Daily Obamacare Thread: Good and Bad

[esmith]

And Obamacare keeps on giving, or taking depending on your view. It seems that $474 million in taxpayer money has been spent on the state exchanges in 4 states that do not work. Now, depending on what the states do, either attempt to fix the state exchange or go to the government exchange will determine how much more taxpayer dollars will be spent. Oregon has decided to trash their system and shift to healthcare.gov; Nevada hasn't made a decision as of yet; Maryland wants to fix theirs,; and Massachusetts wants to do both, build a portal (?) and have healthcare.gov as a backup.
$474M for 4 failed Obamacare exchanges - Jennifer Haberkorn and Kyle Cheney - POLITICO.com

Now, what is strange is the Massachusetts dumped their RommneyCare exchange, which I assume was working prior to Obamacare. Anyone from Massachusetts have the real story?
Massachusetts ditches RomneyCare health exchange - POLITICO.com

On another point, it seems that $4.4 billion, yes billion, is expected to be spent to help states set up their exchanges by the end of the year according to HHS. Now the original estimate was $2 billion. See a trend here?
Obamacare Exchanges Costs Double: $4.4 Billion

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Top insurance companies say most Obamacare enrollees are paying in congressional testimony.

As many as 90 percent of WellPoint customers have paid their first premium by its due date, according to testimony the company prepared for a congressional hearing today. For Aetna, the payment is in the “low to mid-80 percent range,” the company said in its own testimony. Health Care Service Corp., which operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in five states including Texas, said that number is at least 83 percent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/u...surers-deliver-unexpected-testimony.html?_r=0

House Republicans summoned a half-dozen health insurance executives to a hearing Wednesday envisioned as another forum for criticism of the Affordable Care Act. But insurers refused to go along with the plan, and surprised Republican critics of the law by undercutting some of their arguments against it.

Insurers, appearing before a panel of the Energy and Commerce Committee, testified that the law had not led to a government takeover of their industry, as some Republicans had predicted. Indeed, several insurers said their stock prices had increased in the last few years.

The executives also declined to endorse Republican predictions of a sharp increase in insurance premiums next year, saying they did not have enough data or experience to forecast prices. And they said they were already receiving federal subsidy payments intended to make insurance more affordable for low- and middle-income people.

Hospitals see blue-red divide early into Obamacare

The blue-red divide in Medicaid expansion

The Hospital Corporation of America, which has facilities in 20 states, reported a big gap in Medicaid and uninsured admissions between expansion and non-expansion states. In the four states it operates where Medicaid expanded under the ACA, the company saw a 22.3 percent growth in Medicaid admissions, compared to a 1.3 percent decline in non-expansion states. The company also had a 29 percent decline in uninsured admissions in the expansion states, while non-expansion states experienced 5.9 percent growth in uninsured admissions, chief financial officer William Rutherford said.


Community Health Systems, with facilities in 29 states, also noticed an expansion gap. In expansion states it serves, CHS said it saw self-pay admissions drop 28 percent while Medicaid admissions increased by 4 percent. Self-pay emergency room visits decreased 16 percent in expansion states, but they increased in non-expansion states, the company said in its earnings call last week.


Tenet Healthcare reported last week that it had a 17 percent increase in Medicaid inpatient visits while uninsured visits decreased 33 percent in the four expansion states where it operates. In non-expansion states, Medicaid admissions dropped 1 percent as uninsured care rose 2 percent. Tenet also said it's seeing that emergency room visits are continuing to rise.

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[esmith]

Your tax payer money at work, well only if you count sitting around doing nothing as work. Seems a company was paid $1 billion dollars to handle, you guessed it...Obamacare applications. So, how much work did they actually accomplish? In simple words not much. And the company is hiring more employees to do more nothing.

ObamaCare contractor pays employees to do nothing, whistleblower says | Fox News

ObamaCare, VA, IRS ... Varney Says Gov't Keeps Proving It Cannot Do Things Efficiently | Fox News Insider

It also seems that this company, Serco, is under investigation in the UK for fraud. Wonder who vents these companies prior to giving them a contract?
Serious Fraud Office launches inquiry into G4S and Serco overcharging claims | Business | theguardian.com

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Personally, it infuriates me to the point of hatred when someone thinks money is more important than the health and well being of another, but then again I'm also young, high-cost, previously existing condition, and the "red vs. blue" mentality, specifically the red, has made it even harder for me to get care I need.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/u...surers-deliver-unexpected-testimony.html?_r=0

I'm starting to enjoy the stories of the Republicans who live so deeply their own perpetuated fantasy land that they do not get the angry torch-and-pitch fork mob they think is waiting to lead them.

Hospitals see blue-red divide early into Obamacare
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That doesn't surprise me. Republicans have made the ACA so heavily politicized that it's really no surprise that the expanded and non-expanded states turned out like they did. And of course whoever would have seen the expanded states seeing better results than non-expanded states?:sarcastic

 

[Revoltingest]

SC Woman Refused Medicine Because ObamaCare System Says She Is a Man
It is amazing that such errors, once made, can be hard to correct.

 

[factseeker88]

Well seems we have an ACA success thread but this grumpy ole man doesn't have any use for the law while others feel that it is the best thing since slice bread. So being the contrary ole fart that I am I am starting out with the "Bad".

North Dakota’s Largest Insurer Will Still Be Canceling Policies Thanks To Obamacare | Say Anything

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage cuts doctors

Rogers: WH Won't Even Give Classified Briefings on HealthCare.Gov Security Problems | National Review Online

Report: Obama Admin Using Honor System to Pay Insurance Companies | Fox News Insider

Audit: Health care subsidies vulnerable to fraud - Times-Gazette | Ashland & Ashland County, Ohio

Nothing Obama's detractors do or say seems to hurt him or his policies.

According to 902 Democrat polls, Obama's job approval rating is still 77.6 percent and his disapproval rating is still 17 percent

Obama Job Approval - Democrats - Polls - HuffPost Pollster

:yes::yes::yes:

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

SC Woman Refused Medicine Because ObamaCare System Says She Is a Man
It is amazing that such errors, once made, can be hard to correct.

I would need more information on that: it is surprisingly and unfortunately very common for transsexuals to be refused treatment because of mismatched gender markers on paper. That may not be the case, but the transcommunity is flooded with similar stories of being refused treatment due to mismatched gender markers.

 

[esmith]

There seems to be a few on this forum that support a single payer system ran by the government. Therefore is it possible that the VA is a microcosm of government run healthcare applied to the entire population of the US?

 

[BSM1]

Nothing Obama's detractors do or say seems to hurt him or his policies.

According to 902 Democrat polls, Obama's job approval rating is still 77.6 percent and his disapproval rating is still 17 percent

Well, no one has ever accused the Democrats of being non-self serving.

 

[esmith]

Originally Posted by factseeker88
Nothing Obama's detractors do or say seems to hurt him or his policies.

According to 902 Democrat polls, Obama's job approval rating is still 77.6 percent and his disapproval rating is still 17 percen

t

Well, no one has ever accused the Democrats of being non-self serving.

Well, they do seem to have the stubbornness of their mascot. Even when things are going to hell-in-a-basket they, or at least some , stay-the-course and blame their problems on anyone but themselves.

 

[tytlyf]

There seems to be a few on this forum that support a single payer system ran by the government. Therefore is it possible that the VA is a microcosm of government run healthcare applied to the entire population of the US?

No, the ACA is run by private health care companies.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfac...guilfoyle/guilfoyle-obamacare-one-big-fat-va/

 

[YmirGF]

According to 902 Democrat polls, Obama's job approval rating is still 77.6 percent and his disapproval rating is still 17 percent

In an unrelated poll of 902 Democrats polls showed that 77.6% of those polled suffered from delusional thinking and often argued how good a **** sandwich tasted.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think I have more gripes with the American health care system as a whole, even without considering the A.C.A. Even after the A.C.A. was passed, at least here in Indiana, you can't just go on your own and present your symptoms and ailments and expect to be treated. I had to first go to a shrink to tell him that having a knee injury and chronic pain is having me depressed and I am not adjusting to life on a cane that well (especially at my age), and this was so I could be "conditionally" accepted in the Healthy Indiana Plan (probably because I don't qualify for anything else, not even the federal market exchange). Then I had to get an MRI and go to a physical therapist so she could see what's up with my knee and physical limitations so she could recommend that I get something done.
And when it was finally all said it done, it took nearly three years and people who are not me to tell some committee or whoever that I am in alot of pain and need surgery.

 

[factseeker88]

I think I have more gripes with the American health care system as a whole, even without considering the A.C.A. Even after the A.C.A. was passed, at least here in Indiana, you can't just go on your own and present your symptoms and ailments and expect to be treated. I had to first go to a shrink to tell him that having a knee injury and chronic pain is having me depressed and I am not adjusting to life on a cane that well (especially at my age), and this was so I could be "conditionally" accepted in the Healthy Indiana Plan (probably because I don't qualify for anything else, not even the federal market exchange). Then I had to get an MRI and go to a physical therapist so she could see what's up with my knee and physical limitations so she could recommend that I get something done.
And when it was finally all said it done, it took nearly three years and people who are not me to tell some committee or whoever that I am in alot of pain and need surgery.

All because Republican Governors who won't allow ACA, a cheaper and more inclusive medical plan. Politics is more important to them then their suffering people.

“[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900) [/FONT]

 

[esmith]

There seems to be a few on this forum that support a single payer system ran by the government. Therefore is it possible that the VA is a microcosm of government run healthcare applied to the entire population of the US?

No, the ACA is run by private health care companies.

Uh, isn't a single payer health system is run by the government? The VA is a federal run healthcare system. Where are you getting cornfused?

 

[esmith]

All because Republican Governors who won't allow ACA, a cheaper and more inclusive medical plan. Politics is more important to them then their suffering people.

“[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900) [/FONT]

Uh, I do believe you are confusing the ACA with Medicaid. No state has the option to forgo the requirements of the ACA; however, they do have the option of not expanding Medicaid.

 

[esmith]

Well I guess the unions didn't realize what was coming down the pike when they supported Obummercare. Do you think there will be another executive order with another exemption forthcoming. As far as I see it the unions chose their bed partner and they need to live with their choice, their employer is not responsible for their problems with Obama.
Unions, employers square off over ObamaCare costs in collective bargaining | Fox News

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Well I guess the unions didn't realize what was coming down the pike when they supported Obummercare. Do you think there will be another executive order with another exemption forthcoming. As far as I see it the unions chose their bed partner and they need to live with their choice, their employer is not responsible for their problems with Obama.
Unions, employers square off over ObamaCare costs in collective bargaining | Fox News

And like all laws (See: Medicare) that could and should be tweaked here and there...republicans aren't interested unless it means full repeal.

 

[esmith]

And like all laws (See: Medicare) that could and should be tweaked here and there...republicans aren't interested unless it means full repeal.

and what does your endless platitudes have to do with the issue I just referenced.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

and what does your endless platitudes have to do with the issue I just referenced.

Really?......

The dispute is between the unions and the employer. Obama can't do anything about their collective bargaining issue.....but congress on a whole could address it and make the appropriate tweaks....or do you need the School House Rock version of how a bill becomes law....


Obama

Just how unfriendly are Republicans to the idea of changing the law for unions now? Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced a bill last week specifically barring the White House from making any changes to the bill for organized labor, a move that he said would amount to a “backroom deal.”