jason812 wrote:mojo84 wrote:Beiruty wrote:25% increase in premium in 2017 for Obamacare? Where is the savings in the promised and hoped savings?
Be thankful you aren't in Arizona, 116% increase for many. 50% for many in Texas.
Mine is doubling because we have a "Cadillac" plan.
One problem I have with the republicans is the whole repeal and replace mindset. How about just repeal, period end of story? The replacement won't work if it has anything to do with the government.
I hear you. However, there needed to be some kind of reform. However, starting with the insurance and how healthcare is paid for was a huge mistake. Until the cost of healthcare and medications is addressed, all the insurance reform in the world will not help. With the FDA, CMS and,all the other federal agencies mandating onerous regulations and rules that drive up the costs, the costs will never come down. It won't matter if the costs are paid for via taxes, insurance or self-pay out of one's pocket the costs will be outrageous.
Think about this. It's costs a Billion dollars to research, develop, test and get a drug approved by the FDA just so it can go on the market. Then, after all of that, some have severe adverse reactions or unexpected side effects, the lawyers come out of the woodwork and sue for hundreds of millions dollars.
When 50% of a doctor's staff is not patient facing and there for all the bookkeeping and regulatory work that is mandated by the government and to process the insurance company required paperwork, healthcare costs are going to be outrageous.
The government has already capped how much insurance companies can make. 80% of their premium revenue has to be paid towards members healthcare. Therefore, they have 20% for operating expenses, profit, taxes and capital expenditures. As a result, most of the carriers have eliminated agent commissions on individual medical insurance or reduced it down to the point I can no longer afford to assist people in aquiring their coverage. They have to go direct, use the government exchange or find an online source.
There needed to be reform and changes but more goveremt control and involvement isn't the answer unless the government's goal it to take it over entirely. That's what I believe is really going on.