How does that 'insurance is cheaper...' really work?

[WhiskeyGirl]

I keep hearing the Democrat / liberal / progressive mantra that goes something like this "insurance / healthcare costs less for everyone..."

Is that true?

How is it possible to reduce costs for everyone when you're giving it away free to some and making others pay more?

How is it possible to reduce costs for everyone when you're shifting costs from Medicaid/Medicare/Obamacare to private insurance?

How is it possible to reduce costs for everyone when you're allowing some to sign up in the ambulance or on the way to the hospital.  One person pays $150 for one month other coverage and gets $1.5 million in care?  Who has to pay more to cover that $1.5 million?

[WhiskeyGirl]

How is it possible to lower costs when you're adding people?  Giving them free healthcare?

If their expenses are already being shifted to private insurance, who's going to pay in the future?  The same folks?

How are the costs of private insurance lowered?


How can you lower costs if there is no tort reform?

No benefit reform? 

[WhiskeyGirl]

Help me understand how this is possible...

In Wisconsin, they are considering a new Medicaid buy-in program.  For a flat $130 dollars a month, the state allows those who qualify to buy into Medicaid.  It gets you maybe 10 doctor visits, a few ER visits, and one freebie hospital stay a year.  After the one stay, you get a $7,500 deductible. 

Here are the problems.  At what point does the deductible kick in?  After the one hospital stay?  Maybe you used all the allowed 10 doctor visits and have a $5 copay?  Seems like a trap for taxpayers who likely will provide the financial backup in case this thing blows out the financial projections.  These are likely to be poor and sick people. 

Another thing, the $130 is based on a very basic plan, no state mandated coverage.  No maternity, no nothing.  Doesn't have to include the things that private insurance is FORCED to cover in this state.  Also, the State of Wisconsin will now be in the business of collecting premiums, sending out premium notices, past due notices, and cancelling policies/members. 

Anyone think the state will REALLY cancel members when they don't pay their premium?

WISCONSIN IS BROKE.  NOT QUITE SO BAD AS CALIFORNIA...THERE IS NO MONEY.

A state version of Obamacare.

(cont. below)

[WhiskeyGirl]

The annual cost of the proposed Wisconsin Medicaid expansion premium, is $130 per month or $1,560 on an annual basis.

I read in one place where the 'Reinsurance' portion of Obamacare is projected to save certain early retirees with employer sponsored health insurance more than $1,200 per year.  iirc, those plans likely to qualify are union plans.  Those Cadillac plans that cost more than $20,000 per year per family. 

In the presidents plan, he raised the exemptions for these Cadillac plans to almost $30,000 per year.  These folks need a hand out to help them with premiums, deductibles, and copays?

I seem to recall reading and posted that the annual out of pocket expenses for these folks are likely less than $1,000 per year.  These folks need help to make this more affordable?

The actual "Reinsurance" provisions in the bills, in my mind will be overfunding this $1,200 savings by millions.  It pays on claims between $15,000 and about $90,000, but lacks details about how the 'claims' are calculated.

I imagine the claims processor will fire up the machine, pay claims and make a claim to Obamacare every time the cumulative claim bucket hits $90,000 - ding, ding, ding.

The payments, from what I recall, can only be used to offset member premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.  So, it seems like these folks will get free insurance, and their retiree plans will be loaded with excessive reserves.  Maybe they won't ever go on Obamacare or Medicare.  Perhaps they'll have so much money, they can raise the age limits and never leave the plan.

Since the plan is focused on 'retirees' there doesn't seem to be a check for citizenship.

Unions, iirc, are open to everyone, including illegal aliens.  So, will American taxpayers be funding foreign workers, illegal aliens, and global union healthcare?

Somehow, I don't see any of this focused on providing benefits for ONLY citizens and those here legally.

If unions or others have obligations to illegal aliens or foreign workers, shouldn't they be looking elsewhere for funding?

Or, should Americans just shoulder this burden and pass this perpetual debt onto our children?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Wisconsin Medicaid buy-in $1,560 per year...

Cadillac plan retireees get free ride, Obamacare 'saves' them $1,200 per year on their $30,000 luxury plan...

Obama wants to cut Medicare Advantage, which many seniors choose because it is the cheapest and save them money, lower out of pocket expenses than traditional Medicare... 

From what I remember, Medicare pay like $300 more per month, over what it pays for traditional Medicare participants. 

Traditional Medicare participants may need to pay thousands of dollars per year in additional premiums for Part B, D, and private insurance, or pay thousands in hospital deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or pay eveything out of pocket.  A private supplement can cost $200 or more per month, and may escalate over time to $1,000 or more.

Who's getting the goldmine?  Who's getting the shaft?

Why isn't everyone getting the same deal?

Where are the cost savings?

[WhiskeyGirl]

What I've always been told, and it makes sense -

It would cost  small amount to cover everyone...it's sharing the risk (and rewards)...the theory of large numbers...

Obamacare doesn't seem to understand these ideas or values.  Or, it does, and just wants to be a big political vote buying scheme.

Obamacare doesn't expect everyone to contribute.  Some get a free ride, and someone else gets to pay for it. 

Obamacare looks like a blank check written to healthcare.

Obamacare is like a political lollypop, an entitlement, a vote buying program financed on the backs of generations of Americans.

Obamacare seems to provide some with the best care, allows some to continue with the best care, and makes the best care unattainable to the masses.  When Obamacare sucks up all their money, where will Americans go?  When they've paid Obamacare everything, and their child gets sick, where is the money to seek treatment is foreign countries?  What if someones child gets no or substandard treatment because they don't meet the priorities of Obamacares racial, ethnic, or disparity priorities?   Institutional discrimination?

Obamacare seems to protect a bloated healthcare system that benefits special interests like lawyers, drug companies, large hospital and provider systems, research and education institutions that socialize losses and privatize profits.

Obamacare seems to thumb it's nose at the expectation that everyone LOOK for their own plan that is affordable.  What's wrong with looking for a job with better insurance?  Paying your own way?  Looking for the best healthcare deal around?  Paying out of pocket for your everyday healthcare expenses?

Why isn't everyone expected to contribute equally? 

Why aren't those on Cadillac plans expected to contribute to fund the uninsured?  Make insurance affordable for the masses?  Seems like the Cadillac fund should have lots of fat.  Why isn't Obama going after those plans?  Do ALL Cadillac plans file financial reports?  Maybe there is some fat that could be taxes?  Money NOT going to member benefits?

Why isn't Obamacare spreading the risk of the paying for the currently uninsured over everyone?

Where is the constitution does it say Americans should buy any product or service, or risk fines and jail if they don't?

Why doesn't Obama shifting all this care to the private charity?  It seem to me that when charity raises money for anything, they worry about how well the money is spent.  When you really WORK to raise money for good works, you also work to ensure money isn't squandered, wasted, or abused. 

Where is the motivation to spend the money wisely?  Lower costs?

Obamacare seems to have warp driven printing press, and hyperlink to taxpayer and consumer pockets.

There doesn't seem to be any protections in place to protect Americans from abuses by illegal aliens, foreign workers, retiree plans, or global special interests.

For some reason, it seems to me Americans are being set up to pay the global healthcare tab, perpetual debt, and nothing to show for it.

Obamacare isn't a sharing of the risk, its the road to slavery for millions.

my opinions.