Mounting evidence that shooting self in foot causes podiatric issues.

[senseamp]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/states-choice-medicaid-expansion-affects-hospitals/

When the law passed and the hospitals sort of signed on for these cuts, Medicaid expansion was expected to be mandatory in every state. Of course, that changed when the Supreme Court made Medicaid expansion optional, and the hospitals are really the ones that have been caught in the crosshairs of that decision.

I guess those red state voters voted for (or failed to vote against) those state governments, so it's hard to feel sympathy for them. But it's still an interesting comparison.

 

[Jaskalas]

So if we want Healthcare, we should move to Blue States?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

So if we want Healthcare, we should move to Blue States?

If you are very rich or very poor NY is the place to be. Anywhere in between is meh.

 

[senseamp]

So if we want Healthcare, we should move to Blue States?

You should forgo it to spite Obama.

 

[Newell Steamer]

When being a Realist gets Real.

 

[OverVolt]

The ACA is all but impossible to comply with for small county hospitals. How is this the republicans fault? They didn't pass an 8,000 page healthcare bill then expect a 50 bed county hospital to comply with it all.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-federal-reimbursement-medicaid-aca/18532471/

It really boggles my mind how you keep shilling about an issue that you don't really understand.

 

[ivwshane]

The ACA is all but impossible to comply with for small county hospitals. How is this the republicans fault? They didn't pass an 8,000 page healthcare bill then expect a 50 bed county hospital to comply with it all.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-federal-reimbursement-medicaid-aca/18532471/

It really boggles my mind how you keep shilling about an issue that you don't really understand.

Are you seriously complaining about the poor hospitals in Georgia? The same Georgia that refused to expand Medicaid? This same expansion that would have led to these hospitals being paid for Medicaid patients.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/georgia-gop-moves-backward-health-care

Cry me a river! Lol! Boggles the mind indeed!

 

[OverVolt]

Are you seriously complaining about the poor hospitals in Georgia? The same Georgia that refused to expand Medicaid? This same expansion that would have led to these hospitals being paid for Medicaid patients.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/georgia-gop-moves-backward-health-care

Cry me a river! Lol! Boggles the mind indeed!

Its explained in the article I posted too, you know. Medicare reimbursements are falling some 50% starting this year. It has hit all the hospital systems very hard. There is a reason their calls go unanswered when they look to the bigger healthcare systems to bail them out. Because the big systems are in need of a bail out themselves. The 250 bed hospital I work at has been losing something like $2.2million/year and that was before the reimbursements were cut. Its just a matter of time until alot more hospitals close. Keep shilling it won't pay the hospital's bills however.

Even if there was an increase in people covered under medicare, with so many on medicare and with the low reimbursement rates there would still be a doctor/hospital shortage. Georgia is hit hard because its rural. Simple as that. And my hospital is actually doing "good" compared to some of the others in our system. There will be a wave of hospital closings soon. There were rumors that WE were looking for a buyer and we have like 10-15 hospitals! We're probably the largest hospital system in the state. Its insane, you have no idea that there are real world implications to all this regulation being imposed on healthcare. Many older doctors are retiring and making the doctor shortage even worse because they can't comply with the ACA. Tons of unintended consequences.

 

[Zorkorist]

Good post, OverVolt.

It's hard to see actual health-care workers hating the Affordable Care Act (ACA) too.

I very much respect all you do.

-John

 

[ivwshane]

Its explained in the article I posted too, you know. Medicare reimbursements are falling some 50% starting this year. It has hit all the hospital systems very hard. There is a reason their calls go unanswered when they look to the bigger healthcare systems to bail them out. Because the big systems are in need of a bail out themselves. The 250 bed hospital I work at has been losing something like $2.2million/year and that was before the reimbursements were cut. Its just a matter of time until alot more hospitals close. Keep shilling it won't pay the hospital's bills however.

Even if there was an increase in people covered under medicare, with so many on medicare and with the low reimbursement rates there would still be a doctor/hospital shortage. Georgia is hit hard because its rural. Simple as that. And my hospital is actually doing "good" compared to some of the others in our system. There will be a wave of hospital closings soon. There were rumors that WE were looking for a buyer and we have like 10-15 hospitals! We're probably the largest hospital system in the state. Its insane, you have no idea that there are real world implications to all this regulation being imposed on healthcare. Many older doctors are retiring and making the doctor shortage even worse because they can't comply with the ACA. Tons of unintended consequences.

You get the government you voted for btw, how is Georgia doing economically? Are you enjoying your low tax rates and your minimal government intervening along with your states lack of investing in it's own people? How long does Georgia have to be running the republican economic playbook before you realize the states failures have been caused by republicans? Hell! Even in the article there were hospital closures prior to the ACA even passing, that should have been your first clue. Should have been...

I feel zero pity for your state.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2415195

 

[Zorkorist]

LOL, haters going to hate.

-John

 

[Moonbeam]

LOL, haters going to hate.

-John

I agree, but conservatives call it tough love. You have to live with the consequences of your actions. Tell me the temptation to stick it to conservatives isn't understandable if regrettable.

 

[ivwshane]

I agree, but conservatives call it tough love. You have to live with the consequences of your actions. Tell me the temptation to stick it to conservatives isn't understandable if regrettable.

They don't like it when you use their thinking against them (which is why I did it).

 

[senseamp]

Its explained in the article I posted too, you know. Medicare reimbursements are falling some 50% starting this year. It has hit all the hospital systems very hard. There is a reason their calls go unanswered when they look to the bigger healthcare systems to bail them out. Because the big systems are in need of a bail out themselves. The 250 bed hospital I work at has been losing something like $2.2million/year and that was before the reimbursements were cut. Its just a matter of time until alot more hospitals close. Keep shilling it won't pay the hospital's bills however.

Even if there was an increase in people covered under medicare, with so many on medicare and with the low reimbursement rates there would still be a doctor/hospital shortage. Georgia is hit hard because its rural. Simple as that. And my hospital is actually doing "good" compared to some of the others in our system. There will be a wave of hospital closings soon. There were rumors that WE were looking for a buyer and we have like 10-15 hospitals! We're probably the largest hospital system in the state. Its insane, you have no idea that there are real world implications to all this regulation being imposed on healthcare. Many older doctors are retiring and making the doctor shortage even worse because they can't comply with the ACA. Tons of unintended consequences.

Hospitals in Medicaid expanding states offset reductions in reimbursements with volume of newly insured paying customers. Hospitals in non-expanding states just eat the reductions in reimbursements. Since Republican politicians in this cycle have been pretty clear in their opposition to expanding Medicaid, I can only assume these people are getting what they voted for, or failed to vote against. Soon they may also be getting cuts in subsidies to private insurance plans due to failure of their state politicians to set up exchanges. Again, it's something they either voted for or failed to vote against. I sympathize with their suffering to the extent I sympathize with the suffering of other idiots who hurt themselves out of their own stupidity. They are still people, and I hope they get better, but they need to learn to not do stupid stuff first.

 

[OutHouse]

Are you seriously complaining about the poor hospitals in Georgia? The same Georgia that refused to expand Medicaid? This same expansion that would have led to these hospitals being paid for Medicaid patients.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/georgia-gop-moves-backward-health-care

Cry me a river! Lol! Boggles the mind indeed!

isnt there anything you post that is not a total fail?

 

[Darwin333]

Hospitals in Medicaid expanding states offset reductions in reimbursements with volume of newly insured paying customers. Hospitals in non-expanding states just eat the reductions in reimbursements. Since Republican politicians in this cycle have been pretty clear in their opposition to expanding Medicaid, I can only assume these people are getting what they voted for, or failed to vote against. Soon they may also be getting cuts in subsidies to private insurance plans due to failure of their state politicians to set up exchanges. Again, it's something they either voted for or failed to vote against. I sympathize with their suffering to the extent I sympathize with the suffering of other idiots who hurt themselves out of their own stupidity. They are still people, and I hope they get better, but they need to learn to not do stupid stuff first.

How does a 20ish bed hospital expand its volume enough to offset lower revenue from the patients that do pay and continue absorbing the costs from patients that don't pay a single dime? How much volume can a small rural hospital possibly add?

And do you have any hard numbers to back any of that up? Hospitals all over have been bleeding money for quite a while, I can't imagine that increased volume would offset the decreased payments. I could be wrong but with health care costs increasing faster than inflation and one of (if not THE) largest payer decreasing payments despite costs increasing. I'd imagine that you would have to start turning some serious volume over to overcome the declining revenue.

 

[senseamp]

Volume of payingcustomers. They can keep same volume overall, but have more of those customers pay with their Medicaid, vs leaving hospital with an unreimbursed loss.