Yes, Obamacare is driving US health care costs lower

[Cigar]

Early signs suggest that US president Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is driving the cost of healthcare lower, according to Goldman Sachs analysts, spotlighting yesterday’s data on consumer spending and prices.

“Cuts to Medicare payments that were used to finance some of the new benefits under the law have resulted in significant slowing in the health-related components of the PCE price index,” wrote Goldman analysts in a note to clients.

http://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/screen-shot-2014-03-04-at-9-16-22-am.png

They note that the decrease in January health care prices is related to cuts to Medicare, the US program of health care for the elderly, which were made in the Affordable Care Act in order to pay for coverage of the uninsured:


Rather than reducing the quantity of services provided, the law mandates a smaller annual increase in the prices Medicare pays for services. This increase happens once a year in January or October, there should be little additional effect on the change in prices from the ACA for the next several months, though we expect the effect on the level of prices to persist.

While the Obamacare overhaul remains controversial in the US, budget geeks are nearly unanimous in spotlighting runaway health care costs as a long-term driver of the US national debt. And cross-country comparisons show that US health care spending is clearly out of line with international norms.


http://qz.com/183812/yes-obamacare-is-driving-us-health-care-costs-lower/

:grin: Let the crying begin

[Captain Obvious]

I can tell you from ground zero that those cuts to medicare reimbursement are crushing providers who are now forced to work with limited resources (or go bankrupt) and are delivering lower quality healthcare.

But that's what happens when you jam a round peg into a square hole, you get all splintered up but the job's done.

[Cigar]

I can tell you from ground zero that those cuts to medicare reimbursement are crushing providers who are now forced to work with limited resources (or go bankrupt) and are delivering lower quality healthcare.

But that's what happens when you jam a round peg into a square hole, you get all splintered up but the job's done.


If your so-called Resource isn't worth a Minimum Wage or even Health Care, then why are you calling them a Resource?

Just call them what they really are ... a Slave.

[Paperback Writer]

http://i.imgur.com/MQ6SWSM.png

[Captain Obvious]

If your so-called Resource isn't worth a Minimum Wage or even Health Care, then why are you calling them a Resource?

Just call them what they really are ... a Slave.


What's being discussed across the spectrum of healthcare providers (hospitals).

Over the last year or so there have been waves of layoffs announced. One after the other. Most facilities have laid off a segment of their workforce because of shrinking reimbursement (care, caid).

Open your newspaper, look around. It's happening in your town also.

Now with the possibility of a significant increase in the minimum wage, it would be virtually guaranteed that more layoffs would happen. Guaranteed.

So I hope you progressives are happy but to be honest, you should tell your "winning" story to those people who lost their jobs because of Medicare cuts, you should tell your story to those patients who are receiving lower quality healthcare because of medicare cuts and make sure you brag to those people who will be losing their jobs over the increase in the minimum wage when it increases.

Internet tough guys are like internet braggarts. Easy to do in anonymously but you don't have the balls to go do it face to face with the people who are really suffering because of these lousy decisions.

And that makes you a complete pussy. Hope you're proud of yourself.

[Cigar]

No one ever said running a Business is cheep, even owning slaves has overhead.

I pay my consultants above the going rate because I learned long ago, retaining a knowledge base is a value-add to the Business.

There's a reason you get shitty service at McDog Meat ... :wink: you get exactly what you pay for, and not a Penny more.

[Paperback Writer]

No one ever said running a Business is cheep, even owning slaves has overhead.

I pay my consultants above the going rate because I learned long ago, retaining a knowledge base is a value-add to the Business.

There's a reason you get shitty service at McDog Meat ... :wink: you get exactly what you pay for, and not a Penny more.
Captain Obvious

what do you have to say for yourself you cheep bastard?



:happy1:

[Captain Obvious]

@Captain Obvious (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=3)

what do you have to say for yourself you cheep bastard?



:happy1:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090415152154/fantendo/images/8/83/Cheep-Cheep.jpg

[Captain Obvious]

@Captain Obvious (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=3)

what do you have to say for yourself you cheep bastard?



:happy1:

But at the end of the day talking with this guy is useless, he is just incapable of comprehension.

He's basically the political armchair QB. The guy who screams at the TV, fat, bloated, full of beer, can't barely manage to muster up enough energy to go take a piss.

That's the irony with Cigar.

[Cigar]

But at the end of the day talking with this guy is useless, he is just incapable of comprehension.

He's basically the political armchair QB. The guy who screams at the TV, fat, bloated, full of beer, can't barely manage to muster up enough energy to go take a piss.

That's the irony with Cigar.

Fuck You ... I'm in shape :laugh:

http://www.spawn.com/toys/movies/austin2/9inchfatbastard/images/austin2_9inchfatbastard_photo_01_dp.jpg

[patrickt]

My god, Cigar is right. Forcing people into slavery is cheap.