"Obamacare"

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/243188-overhead-costs-exploding-under-obamacare

May 27, 2015 - 11:08 AM EDT
Overhead costs exploding under ObamaCare, study finds

BY SARAH FERRIS 1600 Shares
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Five years after the passage of ObamaCare, there is one expense that’s still causing sticker shock across the healthcare industry: overhead costs.

The administrative costs for healthcare plans are expected to explode by more than a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next decade, according to a new study published by the Health Affairs blog.

The $270 billion in new costs, for both private insurance companies and government programs, will be “over and above what would have been expected had the law not been enacted,” one of the authors, David Himmelstein, wrote Wednesday.

Those costs will be particularly high this year, when overhead is expected to make up 45 percent of all federal spending related to the Affordable Care Act. By 2022, that ratio will decrease to about 20 percent of federal spending related to the law.
The study is based on data from both the government’s National Health Expenditure Projections and the Congressional Budget Office. Both authors are members of Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates for a single-payer system.

"This number – 22.5 percent of all new spending going into overheard – is shocking even to me, to be honest. It’s almost one out of every four dollars is just going to bureaucracy," the study's other author, Steffie Woolhandler, said Wednesday.

She said private insurers have been expanding their administrative overhead despite some regulations from the Obama administration to control those costs, such as the medical loss ratio, which requires a certain amount of premium dollars to be spent directly on healthcare. She argues that a better approach would be a type of Medicare-for-all system.

The extra administrative costs amount to the equivalent of $1,375 per newly insured person per year, the authors write.

About two-thirds of the new overhead costs are the result of rising enrollment in private plans, which the authors say carries “high costs for administration and profits.”

The rest is the result of expanded government programs, such as Medicaid. It also includes the cost of running ObamaCare exchanges at both the federal and state levels.

The federal exchange, as well as the 13 state-run exchanges, have all been boosted by grant money, though those funds will run out by 2016. The exchange will then need to rely on fees to plan premiums.

[Jabeez]

Anyone else think it's rough ridin' ridiculous that Congress decided we can use hsa and flexible spending  accounts on pseudo science bullshit like homeopathy and chiropractors, but not preventative health like really expensive gyms, personal trainers, and premade healthy meals? I'm outraged and pissed.

[hjfklmor]

Anyone else think it's rough ridin' ridiculous that Congress decided we can use hsa and flexible spending  accounts on pseudo science bullshit like homeopathy and chiropractors, but not preventative health like really expensive gyms, personal trainers, and premade healthy meals? I'm outraged and pissed.

Or prescription formula that's $40 for a 14 oz can.. 

[Jabeez]

Anyone else think it's rough ridin' ridiculous that Congress decided we can use hsa and flexible spending  accounts on pseudo science bullshit like homeopathy and chiropractors, but not preventative health like really expensive gyms, personal trainers, and premade healthy meals? I'm outraged and pissed.

Or prescription formula that's $40 for a 14 oz can.. 

Its my tax free money, let me spend it how i wanna!

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Anyone else think it's rough ridin' ridiculous that Congress decided we can use hsa and flexible spending  accounts on pseudo science bullshit like homeopathy and chiropractors, but not preventative health like really expensive gyms, personal trainers, and premade healthy meals? I'm outraged and pissed.

Doesn't Obamacare mandate that those crap pseudo science treatments be covered by insurance? We should let people buy the coverage they actually want.

[Jabeez]

Anyone else think it's rough ridin' ridiculous that Congress decided we can use hsa and flexible spending  accounts on pseudo science bullshit like homeopathy and chiropractors, but not preventative health like really expensive gyms, personal trainers, and premade healthy meals? I'm outraged and pissed.

Doesn't Obamacare mandate that those crap pseudo science treatments be covered by insurance? We should let people buy the coverage they actually want.

Yeah, same thing.  That's my gripe, insurers want actual preventative care, but they exclude things that would actually make people healthy because they're frivolous costs, and include spiritual pseudo science horseshit.

[Spracne]

Apparently...

Obama:Insurance
Jabeez:Thread Titles

How did you even do that? 

[chum1]

Obama:US Healthcare Problems
God:Universe

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Saw this article on the Eagle today.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/28/268095/health-care-law-supporters-encounter.html

The Eagle's headline was "Judge takes health care suit seriously" I guess the editor lives in the same bubble as most MSM journos.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday took seriously a politically ballyhooed lawsuit filed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives challenging the Obama administration’s implementation of the health care law.

In an 80-minute hearing, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer resisted Justice Department claims that the House lacks the legal standing necessary to sue. While noting she has “no idea” what she ultimately will decide, Collyer leveled her hardest questions at the administration.

“It is, I think, a very serious disagreement,” Collyer said, adding that “whether the House has standing is a very different question than whether the (administration’s) action is lawful.”

Appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, Collyer repeatedly, and perhaps tellingly, hammered Justice Department attorney Joel McElvain with sharp comments like “You’re not getting my point,” “You are dodging my question” and “This is the problem with your brief. It’s just not direct.”

The attorney hired to represent the House, George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley, seemed to have an easier time during the oral argument held before an audience of 75 people. Many reporters, but apparently no House members, were in the fourth-floor courtroom.

This will take a few more years to finally get a judgment that Obama violated the constitution. Another example of his administration's lawless "eff it, we're going to do what we want and if a court ever calls us on it it will be year down the road" approach.

[ednksu]

Saw this article on the Eagle today.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/28/268095/health-care-law-supporters-encounter.html

The Eagle's headline was "Judge takes health care suit seriously" I guess the editor lives in the same bubble as most MSM journos.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday took seriously a politically ballyhooed lawsuit filed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives challenging the Obama administration’s implementation of the health care law.

In an 80-minute hearing, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer resisted Justice Department claims that the House lacks the legal standing necessary to sue. While noting she has “no idea” what she ultimately will decide, Collyer leveled her hardest questions at the administration.

“It is, I think, a very serious disagreement,” Collyer said, adding that “whether the House has standing is a very different question than whether the (administration’s) action is lawful.”

Appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, Collyer repeatedly, and perhaps tellingly, hammered Justice Department attorney Joel McElvain with sharp comments like “You’re not getting my point,” “You are dodging my question” and “This is the problem with your brief. It’s just not direct.”

The attorney hired to represent the House, George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley, seemed to have an easier time during the oral argument held before an audience of 75 people. Many reporters, but apparently no House members, were in the fourth-floor courtroom.

This will take a few more years to finally get a judgment that Obama violated the constitution. Another example of his administration's lawless "eff it, we're going to do what we want and if a court ever calls us on it it will be year down the road" approach.

Lol "lawless"
Ted Cruz thanks you for cleaning his balls today.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Saw this article on the Eagle today.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/28/268095/health-care-law-supporters-encounter.html

The Eagle's headline was "Judge takes health care suit seriously" I guess the editor lives in the same bubble as most MSM journos.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday took seriously a politically ballyhooed lawsuit filed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives challenging the Obama administration’s implementation of the health care law.

In an 80-minute hearing, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer resisted Justice Department claims that the House lacks the legal standing necessary to sue. While noting she has “no idea” what she ultimately will decide, Collyer leveled her hardest questions at the administration.

“It is, I think, a very serious disagreement,” Collyer said, adding that “whether the House has standing is a very different question than whether the (administration’s) action is lawful.”

Appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, Collyer repeatedly, and perhaps tellingly, hammered Justice Department attorney Joel McElvain with sharp comments like “You’re not getting my point,” “You are dodging my question” and “This is the problem with your brief. It’s just not direct.”

The attorney hired to represent the House, George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley, seemed to have an easier time during the oral argument held before an audience of 75 people. Many reporters, but apparently no House members, were in the fourth-floor courtroom.

This will take a few more years to finally get a judgment that Obama violated the constitution. Another example of his administration's lawless "eff it, we're going to do what we want and if a court ever calls us on it it will be year down the road" approach.

Lol "lawless"
Ted Cruz thanks you for cleaning his balls today.

There were specific deadlines written in the law. Obama ignored them. He ignored the law. Lawless. The Constitution requires that the President "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." He takes an oath to do the same. When the law gives you a date, and you arbitrarily ignore that date, that's lawless.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I don't know a better word for refusing to enforce the law than "lawless".

[star seed 7]

 

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Speaking of which, this about sums up Obama's policy...

[renocat]

God's Newspaper in Hutchinson reported that premiuma for exchange policies will go up 20 to 50 percent in the next couple of years.  Tennessee will increase by 30 percent. Affordable?  Healthcare nuts and gym rats, someday you wI'll get sick, and someday croak.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

That's odd. Kansas health insurance companies are proposing rate increases for next year between 20 and 40%. http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article22844553.html

It's almost as if requring insurance companies to provide coverage to people who are already sick is causing insurers' costs to go up. A lot. And people with subsidized insurance are using it more - not less.

Wo could have ever predicted those things?

[puniraptor]

health care should be a human right and an american right. if the health insurance industry and the industrial health complex cannot effectively and efficiently provide for that right, then they need to be destroyed.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

health care should be a human right and an american right. if the health insurance industry and the industrial health complex cannot effectively and efficiently provide for that right, then they need to be destroyed.

How much health care is each person entitled to?

[star seed 7]

as much as they need

[Spracne]

Over the past 5 years, I've gone from the right, to the middle, and now to the left on this issue.  Hey KSUW, If you're so concerned about the cost of your premiums, maybe you should just work a little harder or be a little more talented so that you'll make more money. 

[star seed 7]

it takes a truly evil-hearted person to be pro health insurance

[chum1]

You've all been financially devastated by Obamacare. You just don't know it.

[puniraptor]

as much as they need

Yeah Jesus Christ, kazdub

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

as much as they need

Who decides how much they "need" and more importantly, how soon they need it?

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

it takes a truly evil-hearted person to be pro health insurance

I'm far from "pro health insurance." I'm pro people buying routine medical care out pocket with transparent pricing and only using insurance the way any other insurance is actually used. Obamacare puts the insurance carriers on steroids, and then we all pay for the rise in premiums. Some of you really have no idea how this works.