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Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

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41–50 of 353 posts

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#41
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i couldn't in any good conscience support single-payer or socialized medicine it's the same economic model that created breadlines

Tell it to Australia, Canada, and the UK.

I am in Canada.

Animals have a MUCH higher quality of healthcare in Canada than humans do.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#42
post #2

Can anyone succinctly explain the benefits of having a market for private health insurance companies, rather than a single provider of health insurance (government, aka "public option")? Can a capitalist case be made for their existence? Does the lack of a large private insurance market in countries with government-provided health insurance cause lots of inefficiencies and waste?

Personally, I would have split the difference... I would have created an NPO insurance corporation that was the default for all government paid access programs (employees, retired va, medicare/aid, state programs backed by federal funding)... this likely would have cost less than was already being paid out, in effect consolidating the management of several government programs as well as opening that corporation up to the states, businesses and individuals.

Following would have been mandated coverage by employers, and from there would probably have been room to cover most of the rest or provide tax incentives to do so.

As it is, when people are paying the entire premium cost directly, they're far more likely to use that resource more, effectively raising costs... the lockin is another negative issue.

Creating a publicly sponsored baseline would establish more competition and as an NPO incentive to drive down pricing. The larger issue is IP surrounding medications and medical equipment. Much of which could be improved by front-loading patent application fees, reducing the approval rates for extension patents, and statutory licensing fees for medications more than 5 years old.

In the end government should encourage competition, with innovation as a side effect instead of trying to encourage innovation by expanding upon misguided protectionist extremism.

But that's my thought on a pragmatic solution that could have worked better with a libertarian mindset.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#43

Good. Block their deal, let them drop out of obamacare, and then give us the Single Payer that we've always deserved and watch those fuckers go bankrupt like they've always deserved.

Anyone who thinks this is leading to single-payer is dreaming. Whether you think it's a good idea or not, the political will wasn't there for in 6 years ago, and there is much less political will for it now.

Then at least Aetna will twist in the wind for their avarice.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#44
post #2

Can anyone succinctly explain the benefits of having a market for private health insurance companies, rather than a single provider of health insurance (government, aka "public option")? Can a capitalist case be made for their existence? Does the lack of a large private insurance market in countries with government-provided health insurance cause lots of inefficiencies and waste?

In theory? As I understand it ...

A market allows for innovators to find ways to deliver better service for less money and thus offer a more competitive product and gain market share. This competition forces all players to improve, or be forced from the market.

A publicly owned and operated business has no incentive to improve its operational efficiency and little to no incentive to respond to complaints in service.

In the US we have two examples of public insurance providers Medicare and the Veterans Administration (VA).

What we haven't tried as far as I can tell is to apply regulatory pressure with marketing forces. So for example if we made it illegal for pharmaceutical companies from preventing generics to be sold or marketed. If we required by regulation that all facilities publish their costs, and to whom those costs were paid, for every procedure. If we required that all medical procedure costs and options at every facility had to be made available at a publicly searchable database. Etc. It might help in making the market more efficient.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#45
If we are unwilling to confront the bloody, economy-crashing hellscape that is the foreseeable result of a system that only provides non-emergency care to people who can pay, then it seems like socializing the costs of care is the only method that could be made to be sustainable.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#46
post #2

Can anyone succinctly explain the benefits of having a market for private health insurance companies, rather than a single provider of health insurance (government, aka "public option")? Can a capitalist case be made for their existence? Does the lack of a large private insurance market in countries with government-provided health insurance cause lots of inefficiencies and waste?

[deleted]

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#47
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's also the same economic system that saved american seniors from dying destitute before SS and medicare.

help 5 people, hurt 100 people. the idea that SS and medicare are great and have done wonders is what's causing the country to go broke and costs to skyrocket. it was never good in the first place. you see the benefits when the programs are implemented, but everyone fails to see the costs and lost future opportunities.

The irony that you are blaming social security and medicare on the US costs while US healthcare is far more expensive than almost every socialised healthcare system in the world is astounding.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#48

Good. Block their deal, let them drop out of obamacare, and then give us the Single Payer that we've always deserved and watch those fuckers go bankrupt like they've always deserved.

i couldn't in any good conscience support single-payer or socialized medicine it's the same economic model that created breadlines

A large proportion of developed countries use single-payer, single-provider, or insurance vouchers. Including... Canada where you live.

Serious question: are you a refugee or emigrant from an oppressive communist country? Often this can color one's thinking to reject all aspects of those regimes, even including the few positive things.

Edit: I don't think it's insulting to ask a question. Context helps us to understand each other and the world around us. Downvote, but also reply.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#49
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

help 5 people, hurt 100 people. the idea that SS and medicare are great and have done wonders is what's causing the country to go broke and costs to skyrocket. it was never good in the first place. you see the benefits when the programs are implemented, but everyone fails to see the costs and lost future opportunities.

The irony that you are blaming social security and medicare on the US costs while US healthcare is far more expensive than almost every socialised healthcare system in the world is astounding.

Single payer systems ration the amount and quality of care given.

When you ration the amount and quality of care given, you can drive costs down.

Re: Aetna CEO Threatened Obamacare Pullout If Feds Opposed Humana Merger

#50
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no benefit I can see. Our present system combines everything that is bad about "socialized" medicine (loads of regulation, bureaucracy, inflexibility, etc.) with everything that is bad about private medicine (inequality, high cost, fragmentation).

One of the few benefits is that the rich do well in this system.

It's not just the rich who do well, it's the middlemen at every step of the process. Everyone skims a little extra off the top when medicine or medical equipment is so expensive. Bring costs in line with any other western nation and you're looking at a massive wealth transfer away from everyone with their finger in the health care pie--not just the rich.
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