| Author | Message | ||
     Sifo |
On a somewhat related side note, we are gathering with friends Saturday night at a pizza place where we have done so for years, for the last time. The owner has announced that he is closing his doors this month. No doubt this is politically motivated and has no bearing on any business realities. His place will be missed. | ||
| Buellinmke |
My current company employs well over 59 people. For a single, healthy person to participate in our company's group insurance medical policy through Aetna, it costs the company $4800 per year. Let's do some math. $2000 per year is less than $4800 per year. In conclusion, Obamacare will save companies much, much more than their current group policies. | ||
| Sifo |
My current company employs well over 59 people. For a single, healthy person to participate in our company's group insurance medical policy through Aetna, it costs the company $4800 per year. Let's do some math. $2000 per year is less than $4800 per year. In conclusion, Obamacare will save companies much, much more than their current group policies. A savings found by taking workers off of health insurance. A win for BOcare! On the flip side, employers who currently don't offer insurance will have to pay $2000 per full time employee. Or they can convert them to part time employees. WINNING!!! Just a detail, the 60 employee thing should be 50 employees. I'm guessing someone had a typo. | ||
| Kilroy |
 | ||
| Sifo |
I see that Hostess has also decided to make a "political statement". Let the Twinkie hording begin. | ||
| Sifo |
BTW, one of the couples that I will be sharing a last pizza with tomorrow night has been look at various business opportunities. They were hoping to find something that would replace his income as an electrician, a solid blue collar salary. They have been looking at a hair cutting franchise pretty closely. She is an accountant and they are consulting with professionals to help them through their decision process. Bottom line is that to replace his current income, they would need to build about 4 locations with good client traffic before getting the income desired. At that point they will also have around $1 million of their own cash at risk. It's only at this point that they can think about recouping that $1 million invested at a pace of what is basically a blue collar income. Last I spoke to them about this, they were beginning to see that business owners don't really tend to be all that wealthy unless they really live for it, such as the guy with 40 Applebee's locations. I really wish more people had even the slightest idea what it takes to run a business when they are ranting about the evils of the business owners. | ||
| Reepicheep |
The reason that Obamacare will be a disaster is that it replaced problems created by limited resources VS unlimited need with wishful thinking. It didn't solve the problem, it institutionalized it. And it took a problem with three intervening bureaucracies and added a 4th intervening bureaucracy. Before: My company chooses the plans I can buy, and if I am not happy with the plan, I can complain but I'm just one voice in the wilderness, and my companies goal isn't that I be fully satisfied, it's that I don't get so mad that I would go somewhere else. Then I go to a medical care provider, who is trying to manage their costs and problems as well, so they decide how many Dr's are available, what kind of facility they have, when they are open, what courses of treatment are forbidden, etc. This beauracracy is also not really interested in keeping me happy, they just want me to not get so mad I go somewhere else. This facility *also* needs to figure out how they can soak me for extra money, so that they can pay for people with no money or insurance, as they aren't legally allowed to refuse treatment. My insurance company is trying to minimize it's costs and is choosing what they will and won't pay. They are getting chewed on by my company to charge less, getting chewed on by the hospital to pay more. I can complain, and they can say "*&*^ you, as you only really have two plans to choose from at your company already, and you can't even change for a year anyway". So people are assuming all conservatives are against health care reform because it is health care reform. Maybe some of us are against it simply because it isn't reform. It just makes things worse. My one experience with non socialized health care was when I got Lasik. My company insurance wouldn't pay a penny. I shopped for the best provider, paid the same price as everyone else in the waiting room, and chose the right balance of service and cost. And the service was far superior to *any* other medical experience I ever had, and the cost (relative to the service provided) was far lower as well. I don't believe this was a coincidence. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"How do you really know Brian is not already in Ukraine? Have you physically seen him? " Nope, not seen him. But I can, with 100% confidence that he aint in the Ukraine. His posts reflect that. In fact, at one point he even said (fairly recently) that he wasnt going, but may be heading to another eastern european country for work. Plus, as much as he posted pictures of the "women waiting for him" I figure he'd post more pics once he was with them, showing off his "prizes" Nah, that aint happened. He's in the great country, USofA. | ||
| Sifo |
I think he posted of the difficulties of dealing with immigration laws. Those countries just aren't as nice to illegal aliens as ours is. He probably wouldn't even be offered in state tuition rates! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Out were people believe in vampires that sparkle and politicians promise us free stuff. Hello Forks Washington. Beautiful area - damned depressed. A doctor and clinic can and WILL refuse to offer treatment. The only requirement that they treat you now is with respect to the 1986 EMTALA legislation, and that only applies to Emergency rooms. NOT office clinics, ambulatory surgery facilities, nor minute clinics. The doctor and his staff, or his parent franchise company can and will (and have over the last 5 years) REFUSE to accept medicaid, medicare and even private insurance - if they believe that it is not in the best interest of their practice for financial stability. Say for instance - you go to the doctor - it is a level 1 visit, with about 15-20 minutes of face time with doc. He bills 100. *just to keep things simple - that service usually runs closer to 175 Insurance pays him 80% Right?!?!? nope Insurance typically pays him 80% of the allowable Usual Customary and Resonable service(provided you have already hit your deductible, and this is not your Obamacare Wellvisit) Negotiated rate would be close to $86- and he is paid 68.8 and charges you a 10 copay to offset the three week average it takes him to get a check from the ins company Medicare will pay about 67% of the negotiated rate at 57.62 and usually a reduced copay vs commercial so 7.oo Medicaid will pay about 56% of the negotiated rate at about 48.16 and no copay Private individual without any insurance 100.00 - no copay; maybe a 8%-10% discount for paying cash.*if the provider is forward thinking The promise of the PPACA is that with EVERYONE covered - doctors will make more money because the pool of 'paying' patients is now bigger.... of course that pool is only paying 56% of what was UCR, it is over a month lag, and you cant balance bill them for any of the uncollected money. Ooooh but you get to make it up in VOLUME! so 10 Medicaid patients a day - 481 646 for Medicare patients 788 for commercial insurances 10 cash paying customers a day ,,,, 1000 same services, same time, same complexity - why would I ever agree to be paid Half of the going rate, to do the same work ?... Evidence shows you wont - unless they make it illegal .... which hasnt happened yet - but the idiocacy is only starting. run that out over time, and you will see that doctors leave the system in ever increasing numbers, refuse to accept medicaid, and go to conceirge practices if they stay in business at all (I havent even added in the escalating fines for compliance with EHR/HIPAA and the cost of malpractice) Obamacare is the holiday decorative fruitcake that nobody who knows what fruitcake is - wants. but yeah ! its Free care for All ! *unless you dont qualify for Medicaid to begin with - then enjoy that new deduction from your paycheck next to FICA, SS, Medicare, Medicaid without any return and yes - if you are a non entitlement male working a minimum wage - you will never qualify for the 'coverage' | ||
| Sifo |
Currently BO is talking about how he won't consider "dynamic scoring" of any proposed tax plan. This kind of summarizes his level of thinking on almost everything from tax code to healthcare. The problem is that the world IS dynamic, no matter how much you refuse to accept it. If you can't work with that fact, or worse, work against it, you are going to fail. Welcome to the Obamanation. | ||
| Glitch |
"Clarify application of the economic substance doctrine and increase penalties for underpayments attributable to a transaction lacking economic substance." | ||
| Al_lighton |
Damn, Bill (Reepicheep), I wish so many more people had your clarity of thought. You sure have a great way of cutting right to the chase....  | ||
| Jima4media |
Tom (Sifo) - Let's talk about Pizza instead of ObamaCare. Do you actually eat Papa John's Pizza? I regularly go to a Pizza place down the street from me - Josie's New York Pizza in San Jose. You can Google it. It is a single stand alone store. Tonight I got my usual large Josie's Combo for $26.00. Why would I pay $26 for a pizza when I could get a large Papa John's pizza across the street for $14.99? It tastes better. It has nothing to do with the fact that Papa John's doesn't have any tables to sit down while I wait for it to be made. Nothing to do with the fact that they don't have beer or wine I can enjoy while it is being made. I don't think about whether they voted Democratic or Republican or didn't vote at all. Rosie's had about 30 customers when I went there tonight. Papa John's had ZERO. It is all about the taste of the pizza. Or lack thereof. Jim | ||
| Jima4media |
Now lets talk about ObamaCare. I work for the largest health care facility in the world. The VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California. We at the VA like ObamaCare, because it will give the same health benefits to everyone in the United States that are enjoyed by Veterans like myself and 26 million others like me. Until someone comes up with a better plan, and a better healthcare organization, I'll be satisfied with this one. It isn't perfect, but it is better than whatever is in second place. Jim | ||
| Pwnzor |
I sat and watched a good friend of mine wither and die at the VA hospital in Long Beach California some years back. You see, he got killed in Viet Nam but didn't even know it. Treatment after treatment continually DENIED as he was slowly consumed. My dad had the same condition and was healed within 2 years by submitting to treatments at a Kaiser hospital just a few miles away. Not saying the VA system is all bad, but it sure as hell isn't what I would call good. | ||
| Blake |
You can have your fed govt run VA med. I prefer choice. Most vets would jump at the opportunity to be able to choose their medical care. Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, M. D. Anderson... The VA medical does battlefield injury exceptionally well. They don't score so well for heart disease, cancer, and chronic disease treatment. | ||
| Sifo |
Pizza? I've had Papa John's. It's not where I'm heading for tonight's pizza though, a local non-chain eat in place much like you describe. Very different business models. So what? It's nice to have a choice. Which are you going to when you have to feed a bunch of 10 year olds for a birthday party. You can claim that Papa John's isn't doing a good business, but they have over 3,000 locations, so they have done something right. Hospitals? I've been to the VA hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. I've also been to a variety of county and private hospitals. We should be doing better for our vets. Simply pushing more people through that same business model is not likely to improve the experience. For anyone. It's nice to have a choice. I would appreciate you not trying to limit my choices in pizza or health care. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Jim, you and I actually agree on something here... I probably would have supported a government run and subsidized medical system (like the VA) for people that truly can't afford care, or for people that want to go there and pay because they find it convenient and cost effective. It would have far less "creature comforts", plans focused around cost management (which is what I would want also if I was spending somebody elses money) and high training and close staff monitoring and tight protocols... but also low liability (you can't sue for problems if you didn't pay for the service). And make it a teaching hospital as well so it's full of interns, and leverage nurses and physician assistants to do much more. Heck, maybe even make it a separate medical degree institution creating a new kind of Doctor with a new kind of credential, the schooling is done in the context of working at a working hospital. Then offer programs from the normal med schools to convert those special degrees into full fledged no astrix MD degrees. | ||
| Hootowl |
By and large, the VA sucks. I'm sure there are bright spots. I'm a veteran, and was nearly killed by the incompetence of military medicine. I'll not be visiting the VA any time soon. If that's where Obamacare is taking the rest of the medical profession, we're all forked. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
The new system is Medicaid - it is not the VA. For one big shining reason why - the only way you qualify for the VA is to have done service for the military (or be a dependent of one that is/has) There is an amazing health care option with no frills, with basic only parameters that is already offered in America. And it is 'free' to its users as well. It is the 4th largest health care entity in the nation. It is the US Prison Health Care System So the radical idea ... offship, outsource and deport every prisoner - and turn the prisons into hospitals. .... or make every citizen a criminal in waiting when they violate the new 'civil' right of healthcare by not paying the premium, not declaring their assets, and not properly registering.... same same. | ||
| Darth_villar |
I cannot speak for the VA across the country, but I can say after my experience in Michigan that I would do everything in my power to avoid using their services. The VA is the embodiment of government competence. That is to say, it isn't. Phone lines are constantly busy, emails are rarely returned, this is exactly how I picture Obamacare in the future. I hope I'm wrong. | ||
| Kenm123t |
The VA nurseing home my father in law was in Killed him two weeks ago. He was given every thing they had to ( keep him quiet ) None of the drugs they gave him were for any condition he had or could have. One of his other son in laws is a Pharmacist He couldnt believe he was given the drugs they did. Lawsuits are being filed and criminal charges against the Dr. My dad has had excellent treatment and experiences with VA healthcare. He has 3 nurses and a Paramedic double checking all of his treatment. Never trust any Dr verify what is going on and the drugs your family is prescribed | ||
| Aesquire |
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2012/11/18/ | ||
| Jima4media |
Blake, Do you realize that 60% of the doctors in the United States are trained at VA Hospitals? The VA is providing you with trained doctors and more choice in your healthcare provider. Most VA Hospitals are also affiliated with University Hospitals. Ours is connected with Stanford. In fact we have a Stanford Local Area Network running throughout the Research areas of the hospital. Stanford Cancer Institute is know world-wide for its research. The Stanford Cardiovascular unit is equally well known. The Stanford Pain Management Center is one of the best in the nation. All doctors at VA Palo Alto receive their book learning at Stanford, and do their internships at the VA. All 600,000 employees, doctors and nurses are linked with the same communication systems nation-wide, and this will eventually be linked with the DoD system as well. New procedures and treatments learned at one facility are quickly transfered to all locations. I don't see how you can get any better than that. (Message edited by jima4media on November 18, 2012) | ||
| Pwnzor |
Do you realize that 66% of the doctors in the United States are trained at VA Hospitals? The VA is providing you with trained doctors and more choice in your healthcare provider. The VA doesn't provide me with anything. Where do you get your 66% statistic? | ||
| Blake |
Blindness leads to such thinking. Most use actual performance as the primary metric by which to measure performance. | ||
| Jima4media |
I heard about the 66% internally at the VA, and then read about it on an internal VA website. Here is a Wikipedia site that mentions 60% - so let's go with that until I can point to another public site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VistA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Health_Administration http://www.va.gov/vetdata/Quick_Facts.asp (Message edited by jima4media on November 18, 2012) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Did you know that approximately 50% of children born in Public funded hospitals are boys, while for private patients it's completely the opposite. Another interesting statistic is that Private or Public, over 99% of hospital patients will eventually die! Also 1 in 10 cats said that their owners couldn't tie their shoelaces if their hands were cut off. | ||
| Blake |
It's likely typical leftist deceit and misdirection. Any hospital that has anything to do with any VA program is characterized as a "VA hospital." Where doctors are trained says NOTHING about the performance of the VA's general medical care performance. |
