility fee" to all charges (I guess to help him pay for the lease) and my insurance said since he used the same hospital to do his billing I had to pay an expensive copay each time I let him do bloodwork and a percentage for the charges!  If I went to an outside lab like (you know that national one)------  they would pay ALL charges.  Well! I complained to the doctor's office manager and billing dept. and was told they could not change things for me.  Well, I found a way around this!  Every time I have an office visit with the Onc, I call them and get them to mail me an RX for the bloodwork he needs for the visit and I go down to the outside lab, have it done and it gets faxed to him.  I pay nada for the tests!   So we need to look for work-a-rounds when it comes to saving medical costs.  The insurance companies or doctors don't seem to care.

We should be price sensitive and can have it work if we are willing to put forth the aggravation and energy it takes to save money.  My Onc's office is not happy with me but I am not paying them to like me!  I am paying them to give me the best medical care I can get at the least possible cost to me.  

Interested to know who the murderer is.  They are now reporting 7 deaths.  So sad.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/08/gabrielle-giffords-shot-c_n_806211.html

Democrat Rep. Giffords shot .

2:40 PM ET Death Reports Retracted

CNN, Reuters & NPR no longer report that Giffords is dead.

A hospital spokeswoman tells MSNBC that Giffords is alive, still in surgery.

MSNBC says a surgeon on the scene claims that Giffords is still alive, in critical condition.

While there is no hard evidence at this point to suggest that the shooting was politically motivated, Matt Yglesias points out that an anti-Giffords event was held in June with the billing: "Get on Target for Victory in November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly."

Rep. Giffords was also on Sarah Palin's "target list."

As noted earlier, a gun was dropped at a Giffords event in 2009, and her office was vandalized in March.

What nut kills a congresswoman and a bunch of other people if it is not politically motivated?  They have to know more empasis will be given to this than if they just shot regular people on the street.  I think some group wants to send the country a message like "See what we can do, if we want to!"  The media I am listening to now says the shooter shot about 19 people and 5 or 6 have already died. The others are alive  thank goodness!  I hope our country gives them back a message which says "See what WE can do now!"  This shooter needs to get a very harsh punishment, imo.

Oh my God ! Killing woman and children  is sin! the killers should be caught and punished to hang. A very bad news!

A federal judge was also shot and killed.

What a sad day for our country.

I wonder how many more wingnuts will take Palin's crosshairs ad literally.  That woman is dangerous.  She disgusts me.

A nine year old child has died.

And here we go again...good grief.