Health Insurance Companies making Record Profit

[XZeroII]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43031343/ns/business-consumer_news/

I had a little rant going about Obama but decided to erase it. All I'll say is that I hate politicians and especially Obama for trying to act like he has scored a victory with his healthcare plan. If during his reelection he starts talking about how healthcare was a big win for him, I'm going to freak out.

 

[glenn1]

Quote from the article:

"The nation’s major health insurers are barreling into a third year of record profits, enriched in recent months by a lingering recessionary mind-set among Americans who are postponing or forgoing medical care.

Even with a halting economic recovery, doctors and others say many people are still extremely budget-conscious, signaling the possibility of a fundamental change in Americans’ appetite for health care.

“I am noticing my patients with insurance are more interested in costs,” said Dr. Jim King, a family practice physician in rural Tennessee. “Gas prices are going up, food prices are going up. They are deciding to put some of their health care off.”
A patient might decide not to drive the 50 miles necessary to see a specialist because of the cost of gas, he said.

But Dr. King said patients were also being more thoughtful about their needs. Fewer are asking for an MRI as soon as they have a bad headache. “People are realizing that this is my money, even if I’m not writing a check,” he said.

Not to worry, while there's reduced demand for medical services from those who have insurance, their slack will be picked up by those 30MM who Uncle Sam is now providing subsidized healthcare for.

 

[Jhhnn]

Lemme see... they're charging more for doing less, making record profits, and want to sell us on the idea that they should charge even more just in case they need to do more in the future.

When and if we get there, they'll have spent the money on themselves anyway, so they'll obviously need to charge even more, right?

Which is all Obama's fault, everything, of course.

 

[PeshakJang]

Lemme see... they're charging more for doing less, making record profits, and want to sell us on the idea that they should charge even more just in case they need to do more in the future.

When and if we get there, they'll have spent the money on themselves anyway, so they'll obviously need to charge even more, right?

Which is all Obama's fault, everything, of course.

In Oregon, for example, Regence BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit insurer that is the state’s largest, is asking for a 22 percent increase for policies sold to individuals.

God DAMN those for-profit non-profits, raising rates to enrich their greedy shareholders! GOD DAMN them all!

Lemme see... they're charging more for doing less, making record profits, and want to sell us on the idea that they should charge even more just in case they need to do more in the future.

By the way, they'll be mandated by law to do more in the future, for less.

Insurers were able to raise premiums to cover the cost of the law’s early provisions, like insuring adult children up to age 26, and federal and state regulators have largely proved to be accommodating.

But 2014 and 2015 are likely to be far more challenging, as insurers are forced to adjust to the law’s greatest changes, like providing coverage to everyone regardless of whether they have an expensive pre-existing condition.


...


The new health care law will eventually prevent most policies from charging patients for certain kinds of preventive care,

So if the law goes into effect, the government will be MANDATING insurance companies to take losses on a large number of new patients.


Seriously... are you this fucking dumb?

 

[Jhhnn]

So if the law goes into effect, the government will be MANDATING insurance companies to take losses on a large number of new patients.

Heh. Insurance companies, OTOH, just want to insure people who don't need insurance at all, place restrictions on policies so that even if they do, they can't collect.

They use the constant churn of corporate failure & layoffs to weed out people who've paid into the system for decades but end up w/o continuous coverage for some reason or another, like extended unemployment. Many people end up with a pre existing condition before the get to medicare, and get excluded, even if you've paid health insurance for 40 years. It doesn't matter-it boils down to "what have you done for me lately?"

Providers and insurors will continue to squeeze all they can out of the current system until it collapses, at which point we'll move in another direction. By then, of course, we'll be so deep in debt and so broke that it won't be very good, but, hey, the guys at the top got theirs, so what do they care?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43031343/ns/business-consumer_news/

I had a little rant going about Obama but decided to erase it. All I'll say is that I hate politicians and especially Obama for trying to act like he has scored a victory with his healthcare plan. If during his reelection he starts talking about how healthcare was a big win for him, I'm going to freak out.

I suspect that Obama would have liked to implement real socialized medicine like what Western Europe has, but Congress and the political climate wouldn't let him do that. So, should you blame Obama or should you blame the Republicans for the high insurance company profits?

The high insurance company profits and high customer premiums are just another example of how the United States is moving backwards towards the kind of rich-poor divide that you see in third world countries.

 

[Slew Foot]

Ever see a health insurance company go broke?

 

[theeedude]

This is why we need to pass a public option.

 

[wuliheron]

Bend over so I can examine your wallet, then I'll tell you which doctor you can afford.

 

[PeshakJang]

Ever see a health insurance company go broke?

So the answer should be to:

A) Force them to go broke
B) Shift the responsibility to the US government, which is beyond broke

You are advocating one or the other, end of story.

 

[cubby1223]

This is why we need to pass a public option.

Right! So my reduction in premiums can be countered by my rise in taxes!

 

[cubby1223]

Ever see a health insurance company go broke?

Ever see a government go broke?

 

[theeedude]

Right! So my reduction in premiums can be countered by my rise in taxes!

Minus the insurance company profit margin.

 

[cubby1223]

Bottom line, there are too many factors in play with this topic to have an actual rational discussion that goes any deeper than "I hate corporations" versus "I hate government".

For instance, Medicare & Medicaid both parties are trying to make cuts. States like mine of Illinois these programs are an absolute joke, with more and more cuts coming, along with more and more delays in payments from the state. Doctors & hospitals have to make up the costs somewhere. Does this play into the story of this thread? If you hate corporations you will say it doesn't. If you hate government you say it will. What's the truth? There is truth. Just not here

 

[cubby1223]

Minus the insurance company profit margin.

What's the difference? Let's play your game, your method of thinking - either (A) I have to pay the profits to rich corporations, or (B) I have to pay the taxes to cover tax breaks for rich corporations.

My money is going to rich people either way. So the question *still* is, regardless of the money issue who do I trust more to handle health care services?

 

[theeedude]

What's the difference? Let's play your game, your method of thinking - either (A) I have to pay the profits to rich corporations, or (B) I have to pay the taxes to cover tax breaks for rich corporations.

My money is going to rich people either way. So the question *still* is, regardless of the money issue who do I trust more to handle health care services?

20%

 

[Jhhnn]

My money is going to rich people either way. So the question *still* is, regardless of the money issue who do I trust more to handle health care services?

You'd trust a corporate entity who'll try to cut you off from coverage the first chance they get if you develop a condition that requires ongoing care? How smart is that?

 

[Schadenfroh]

This is why we need to pass a public option.

Elect politicians in your home state to implement it at the state-level. I do not think many people would argue that it would be unconstitutional for a state to implement a single-payer system as they would simply be exercising states' rights.

 

[MtnMan]

Banks, oil, healthcare, combined they own the 535 whores that are running this country for them. Of course they all are making record profits, and still getting tax breaks.

 

[manimal]

Elect politicians in your home state to implement it at the state-level. I do not think many people would argue that it would be unconstitutional for a state to implement a single-payer system as they would simply be exercising states' rights.

Vermont is doing this at the moment.

Whats been lost in the argument the last few circle jerk sessions has been the fact that every state can implement their own if they want to at the moment if it passes budgetary muster. Vermont and RI if I remember correctly are the only two states trying it right now.

 

[Throckmorton]

Why couldn't we have a public insurance option again?

 

[theeedude]

Because Health Insurance companies would like to continue making record profits, and GOP + Lieberman are happy to oblige.

 

[dmcowen674]

Health Insurance Companies making Record Profit

No way

Obama care was supposed to bankrupt them they said.

Somebody is lying again

 

[WhipperSnapper]

You'd trust a corporate entity who'll try to cut you off from coverage the first chance they get if you develop a condition that requires ongoing care? How smart is that?

Many of the people who jumped on the "Death Panels" bandwagon were too moronic to realize that many private health insurance companies have their own Death Panels where people even receive commissions for finding ways to rescind sick people's coverage for small technicalities.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Elect politicians in your home state to implement it at the state-level. I do not think many people would argue that it would be unconstitutional for a state to implement a single-payer system as they would simply be exercising states' rights.

We just need the political will to change our federal Constitution to allow socialized medicine. It shouldn't be that difficult once the majority of the populace supports it.