Obamacare glitch

[Horn6721]

Who didn't see this coming? Well a few apparently. I am amazed the heads of the insurance companies actually thought this risk corridor idea would work.
So insurers who made more money were to put money into the "risk corridor fund" and those who lost money could take money from the fund to offset the losses.
from WSJ
"Insurer says it didn’t get nearly $223 million owed under ‘risk corridors’ program"
and
"
The federal Department of Health and Human Services announced last fall that insurers initially would receive only 12.6% of the money they claimed under the risk-corridor program for 2014, its first year of operation. Highmark is seeking the full amount it says is due to it for that year.

A Health and Human Services spokesman declined to comment on the suit."
http://www.wsj.com/articles/insurer...rdable-care-act-1463515485?mod=trending_now_2

Those clever Dems wrote it so ONLY money paid into the fund could be used to cover other companies losses. in 2014 alone companies with losses wanted to draw out nearly 3 billion but only 362 million was paid in. Shocked I am.

 

[Mr. Deez]

The insurers danced with the devil, and now they're getting burned. Or more accurately, two devils (the government and the insurance industry) danced with each other, and the weaker devil got burned.

 

[Clean]

Single payer system, here we come. That was the Dems goal all along.

 

[theiioftx]

This is only another problem with Obamacare. It is an unsustainable handout. And yes, the plan by Obama was single payor.

 

[Horn6721]

That is likely true,BO'S plan was for single payor
But did he think it was ok to wreck what areas were working and cost all of us so much money as the way to get his way?

 

[nashhorn]

to wreck what areas were working and cost all of us so much money as the way to get his way?

You're kidding right? As if he cares how much this bathroom **** is going to cost?

 

[Horn6721]

I am sure Bo cares zero how much it costs on the bathroom issue
but that is tiny compared to the costs of Obamacare
and this issue reported in the OP of guaranteeing insurance companies they would not lose money will add billions to us.

 

[theiioftx]

Two wholly separate issues:

1) he knew the costs and ramifications of ACA and lied to make sure. It was passed. He knew it would lead to single payor.

2) the bathroom issue is simply a way of deflecting all bad press about his foreign policy failure. Between this and the Trump sideshow, he has raised his approval rating and nobody noticed.

 

[nashhorn]

Of course they are two separate issues,,,,but BO's lack of concern for impact is not - the bathroom issue will cost in $$'s but as Horn6721 says the cost will be tiny (although I think substantial) compared to ObamaNocare. And I guarantee that BO does not give a **** - well in my opinion anyway.

 

[theiioftx]

No doubt, but cost is never a consideration when dems are giving handouts to constituency. I just think the bathroom issue is a diversion. He could care less about lgbt community or the costs.

 

[Hollandtx]

All Obama cares about at this point is how his Presidential legacy will be viewed in the future.
He is scoring every "social" point he can...how this will hold up beyond the next few years remains to be seen.
Once you pick up the "social initiative" rock, it looks very ugly underneath. Time will tell if anyone has the guts to call him out on such things as employment, wages, racial relations, diplomacy, and a host of other issues that happened on his watch.
He could be the man who began to change not only the face of the political landscape, but the very core of what America is. I am amazed at the number of people who call him the "best President ever".

 

[Crockett]

Long before Obama took office, medical care costs were spiraling out of control, growing much faster than inflation and consuming a greater portion of the GDP every year. I admit Obamacare was no fix, but the now standard high deductible insurance plant at least makes customers ASK up front about costs, even if they have no mechanism to force providers to give a reasonable estimate or allow them to price shop. When you have an item with luxury goods markup and no price transparency, costs do tend to go way out of control. Think Trump wants to fix that? Single payer is a ham-handed way to fix that... you think we have the stomach or the creativity to do better?

 

[theiioftx]

Yes I believe we have the creativity to make our system better. Single payer will ensure everyone has access to healthcare, but it will create longer wait times for critical care, doctor shortages and lower quality of care overall.

I believe the answer lies within a combination of free market competition and health spending accounts. Providing everyone coverage with no accountability for their health decisions or expense makes the system worse. I believe every healthcare provider should be required to post their prices for everyone to see. If hospital A charges $1100 for a MRI while hospital B charges $500, patients will choose B if they are essentially paying for it themselves. However, if A is truly better quality with a shorter wait time, some consumers will choose A. But it is their decision..