Anger Erupts at Republican Town Halls Over Obamacare

[zzyzxroad]

Obamacare has a cap on profits. When the ratio of payouts to premiums drops below 80%, the ins co must reimburse their customers (rate payers.)

Republicans want to repeal this of course.

#bothsides

Thanks for the info. Is that working? Are people getting affordable, good quality plans? My concern is the affordable plans are crap with high deductibles and minimal coverage. I’m lucky enough to have had employer sponsored health insurance for the past 20 years. I’ve also seen my plan quality degrade that entire time. It seems to me that this problem existed well before the ACA was in place.

 

[IronWing]

Obamacare has a cap on profits. When the ratio of payouts to premiums drops below 80%, the ins co must reimburse their customers (rate payers.)

Republicans want to repeal this of course.

#bothsides

It's not a bad idea to repeal this provision. Once you've reached the cap, the only way to make more profits is to allow costs to go up. It becomes a cost plus operation.

 

[zzyzxroad]

It's not a bad idea to repeal this provision. Once you've reached the cap, the only way to make more profits is to allow costs to go up. It becomes a cost plus operation.

But does that fix the problem?

 

[ivwshane]

It's not a bad idea to repeal this provision. Once you've reached the cap, the only way to make more profits is to allow costs to go up. It becomes a cost plus operation.

You'll have to explain that one to me. How do increased costs equal another way for insurance companies to make money?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Are you saying the people that voted for him are incapable of getting mad at him?

No. However, seeing nothing has changed as of yet and many of those who voted for him wanted something done with the ACA it seems odd they would be protesting/heckling him at this point.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I heard some founding member/Grand Poobah of the Tea Party speak about these people coming out. She was surprisingly well spoken and polished which is something I don't associate with the tea party.
She said it looks alot like the tea party beginning, she didn't like the focus on the ACA but she understood peoples concern. Her advice was to avoid big money and stay on topic.
I found it interesting she didn't shit on stuff she obviously didn't like and seemed supportive and happy there was uprisings.

 

[IronWing]

You'll have to explain that one to me. How do increased costs equal another way for insurance companies to make money?

I must spend 80% of premiums on providing care. If covered care costs me $80, the most I can collect in premiums is $100 and the most profit I can possibly make is $20. Now if I were to renegotiate with providers such that care will cost $160 instead of $80, I can collect $200 in premiums and pocket $40. Next year, $240 for providing care is looking pretty good to me.

If the cap is gone, I can squeeze care providers on cost as another route to profits.

 

[ivwshane]

I must spend 80% of premiums on providing care. If covered care costs me $80, the most I can collect in premiums is $100 and the most profit I can possibly make is $20. Now if I were to renegotiate with providers such that care will cost $160 instead of $80, I can collect $200 in premiums and pocket $40. Next year, $240 for providing care is looking pretty good to me.

If the cap is gone, I can squeeze care providers on cost as another route to profits.

Lol...math.

Thanks, I just couldn't picture how that would work.

 

[Bitek]

I must spend 80% of premiums on providing care. If covered care costs me $80, the most I can collect in premiums is $100 and the most profit I can possibly make is $20. Now if I were to renegotiate with providers such that care will cost $160 instead of $80, I can collect $200 in premiums and pocket $40. Next year, $240 for providing care is looking pretty good to me.

If the cap is gone, I can squeeze care providers on cost as another route to profits.

You have to actually sell a competitive product. You can't just double your costs unless you want to lose customers.

The provision is there to force ins cos to spend money on coverage, not just collect payments and never cover shit.

 

[Bitek]

Thanks for the info. Is that working? Are people getting affordable, good quality plans? My concern is the affordable plans are crap with high deductibles and minimal coverage. I’m lucky enough to have had employer sponsored health insurance for the past 20 years. I’ve also seen my plan quality degrade that entire time. It seems to me that this problem existed well before the ACA was in place.

It's working as well as it's currently designed to work.

Heath care inflation is measurably down from pre-ACA. This is one of the levers to bring about that change.

Are costs down enough? For many, no. The insurance pools are still not broad enough, and the current participation, subsidies and penalities are not strong enough to drive them further.

Something needs adjustment, no one is on the same page to what that is.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

and it continues. I'll give this Guy credit for having big hands and big balls (even though he is wrong)

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/02/11/death-panels-question-town-hall-florida-sot.cnn

 

[sdifox]

I really don't get you Americans. You are outspending everyone on healthcare, yet get poor result. Why are you so set against universal health insurance? It will drive the cost down to more in line with the rest of the OECD countries and maybe get better results.

Why is this left leaning centrist lecturing you guys on cost saving?

 

[Bitek]

I really don't get you Americans. You are outspending everyone on healthcare, yet get poor result. Why are you so set against universal health insurance? It will drive the cost down to more in line with the rest of the OECD countries and maybe get better results.

Why is this left leaning centrist lecturing you guys on cost saving?

Because many Americans value hating and mistrusting the govt more than any potential value it can provide. It can be rather irrational at times.

 

[Jhhnn]

You have to actually sell a competitive product. You can't just double your costs unless you want to lose customers.

The provision is there to force ins cos to spend money on coverage, not just collect payments and never cover shit.

Yep.

 

[UNCjigga]

and it continues. I'll give this Guy credit for having big hands and big balls (even though he is wrong)

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/02/11/death-panels-question-town-hall-florida-sot.cnn

I guess you have to give these guys credit for even showing up now...but LOL at repeating the most debunked lie ever and expecting a different result! Since when does the GOP have such a contentious relationship with truth? Like, when did it start? McCarthy? Goldwater? Nixon? I guess with Trump as President, they are emboldened that if you repeat the lie enough times and get enough folks to believe, it'll become truth. But that's a bit harder to swallow when you have tens of millions people actually using some portion of Obamacare.

 

[ivwshane]

I guess you have to give these guys credit for even showing up now...but LOL at repeating the most debunked lie ever and expecting a different result! Since when does the GOP have such a contentious relationship with truth? Like, when did it start? McCarthy? Goldwater? Nixon? I guess with Trump as President, they are emboldened that if you repeat the lie enough times and get enough folks to believe, it'll become truth. But that's a bit harder to swallow when you have tens of millions people actually using some portion of Obamacare.

The parties leaders have always been loose with the truth since at least Nixon but imo it was Gingrich that made it a norm at the party level, establishment politicians, like Mitch McConnell, helped cement such party policy.