Government Can't Bend the Healthcare Cost Curve

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Interesting article as for me. It would be great to read more about that matter. Thank you for giving this information.

Steave of AL 10:20PM March 09, 2010

I am a small business owner. I pay 100% of my private health insurance premiums. I ALSO pay 100% of the private health insurance premiums for 3 employees (yes, 100% of premiums ... no shared cost outside of co-pays & deductibles). So in one respect, maybe I get 4 votes? I love my insurance, my employees are very happy with their benefits. Gov't mandates in proposed healthcare reforms will drive private health insurance costs much higher. Tax my insurer and you tax me. Oh, unless I'm a special interest like the unions who get exempted from taxing benefits .. I love equal rights & protections.
Government is efficient, eh? guess we can't squeeze any savings out of Medicare, etc. from fraud waste & abuse? uh oh, how will reforms be deficit neutral? can't speak out of both sides of your mouth.
Dictate prices. cool, I love dictatorships. Who gets to choose? those wonderful politicians (of any party) that never have to make a living in the real world? Land of the free, eh? Might need to rewrite our national anthem.
PS - the ones who love gov't provided benefits are the ones not paying for it. Half of citizens don't share in any tax burden to pay for any share of benefits they receive. I've done pro-bono work before. There is one constant, it's the ones who don't pay for service that don't care how much cost they actually incur. Cost control comes from accountability, not give-aways.

Bill W. of GA 12:20AM October 29, 2009

Time to look in the mirror about who has a better handle on the facts.
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/26/daily32.html?surround=lfn

Bill W. of GA 12:00AM October 29, 2009

Medicare, social security, H1N1 vaccinations, John Murtha Airport, TARP transparency and accountability, an emergency stimulus that distributes more money after the economy recovers than before, $3.4 billion in that "stimulus" to have a smart grid control my electronics rather than me, mandates requiring lenders to lend to non-credit worthy applicants (which WAS THE REASON for the financial crisis), on & on & on.
Detroit, Baltimore, and other cities with liberal policies that force these cities near bankruptcy, when will we stop deamonizing differing opinions and try things that work. The US has provided the highest standard of living in the world ... guess freedom and capitalism get something right.
Being sick should not mean being broke .. sure, that's a great bumper sticker, but do we really need to dispose of the entire healthcare system, including my freedom to decide what's right for me? Can't we come-up with solutions that don't irrevocably damage the entire system? Can the media not tell constituents that Republicans have no alternatives, even though SIX separate healthcare reform bills have been quietly squashed in committee by the majority party?
When will people stop saying what they want to be true, and actually critically examine the truth? Two senate finance committees offer bills without a public option ... poof .. it magically appears in the majority leader's bill. Wish I could get what I want without consensus.
America is something special, something NOT ordinary. We are about to lose that, and become ordinary. Well done! As the presidential candidate said, he will fundamentally transform America! The thing about freedom that is so hard to maintain, you have to allow those who don't agree with you to live their lives the way they choose, not the way you tell them to. Be careful, if next time 51% of elected representatives are conservative, should we start telling you how to live and how we'll spend your hard earned money? I HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY reduced my charitable giving because of the proposed tax increases. Is that what you wanted, to subsidize a smart grid instead of my giving to food banks? Mission accomplished! Proud?

Bill W. of GA 11:54PM October 28, 2009

Newt G. , Hillary C. and the current Southwest Florida Childrens Hospital all think an uniform health care claim form as well as medical history date bank would reduce health care costs. Medicare and Medicaid have not held the line on expenses because medicine has improved and improvements cost money. Someone should conduct a study whether VA healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid or the Specialized Medicare option PPO & HMO produces the best outcomes. As stopgap measure Congress could grant a two percent income tax credit up to 10K per return to those who who use HSA to meet their responsibility for healthcare expenses. People not now paying income tax would get incentive to take a better job and pay income taxes. Each family who elects to have a baby would deposit $1K into the childs HSA within a year of birth and get a $500 match if they can't get the credit. HSA should be made available to seniors in lieu of a medicare supplement. Sen. Colburn seems have the right idea on patient treatment guidelines. Regardless of which of the 4 goverment programs we need to study, at the same time we can see if rationing is now occuring with any of them. I submit the specialized Medicare Option ppos in FL control medical decisions for treatment at the expense of the insured patient.

PETER of FL 11:48AM October 28, 2009

Using the percentage increase is a very misleading statitic given that the US spends twice as much as any of the other countries. If the UK spends $4,000 per indvidual and has a 7% increase then the net amount is $280. If the US spends twice as much which is $8,000 per individual and has a 6% increase then the net amount is $480. So the real comparison should be that the US cost for healthcare over the same period of time was $200 more than the UK completly invalidating the conclusion of the article.

wahoo59 of FL 8:25AM October 25, 2009

The U.S. is the only developed country that's struggling with health care costs and facing dire economic disaster, the only country in the world, in fact, where medical bills are driving its citizens into bankruptcy. In spite of these costs, health care here is worse by several measures than in most other develooed countries. Are we dumb or simply inefficient?
Whatever it is, we are not doing what other countries have already figured out: profit in health care is driving the costs and we need reform which puts government, not private industry, in the driver's seat.

jon of IN 12:23PM October 24, 2009

Is cost of America's health in trouble ? Yes. Why?
Is not because of lack of regulation. Please! Because of too much regulation and not enough necessary regulation and lack of competition.
We need more in-State competition and State to State. Purposed legislation will stop high deductibles. All of which raises our cost.
Limitation of mal-practice and other tort reforms lowers cost. To hospitals, Doctor and nurses, drug companies, etc.. Which cut cost and saves us money. But for the fact trial lawyers are 2nd biggest campaign contributors to Democrat party, it may never occur.
Our Presidential transparency was a bamboozle. He promised CPAN coverage of development of health care bill. It never happened where Obama set down with the different side for us to watch.
Now one party is behind closed doors writing purposed integration of House and Senate bill.
Months ago tort change could have been passed, requiring no pre-conditions for insurance, opened up free competition throughout America, etc.. All lowering cost. Including the reduction of repeated test and other test to protect Doctors from lawsuits.
If you like the hidden debt of medicare and other programs of our government. If you like that government spent the reserves of Social Security and spending that plan future on other things, then you will like this program.
A sign of things to come for this bill occurred this week. The black hole appeared. $250 billion bill for Doctor’s pay outside health plan bill. Deception to keep under $900 billion has begun. True cost may be twice.
Stealing money from this bill in their minds. As done daily.
Social programs in America history are near always underestimated. If not always and by a lot.
Few of us think changes are not necessary. Think baby steps. Eyes wide open.
As far as Public Option. Is a misnomer. Is a take-over in time. Public option cost is lowered through private companies added taxes. Raising their customers premiums. Public option also receive other sources of tax augmentations such as so called ‘cadilac health care policies.’ What 40% tax ???
Public Option does not create a fair playing field, but a stacked deck. A take-over.
Other world governments health plans are doing terrible. Including States that have such plans. Hawaii dropped theirs. Oregon gave lady drop dead pills instead of life saving expensive pills for Cancer.
Britian and Canada both have log lines. And limitations. New outbreak in Canada is private care. Wow.
For those who believe government will cut cost educate yourself to reality in Countries with government health. When you cost to much say good-bye. Or look within America, look at Oregon. Open your eyes, read other articles besides Obamite ones.
Government is cheaper ? Remember $20 hammer decades ago. Am track, post office. How many $ trillions is social security in debt. Why does government buy so much ‘bid plus over-run cost’. Private business would fold doing this.
Educate yourself . Polls are flawed for sure. However, all the polls I know of are against this. The number of people against is grower. Giving it a sign of fear to our Congress and thinking voters to this bill.
There is a better way.

Bill Hedges of MO 2:56AM October 24, 2009

Come on, Peter Roff. A Public Option is the ONLY way real cost savings will be possible in America's broken, bloated health care system. Yes, tort reform will help lower costs and should be in the mix called health care reform; too many unnecessary tests the result of liability claims and insurance coverage needed by physicians must be eliminated. Tort reform alone will only be nibbling around the edges of the greater problem, though.
Government-run health care systems around the world are SO much more cost efficient than a system of private insurers left to profit-driven, market-based motives. The overhead costs of private insurers are a principal reason Americans pay so much for health coverage. High executive salaries, high advertising and lobbying expenses, and costly return to investors would be out of the picture in a Public Option. It is no wonder private insurers are collectively spending $7,000,000 weekly in an effort to stay the encroachment of a Public Option into their comfortable, not-really-competitive world!
Really, Peter Roff. How can you possibly be for anything but extensive reform of America's GDP buster of a health care system?

Ron W. Smith of UT 6:04PM October 23, 2009

Jason, How do you define massive profiteering? The company that provides my health insurance reported profits of 3.6 cents per dollar of revenue. That is a cost, but I wouldn't call it "massive profiteering".
Eriemaster, I agree that having multiple contracts with payers and providers complicates the system. But it is the government that prevents competition across state lines. Meidcare fraud is estimated at 80 billion dollars per year. I don't think that is very efficient.
I believe one of the main problems is that there is no cost transparrency in health care. There are many different prices paid for the same service. A lot of people have decent coverage and really don't care how much services costs since their insurance pays for most of the cost. That hurts individuals who are paying for their own services or who have limited insurance. Standard pricing for all customers would reduce this imbalance.

Bob of TX 5:30PM October 23, 2009