Wednesday, May 31, 2017
American conservatives love to bash Canadian health care — but U.S. corporations love it - Salon.com
American conservatives love to bash Canadian health care — but U.S. corporations love it - Salon.com
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Universal healthcare can heal our divided democracy | TheHill
Universal healthcare can heal our divided democracy | TheHill
"...we are
trending towards dividing our sick between deserving and undeserving
poor...Keep our hospitals open. Simplify billing. Simplify all the
rules — have one set instead of the multitude of complexities with
intricacies needing a doctorate in economics to understand."
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Friday, May 26, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Surprising Cross-Partisan Appeal of Single-Payer Healthcare - In These Times
The Surprising Cross-Partisan Appeal of Single-Payer Healthcare - In These Times
Now is the time and the opportunity to push for and win......
"...the insurance companies are profiting at the expense of people’s health..."
Now is the time and the opportunity to push for and win......
"...the insurance companies are profiting at the expense of people’s health..."
Monday, May 22, 2017
Sunday, May 21, 2017
CMS Checklist For State 1332 Waivers Focuses On High-Risk Pools, Reinsurance
CMS Checklist For State 1332 Waivers Focuses On High-Risk Pools, Reinsurance
One of the prime drivers of the Affordable Care Act was the inherent flaws in the
Comment by Don McCanne
One of the prime drivers of the Affordable Care Act was the inherent flaws in the
individual insurance market. As more people with expensive health
care problems enrolled in the individual plans, premiums went up and
the healthy dropped out, resulting in the “death spiral” of
skyrocketing premiums. Insurers countered by limiting benefits, by
excluding individuals with preexisting disorders, or by pulling out
of markets with higher-cost beneficiaries.
care problems enrolled in the individual plans, premiums went up and
the healthy dropped out, resulting in the “death spiral” of
skyrocketing premiums. Insurers countered by limiting benefits, by
excluding individuals with preexisting disorders, or by pulling out
of markets with higher-cost beneficiaries.
To cover those who had a greater need for care, many states established high-risk
insurance pools, but these pools were very expensive. The benefits
were quite limited, and the premiums were very high, but they also
required large contributions from the states. Think about the fact
that the 20 percent of people who had major health problems consumed
80 percent of the health care (the 80/20 rule). Moving 80 percent of
the costs for these patient populations into separate pools proved to
be far too much for the states, so the pools were severely
underfunded. Benefits were spartan, many could not afford the
premiums, and intolerable waiting lists were established due to
enrollment caps. They were a policy failure.
were quite limited, and the premiums were very high, but they also
required large contributions from the states. Think about the fact
that the 20 percent of people who had major health problems consumed
80 percent of the health care (the 80/20 rule). Moving 80 percent of
the costs for these patient populations into separate pools proved to
be far too much for the states, so the pools were severely
underfunded. Benefits were spartan, many could not afford the
premiums, and intolerable waiting lists were established due to
enrollment caps. They were a policy failure.
Yet what does the current Congress and administration want to do about this problem?
They have emphasized repeatedly that the leading priority is to make
premiums affordable. To do this they would go back to the
dysfunctional individual market in which only the healthy were
insured, with one technical modification. They would reestablish
separate high-risk pools to insure the costly patients, or they would
leave everyone in the same risk pool but provide reinsurance to cover
the excessive losses resulting from caring for the more expensive
patients. In either case, the costs of the pools and/or reinsurance
would be very high. Since they want to keep the premiums low these
extra costs would have to be paid by the state or by “federal
pass-through payments.”
premiums affordable. To do this they would go back to the
dysfunctional individual market in which only the healthy were
insured, with one technical modification. They would reestablish
separate high-risk pools to insure the costly patients, or they would
leave everyone in the same risk pool but provide reinsurance to cover
the excessive losses resulting from caring for the more expensive
patients. In either case, the costs of the pools and/or reinsurance
would be very high. Since they want to keep the premiums low these
extra costs would have to be paid by the state or by “federal
pass-through payments.”
The CMS checklist states, “State-operated reinsurance programs have a demonstrated
ability to help lower premiums, and if the state shows a reduction in
federal spending on premium tax credits a state could receive Federal
pass-through funding to help fund the state’s reinsurance program.”
In other words, the federal contribution would be only the amount
that they would otherwise be contributing in the form of premium tax
credits - a budget neutral solution. This could not possibly fund
either a high-risk pool or a reinsurance program for the the most
expensive patients. The prior experience with the state high-risk
pools has already confirmed that the states, for both political and
fiscal reasons, are not capable of funding these pools either.
federal spending on premium tax credits a state could receive Federal
pass-through funding to help fund the state’s reinsurance program.”
In other words, the federal contribution would be only the amount
that they would otherwise be contributing in the form of premium tax
credits - a budget neutral solution. This could not possibly fund
either a high-risk pool or a reinsurance program for the the most
expensive patients. The prior experience with the state high-risk
pools has already confirmed that the states, for both political and
fiscal reasons, are not capable of funding these pools either.
So all of this talk about federal authorization of high-risk pools and reinsurance
programs through Section 1332 waivers is garbage. The current federal
government has no intention of funding these programs, but they will
authorize them and then sit back and blame the states for failing to
implement them properly. Who is harmed by all of this? The patients,
of course.
government has no intention of funding these programs, but they will
authorize them and then sit back and blame the states for failing to
implement them properly. Who is harmed by all of this? The patients,
of course.
We would not have to worry about the 80/20 rule if everyone were in the same universal
risk pool as they would be in a single payer, improved Medicare for
all program. Unless our current political leaders suddenly have a
miraculous communal epiphany, we need to replace them.
all program. Unless our current political leaders suddenly have a
miraculous communal epiphany, we need to replace them.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
‘An embarrassment’: U.S. health care far from the top in global study - The Washington Post
‘An embarrassment’: U.S. health care far from the top in global study - The Washington Post
Comment by Don
McCanne
This study
establishes a new landmark in health policy research. It provides a
basis of determining how all nations are doing in reducing premature
deaths by providing timely and effective health care, that is, in
improving their “amenable mortality” rates.
To no surprise for
those who follow health policy, the Healthcare Access and Quality
Index (HAQ Index) for the United States falls about in the middle of
nations in the highest quartile of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI).
Although our per capita spending on health care is about twice the
average of these nations, our access and quality are only average. We
do not have the best health care system in the world, in spite of
what reform opponents say.
As Christopher
Murray, a senior author of this study, states, “America's ranking
is an embarrassment.” Look at the countries that rank above us. If,
like them, we used our public resources more effectively we would no
longer have to be ashamed of our performance. Just through the tax
system alone we are already spending more per capita than almost all
of the other nations do in both public and private spending combined.
It’s not that we
need to make a decision to finance health care through our taxes; we
already largely do that. Instead we need to improve the allocation of
our tax funds plus our private spending. We can do that best by
enacting and implementing a well-designed single payer national
health program - an improved Medicare for all. With all that we are
spending, we should be at the top of the list.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Thursday, May 18, 2017
America needs single-payer health care | The Fresno Bee
America needs single-payer health care | The Fresno Bee
A simple LTE:
"Politicians are almost there kicking millions of Americans back to the curb. Instead of cutting the huge cost of health care by setting limits for drug makers and hospitals and eliminating the insurance companies, it’s back to the emergency room and death to the ones that cannot pay for their expensive treatments.
A simple LTE:
"Politicians are almost there kicking millions of Americans back to the curb. Instead of cutting the huge cost of health care by setting limits for drug makers and hospitals and eliminating the insurance companies, it’s back to the emergency room and death to the ones that cannot pay for their expensive treatments.
Don’t believe the
lies that a single-payer system does not work. It works just fine in
many countries, including Canada. The difference is that these
governments make it a priority and actually care about the health of
their people.
Here, anything that
cuts into profits is anti-business and Republican policy makers can’t
have that. Even if it is the last dollar they take from people’s
pocket, they sleep just fine at night."
Trump Plan To End Insurance Subsidies Could Lower Costs For Consumers : Shots - Health News : NPR
Trump Plan To End Insurance Subsidies Could Lower Costs For Consumers : Shots - Health News : NPR
Some detail. Also, shows how confusing it is. Single Payer much simpler and better coverage.
Some detail. Also, shows how confusing it is. Single Payer much simpler and better coverage.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A Whistle-Blower Tells of Health Insurers Bilking Medicare
A Whistle-Blower Tells of Health Insurers Bilking Medicare
"But now a whistle-blower, a former well-placed official at UnitedHealth Group, asserts that the big insurance companies have been systematically bilking Medicare Advantage for years, reaping billions of taxpayer dollars from the program by gaming the payment system."
"But now a whistle-blower, a former well-placed official at UnitedHealth Group, asserts that the big insurance companies have been systematically bilking Medicare Advantage for years, reaping billions of taxpayer dollars from the program by gaming the payment system."
Monday, May 15, 2017
Warren Buffett, Munger, Aetna CEO, Trump on single payer healthcare - Business Insider
Warren Buffett, Munger, Aetna CEO, Trump on single payer healthcare - Business Insider
"So the industry has always been the back room for government," Bertolini said. "If the government wants to pay all the bills, and employers want to stop offering coverage, and we can be there in a public private partnership to do the work we do today with Medicare, and with Medicaid at every state level, we run the Medicaid programs for them, then let’s have that conversation."
"So the industry has always been the back room for government," Bertolini said. "If the government wants to pay all the bills, and employers want to stop offering coverage, and we can be there in a public private partnership to do the work we do today with Medicare, and with Medicaid at every state level, we run the Medicaid programs for them, then let’s have that conversation."
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Forget Taxes, Warren Buffett Says. The Real Problem Is Health Care. - The New York Times
Forget Taxes, Warren Buffett Says. The Real Problem Is Health Care. - The New York Times
""
"Mr. Buffett is a Democrat, but his business partner, Charles T. Munger, is a Republican — and a rare one who has advocated a single-payer health care system. Under his plan, which Mr. Buffett agrees with, the United States would enact a sort of universal type of coverage for all citizens — perhaps along the lines of the Medicaid system — with an opt-out provision that would allow the wealthy to still get concierge medicine."
""
"Mr. Buffett is a Democrat, but his business partner, Charles T. Munger, is a Republican — and a rare one who has advocated a single-payer health care system. Under his plan, which Mr. Buffett agrees with, the United States would enact a sort of universal type of coverage for all citizens — perhaps along the lines of the Medicaid system — with an opt-out provision that would allow the wealthy to still get concierge medicine."
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
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