Re: The Senate Healthcare Bill

On Dec 23, 11:51 am, Zaphod Beeblebrox <victor.ki...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Disculpa Senora CheeseHusker dos, pero did you really mime the following
  on 12/23/2009 12:36 PM???





On Dec 23, 11:30 am, Zaphod Beeblebrox <victor.ki...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Disculpa Senora CheeseHusker dos, pero did you really mime the following
  on 12/23/2009 8:24 AM???

On Dec 22, 8:41 pm, Zaphod Beeblebrox <victor.ki...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Disculpa Senora CheeseHusker dos, pero did you really mime the following
  on 12/22/2009 5:55 PM???
<snip>
     With all due respect, the above sentence of yours is complete
hand waving.  Medicare has a 5% overhead.  The insurance companies
have a 20% overhead.  Nobody disuptes these figures.
Actually, I haven't seen those numbers.  Can you post your cite
please?  I'm curious about those.  Especially the "nobody disputes"
aspect.
I will try and find a reference, but a recent article I read in the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette said that 95% of money that Medicare collects is
used for actual health expense reimbursements.  Blue Cross/ Blue Shield
average between 85 and 87% IIRC.  Others such as Aetna average closer to
80 or 81%.
Part of what Franken wanted with his amendment was to ensure that every
company spent at least 90% of its take on actual healthcare...
The problem with this tho, is that companies will simply move
"expenses" around and hide them elsewhere.  
I agree this is not out of the realm, but frankly, I don't see how they
can show in their books marketing or salaries or other administrative
costs as healthcare reimbursements

Charge higher premiums....

But, but, I thought the whole idea of letting these private insurers
compete (without a having a government run plan) was that they would
increase efficiency and keep down costs...

See below with electrical....



                                          We can legislate X - and
then be suprised by the unintended consequences.
But that doesn't mean we throw the baby out with the bathwater

Sure.

Look at it this way - it'll devolve into something like what we see
with utility companies - a protected and regulated "monopoly" allowed
to churn out X profit and having to go to the state/authorities for
rate hikes etc.

I see your point, and it's not a bad analogy.  However, I don't see the
insurance industry as one where regulations would stifle innovation or
development of new technology.  I mean what innovation could you
possibly have with health insurance products?  I certainly don't see
anything that is comparable to new energy sources for example...

And with a fixed profit margin there will be no incentive to look
around for them...

Actually, there have been a number of attempts at trying to "fix"
overhead as it stands - record computerization has been a biggie -
from pure cost savings to nonapparent "costs" such as malpractice.
The only reason we don't see easy areas to push for change is that
we're not in the industry and we lack the creativity. But I guarantee
you there's a boatload of room for administrative innovation.
.

Relevant Pages

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