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Post by JP5 on Oct 26, 2013 2:24:09 GMT
Well, here's proof of another of Obama's lies about Obamacare: apparently you CAN'T keep your doctor.
ObamaCare is making seniors sick.
"Elderly New Yorkers are in a panic after getting notices that insurance companies are booting their doctors from the Medicare Advantage program as a result of the shifting medical landscape under ObamaCare.
That leaves patients with unenviable choices: keep the same insurance plan and find another doctor, pay out of pocket or look for another plan where their physician is a member.
New York State Medical Society President Sam Unterricht is demanding a congressional probe after learning that one health carrier alone, UnitedHealthcare, is terminating contracts with up to 2,100 doctors serving 8,000 Medicare Advantage patients in the New York metro region.
The are 2.6 million elderly New Yorkers who receive Medicare, the public heath-insurance program for the elderly.
But one in three patients — nearly 900,000 — are enrolled in Advantage, Medicare HMOs run by private insurers.
Dr. Jonathan Leibowitz, who serves 30 patients under Medicare Advantage at his Brooklyn practice, said he was blindsided by UnitedHealthcare’s decision to give him the boot.
“A patient can’t see his doctor? What are they doing!” he asked.
UnitedHealthcare told Leibowitz that because of “significant changes and pressures in the health-care environment,” he’d be getting the ax on Jan.
nypost.com/2013/10/25/elderly-patients-sick-over-losing-doctors-under-obamacare/
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Post by ShivaTD on Oct 28, 2013 11:09:55 GMT
There are about 1,400 health insurance providers nationwide and overwhelmingly they have limited markets. Only the BIG FOUR or FIVE provide insurance in ALL states. The fact that some of the smaller insurers maybe dropping out of the "Advantage" program in some states is not surprising. It's a business decision. There are still remaining "Advantage" insurance providers in New York that provide coverage where the person can see any doctor they choose.
The fact that a person may have to change providers because their current provider drops out of their local market doesn't result in them not being able to obtain the identical benefits from another provider.
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Post by JP5 on Oct 28, 2013 17:01:58 GMT
They are dropping out because of Obamacare. No indication that their business decision had to do with anything BUT Obamacare.
Why can't you just admit that?
Not only is Obamacare affecting Health insurance companies negatively.....it's also affecting doctors negatively, as more and more drop out or decide becoming a doctor is not for them anymore. A shortage is starting....and is projected to continue.
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Post by ShivaTD on Oct 28, 2013 17:55:56 GMT
They are dropping out because of Obamacare. No indication that their business decision had to do with anything BUT Obamacare.
Why can't you just admit that?
Not only is Obamacare affecting Health insurance companies negatively.....it's also affecting doctors negatively, as more and more drop out or decide becoming a doctor is not for them anymore. A shortage is starting....and is projected to continue.
The insurance companies dropped out based upon financial considerations, period. If they could make money they would have stayed and the "rules" for all Health Insurance Providers are the same. It appears that "competition" drove them out of the market because they couldn't compete under the rules changes for the Advantage plans. If they could compete then arguably they would have continued to offer the policies.
The increased demand for doctors because of more people being insurance and demanding health services is going to drive up compensation. We've already seen this in the medical profession where demand has been driving up compensation for years and the expansion of the labor force in the highest of all categories at about 21% annually. The demand for doctors increases compensation and doesn't reduce compensation. Financially becoming a doctor today is far more advantageous than in the past. Remember one thing, most of "Obamacare" uses private insurance and not Medicaid. While private clinics have been refusing new Medicaid (and Medicare) patients because of underpayments by these programs (only 4% of private clinic in WA have been accepting Medicare/Medicaid patients in recent years) virtually no private clinics are refusing new patients with private health insurance.
Young people in America today have a greater financial incentive to become doctors today than ever before because of the expansion of the number of people that will be treated because of the expansion of private insurance that pays the actual costs of health services.
The Law of Supply and Demand works for labor just like it works for goods and services. Are Republicans unaware of that fact? More demand for doctors results in more compensation for doctors, not less.
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Post by JP5 on Oct 28, 2013 20:55:44 GMT
They are dropping out because of Obamacare. No indication that their business decision had to do with anything BUT Obamacare.
Why can't you just admit that?
Not only is Obamacare affecting Health insurance companies negatively.....it's also affecting doctors negatively, as more and more drop out or decide becoming a doctor is not for them anymore. A shortage is starting....and is projected to continue.
The insurance companies dropped out based upon financial considerations, period. If they could make money they would have stayed and the "rules" for all Health Insurance Providers are the same. It appears that "competition" drove them out of the market because they couldn't compete under the rules changes for the Advantage plans. If they could compete then arguably they would have continued to offer the policies.
The increased demand for doctors because of more people being insurance and demanding health services is going to drive up compensation. We've already seen this in the medical profession where demand has been driving up compensation for years and the expansion of the labor force in the highest of all categories at about 21% annually. The demand for doctors increases compensation and doesn't reduce compensation. Financially becoming a doctor today is far more advantageous than in the past. Remember one thing, most of "Obamacare" uses private insurance and not Medicaid. While private clinics have been refusing new Medicaid (and Medicare) patients because of underpayments by these programs (only 4% of private clinic in WA have been accepting Medicare/Medicaid patients in recent years) virtually no private clinics are refusing new patients with private health insurance.
Young people in America today have a greater financial incentive to become doctors today than ever before because of the expansion of the number of people that will be treated because of the expansion of private insurance that pays the actual costs of health services.
The Law of Supply and Demand works for labor just like it works for goods and services. Are Republicans unaware of that fact? More demand for doctors results in more compensation for doctors, not less.
And you also really think that doctors who are now under the thumb of the federal gov't rules and regulations will be able to make the money they were making before? Think about that a while. What if YOU had a business....let's say a car and motorcycle repair business. And that the government was basically taking certain decisions away from you......like what specific services you MUST provide, HOW you provide them, what you can charge....and not charge. And even how much you can be paid.
You going to be okay with that? |
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Post by ShivaTD on Oct 29, 2013 9:36:24 GMT
You really think that doctors are going to flourish.....when they are getting paid 40 cents less on the dollar from the government for Medicaid services they provide than they get from private insurers? You DO know, don't you, that more and more people will now be on Medicaid as a result of Obamacare?
And you also really think that doctors who are now under the thumb of the federal gov't rules and regulations will be able to make the money they were making before? Think about that a while. What if YOU had a business....let's say a car and motorcycle repair business. And that the government was basically taking certain decisions away from you......like what specific services you MUST provide, HOW you provide them, what you can charge....and not charge. And even how much you can be paid.
You going to be okay with that?
That is a serious flaw that "Obamacare" is going to make far worse because of the increase in the number of people having to rely on a limited number of hospitals to provide health care services but the flaw is really in the Medicare/Medicaid law as opposed to being specific to "Obamacare" that expands Medicaid. Medicare/Medicaid need to dramatically increase funding for the medical services they demand. I don't have a documented number but would estimate that it would require between a 15%-20% increase in the payments by Medicare/Medicaid for medical services.
This is problematic on two counts. First is that the estimated cost savings to Medicare/Medicaid that were cited in the passage of "Obamacare" were always fictional IMO. I've always stated that fact. Next is the fact that not only should there not be attempted cuts in funding to these two government welfare programs but instead that funding needs to be increased. Medicare/Medicaid have a funding problem and not a spending problem.
Yes, "Obamacare" is going to expand the Medicaid roles but if WA is any indication about twice as many will be covered by private insurance that private medical clinics do accept. The hospitals will be flooded with new Medicaid patients creating delays for routine services so those with private insurance will overwhelmingly choose to go to private clinics that will accept them.
New doctors will also disproportionately flock to the private clinics because private clinics will pay more in compensation for the doctor's services. This will result in a shortage of doctors at the hospitals to treat the influx of additional Medicaid patients and the only way to attract more doctors to the hospitals will be to raise compensation. That will require Medicaid and Medicare to pay more to the hospitals for medical services and Congress will have to provide that funding.
But, as noted, this problem already existed because Medicare/Medicaid wasn't paying enough before "Obamacare" was passed. This just shows how out of touch with Democrats and Republicans are when it comes to Medicare/Medicaid. The Democrats won't realize the "savings" they promised in passing "Obamacare" and the Republicans can't logically cut funding to underfunded programs.
On the flip side some cost savings will be realized because in those states that are expanding Medicaid these individuals won't continue to show up in the emergency rooms for non-emergency medical services. Instead they'll be seeing regular doctors and that will cut the costs of treatment by about 2/3rds. They'll be more of them but the costs of treatment goes down if we get them out of the emergency rooms and they'll receive better medical treatment. Then again they'll also be seeing doctors for routine check-ups so the number of visits increases.
Rather complex but the fact is more money is going to be necessary than either Democrats or Republicans expect and that funding will be necessary. The most important thing is that millions of Americans will receive quality medical services they require, saving lives, and that both the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms support but it comes with a price tag. We'll just need to find other places in government spending that can be reduced to cover these additional costs.
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