<p>First you need to look at the doctors’ orders, and how easy they are to follow. Lots of times there is miscommunication, and the patients don’t even understand what the doctors’ orders are. </p>
<p>And why do we penalize the hospitals? To get them to change their behavior, so that people don’t get readmitted. It’s not like there is nothing hospitals can do to reduce the (hugely expensive) readmissions, readmissions that (in the case of current penalties) we are all paying for under Medicare. </p>
<p>But you have no problem with the government forcing you to buy health insurance, deciding what plans you can select from, and penalizing you if you don’t behave? Seems you are a little late to the party.</p>
<p>Charging smokers a higher rate than non-smokers is hardly an inconvenience compared to being compelled by law to buy health insurance approved by the government.</p>
<p>I would like to repeat that I have found this thread to be a great resource for understanding the affordable care act. I look forward to it continuing to be informative for myself and others.</p>
<p>Hey razorsharp, either you haven’t read a single post poetgrl has written on this thread, or you are confusing her with someone else.</p>
<p>I will look into that fasting. My sister did an ultra healthy low cal diet for six weeks and looks and feels awesome. I could use some mental clarity. A LOT of mental clarity!</p>
<p>Since this is Sunday and we have relatively very little news (at least current news) this day regarding ACA, I think a little diversion won’t hurt the thread too much.</p>
<p>I have been thinking about why I am so animated about this new law. It kind of dawned on me that nothing like this has ever been tried before in this country.</p>
<p>I am no economist and any analogy can be wildly misleading, but is this not dissimilar to the situation that exists in countries where people are provided significant subsidies so everyone is on an equal footing in purchasing necessary goods and services. For example, although everyone in countries like North Korea, Cuba or the old Soviet Union are provided with subsidies to purchase food staples, the store shelves are mostly empty. Can this happen to our health care system? Everyone will have access to health insurance, but the supply of health care will become much more restricted and unavailable to the people who now have the means to get it. Just wondering?</p>
<p>Goldenpooch - Look upthread for the stuff about cost savings and not allowing docs to choose which hospital and read between the lines. It’s concerning.</p>
<p>I mean millions more patients will mean less care unless somebody cranks out a ton of new docs real quick. And cost controls are about costs not care. It’s scary.</p>
<p>We are not allowed to make political posts here, so I cannot discuss why Mitt Romney opposed Obamacare, except to remark that it wasn’t on the merits.</p>
<p>I wonder if this is a fair comparison. Ma has a very different demographic than the rest of the country. There was also far less uninsured in the state before Romnycare than in the US. Also, a significant percentage of Romnycare was paid for by the federal govt.</p>
<p>Anyway, it is fair to raise this issue when debating the merits of the ACA.</p>
<p>The government costs of Romneycare are paid for largely by the federal government. The government costs of Obamacare are also paid for largely by the federal government. So far, they are the same.</p>
<p>I found this on the internet. Any Ma. residents here who can verify or dispute this?</p>
<p>Massachusetts has the most expensive care in the US. Average US family cost = $13,027. Average MA family cost = $14,723. That’s is 13% more expensive than the average.
From 2003 to 2009 average premium increase in the US was 34% for single employees and 41% for families. In MA the increase was 51% for singles and 49% for families. 20-50% faster than the US average.</p>
<p>Speaking of fasting, many Hindus follow at least a day of fasting where they eat one meal onetime during the day. It is religion based but has the same impact poetgrl describes.</p>
<p>Massachusetts does not have the highest exchange premiums in the US. The lowest cost Bronze plan in Boston for a 27-year-old is $234. The worst state is Wyoming, at $286. Massachusetts is one of the highest states, though. But we should expect that expensive places are expensive.</p>
<p>If you want your care at Cedars…you are going to pay more for it…</p>
<p>"There are lots of reasons health care premiums continue to rise. But Boros says there’s one particularly thorny issue in Massachusetts: Residents get most of their care*at the most expensive hospitals, instead of going to the nearest community hospital for the basic stuff like mammograms, check-ups and routine surgery.</p>
<p>“If you want to contain costs or reduce costs, you have to go after where the costs are,” Boros said. “The vast majority of costs are in high-priced hospitals and physician groups.”</p>
<p>Oh…boy…Harvard Pilgram is so expensive…</p>
<p>“Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan have 80 percent of the commercial market even though they are the most expensive insurance options in the state.<em>Why aren’t employers trying low-cost options?
Half the commercial market is self-insured.</em>This has been true for couple of years, but it’s still surprising.
On average, commercial insurers spent $414 per member per month, but among insurers there is a wide range — from $196 at Cigna to $434 at Harvard Pilgrim.”</p>
So far, they are the same.</p>