Great chart on US health care. WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE "FIXES" TO THE SENATE BILL???

[grahamhgreen]

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/health-care"><img src="" alt="The Stats on Soft Drinks" width="500" border="0" /></a><br />Via: <a href="http://www.onlineschools.org">Online Schools</a>


As you can see MASS spend the most on health care - to get costs down WE MUST include a public option or Medicare expansion, or enact single-payer, The fight has just begun.

http://pnhp.org

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, grahamhgreen.

[Ian David]

2. Agreed. Without a strong, universal Public Option, the insurance companies will rob us. n/t

[Fumesucker]

3. But.. but.. Isn't HIR basically Romneycare writ large?

Except of course that Romneycare covers abortions.

Hoocoodanode that we would pattern HIR after the system in place in the most expensive health care state in the country?

[Ian David]

4. RomneyCare doesn't have a strong, univeral Public Option.

There is a very narrow window those who are "dirt poor" to receive it or buy-in.

[Fumesucker]

5. And Health Insurance Reform does have a strong universal Public Option?

I did not know that.

/Johnny Carson

[Ian David]

6. Not yet. But the chart shows why we need one. n/t

[Fumesucker]

10. Health Insurers Try to Circumvent Reforms: Report

Well, I must say *that* didn't take long.

ttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8156061

Published: Thursday, 15 Apr 2010 | 3:20 PM ET Text Size
By: Reuters
Some of the largest U.S. health insurers are changing their accounting practices to book administration costs as medical costs in an attempt to circumvent new industry reforms, according to a U.S. Senate panel's report released on Thursday.


Health insurers are shifting administrative and other expenses to inflate spending numbers ahead of the healthcare reforms.

Under the health care law passed in March, insurers must adjust their spending habits to meet new requirements. For example, large group plans must spend at least 85 cents of every premium dollar paid to them on actual medical care as opposed to administrative costs, while individual and small group plans must spend 80 cents.

Wall Street closely watches such spending levels, known as medical-loss ratios, or MLRs, as a sign of potential profits. Major health insurance stock indexes fell after the report.

"The insurance industry is beginning to consider the financial impact of the new federally required (medical) loss ratio requirements, including questionable changes in their accounting practices," the Democratic-led Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said in a statement.



For example, WellPoint "has already 'reclassified' more than half a billion dollars of administrative expenses as medical expenses," it said. <snip>

[Ian David]

11. The worm wriggling on the hook will just make things worse for itself. n/t

[Fumesucker]

13. True, but we are the worms..

And the insurance companies are the hooks..

[SocialistLez]

7. Single-payer or socialized medicine

Either one works for me.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Me, too.

[SocialistLez]

15. LOVE your siggy! nt

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Thanks

I wish the sentiment was more prevalent around here.

[Donnachaidh]

9. you expect FIXES? They got their POS bill through as they wanted,

do you actually EXPECT them to come through on their promises to fix it?

:rofl: :rofl:

The talking points were *we're gonna fix it* - but it's right behind repeal DADT, the immigration problem, the school problem, the bank *make it look like we're regulating them* reform, the bailout of Commercial banks after the commercial real estate bubble explodes -- and probably two or three dozen other things that suddenly need to be done before they go back to *fix* the mandated profits for the insurance companies bill.

[Toasterlad]

12. I'd Like to Think That There Is Nobody On DU Stupid Enough to Have Ever Believed

that Obama or Congress had ANY intention of EVER "fixing" health care.

[Fumesucker]

14. You're funny Toasterlad..

There's lots of people here who *still* believe that Obama and Congress "fixed" health care..

[Toasterlad]

17. Aren't All the People That Stupid Currently On the Road With Palin?

[Donnachaidh]

20. nope - many are still here proclaiming the economy is getting BETTER!

:silly: ain't it?

[Zhade]

18. Gee, good question. It can't be that they LIED about "fixing it later", could it?

Nah, no way they'd do THAT...

:sarcasm: x 1000

[Cleita]

19. K&R