With the economy the way it is I would not be surprised to see a lot of companies drop employee healthcare insurance. There is nothing to require companies to offer healthcare insurance. It was a bad idea in the first place because if you really get sick you will be fired and then you have no insurance.

I had to retire at 62 because no one in my field of 40 yrs would rehire me when laid off. I am too young for medicare and too old and brokedown for a manual labor job - and to poor to afford even ObamaCare - WTF?

You young guns take a note - keep your skill set updated and broad and @!$%# any loyalty to your employer cause they will certainly flush you if it becomes financially cool to do so.

@ Jeff - I feel sorry for anyone that works at Walmart. It should be one of American's 10 WORST companies.

@ About That - Stories like yours really are the ones those boys in Washington need to hear more about. I assume you are a good citizen, pay your taxes, and just because you reach a certain age... To me, that's a disgrace on the nose of this country. I have heard to many stories similar to yours and its terrible. Hang in there.

The only cure for a sick America is Single-Payer Health Insurance. It's cheaper than the system we have now and covers everyone.

Single Payer Now!

I absolutely agree. But . . . then what would the crappy employers have to coerce the workers to stay with them. And . . . if we had single payer and employers no longer offered health insurance, what would stop the folks who do the real work and have the real expertise from leaving and starting up their own business in direct competition with their previous employer. Can't have that in our "capitalist" economy.

In case you were wondering, it's official....you've lost your mind....

if u think this is a capitolist society you're so wrong. A capitolist society would've let those "companies too big to fail" to fail

Let's not forget the health insurance company motto:

"You can't make a profit by insuring the sick and elderly".

Mr Martinez -- By placing the term "capitalist" in quotes, it was meant as sarcasm. I agree with you.

Fewer people are employed now than in 2007. With increased deductibles, those still working will be less likely to seek treatment for anything. After all, we may not have a heathy working class. Those on the government dole may be another story.

Nice to see the media laying the groundwork of excuses for when spending skyrockets under Obamacare:

"some analysts said the durability of healthcare prices and pent-up demand for services could suggest a sharp increase in costs down the road"

You mean like in 2014?.... hmmm, I wonder why.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

Yes, marlen, I agree with you.

We have a small family business and have to get private insurance which comes to almost 30% each of what we bring home for each of two families. Add the copays, large deductibles and excluded services, payments we have to make on anything that does rarely come up, dental and vision needs, and we end up paying a fortune just for health coverage. I have a second part time business, too, and we can't work more hours than we do.

We are really healthy people and rarely go to a doctor (including our two kids), but we do take a couple of medications and therefore we end up spending even more since they can raise it ridiculously each year with no increase in benefits at all and we can't switch since they will say we have coexisting conditions, which really it's just a pill and no high risk conditions. With no dental or vision and three of us with glasses and all with teeth it isn't fun either. We can barely ...not really actually...afford the coverage we have and have unfortunately realized unless something changes we will have to drop it and that will leave us totally vulnerable instead of the mostly vulnerable we are now...sigh.

It is truly obscene how a family can all work so hard and pay so much just in health-related expenses. If one of us gets very sick or we can't get refills for meds if we have to drop insurance and the doctors won't keep seeing us...sigh.

I am 51 and I fit in that gap...too young for any help with less expensive premiums, in a state that is deeply red and couldn't give a crap if we all drop dead (guess that would save them money they think, but if my income is lost they would sink), and too old with too much education to start over at a firm who would rather pay someone less. So we plug on and watch the health insurance slip away from us...it is really a crime to see how many scams and ripoffs are out there. The whole business and the lack of regulation is criminal, and yes, in a few months they will raise us again and there is no way we can pay it. It sucks, and it isn't a matter of not working hard enough, and it isn't for so many other families. My spouse and I have worked hard all our lives and we aren't wasting money...it just isn't there.

If the US would quit playing the game of global empire for a while there would be a lot more funds available for other endevours.

For example: Tomahwak Missle- Unit cost: US$ 569,000.

Tomahawks used in Libya: 112

Cost to US taxpayers: $65,728,00.00

Maybe nearly $66 million dollars in missles could be used in a better way.

I'm going to just ask the question, because no one else probably will.

Does this mean that those who are working or underemployed and cannot afford the 20% deductible, and associated costs of having their medical needs met are going without?

But if you are an illegal immigrant and/or poor individual on federal and/or state medical care then your health care needs are being fully met?

So the worker who cannot afford medical care is paying for the person who is not working or too poor is receiving the medical care?

So now only the poor and rich are having their medical needs met. Seems to me the middle class is slapped in the face again. The middle class keeps voting for the same idiots year in and year out. You deserve what you get by how you vote.

Seems like the Financial Health of The Health Industry is pretty Healthy….read profits!!!!!!!

Overall, the chief executives were paid well: Nine of 12 health care trade associations paid their CEOs compensation of $1 million or more, including bonuses, deferred compensation and other benefits, according to tax records for 2009. (Tax-exempt groups must file annually with the IRS on a form 990, which is available to the public. The data typically lags a year.) Lobbyists at the associations received compensation in the range of $250,000 to more than $1 million.

Tauzin, the former CEO of PhRMA, is among those who received a bonus. On top of his base pay of $2.1 million, he was awarded a $2.3 million bonus. James Bryant Hall, PhRMA's top federal lobbyist after Tauzin, received a bonus of $91,750 on top of his $371,182 base pay. Another key health care player, Scott Serota, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, earned a bonus of $1.6 million on a base salary of $856,055, and BCBSA chief lobbyist Alissa Fox received a $130,000 bonus plus base pay of $278,760.

Chip Kahn, CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, received a base salary of $900,000 and a bonus of $315,000, while Jeff Cohen, one of the group's top lobbyists, earned $325,000 in base pay and a bonus of $65,000. Only a sample who knows the total of money and other forms of compensation was paid out these are low park numbers, that is we know this what don't we know?

The same ole same ole the greedy bastards don't give a squat for you and yours and enrich themselves on a monopolistic corrupt sector of a civilized society and profit to the extent you and the 99% can only dream of and yet you are expected to pay for the excesses of the government corruption the unholy troika of the Financial/Military/Industrial Sectors with God on their side of course.

Now this article warned of the spike up in costs to make up for these down years, make extra profit for the low profit of the last two years so get ready to reach for your wallet.

And the band played on…while the avalanche of miss-information continues to fog the mind of the American people. Don't you just love it?

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/January/05/health-care-executive-pay.aspx

This from the conservative Kaiser Health News not some L organization but from a conservative entity as reported. Hummmmm

Face it, life has value. Wanna live? Gimme all your money.

Feed your people

Heal your people

Educate your people

Employ your people

And then Answer the Question that has No Answer

bottom Line; they don't Care about U, thinning the Herd is 4 REAL..this is what happens when the 1% HAS ALL THE SAY.. Hitler was a big Softie, compared to this CRAP that is going ON.......

I agree. National healthcare is the way to go.

So once again an article says Per capita health spending in the United States is still the highest worldwide. That's because we are the only country that puts making a profit into the healthcare system. Its not regulated so hospitals, doctors, and pharmacy's can charge whatever they want.

The only way to create change in the healthcare system is for millions of people to drop their insurance policies. It would bankrupt the insurance industry. Then a socialized single payer system would be possible. But for now because the insurance Co's are making a profit, they have the money to prevent a socialized system. I live by Canada and I have never heard a Canadian say they hate their healthcare system.

Single payer all the way, then maybe some of the 99% can afford to see a doctor.

Ocamm's,

Making a small proft? Where in the Haedes did you get that crock and bull story. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. A "Division" of that Health insurance company made over a billion dollars last year with the CEO making 8 million is direct salary not including perks. Health care should be NON PROFIT and your health care companies make a heck of a lot of money by saying no to treatments, jacking up rates faster then costs and refusing to insure anyone they can pull off their rosters. United healthcare out paced Blue Cross Blue Shield so really tell me they are hurting for cash. They made record profits while the rest of the economy was at its worst. Take it from a health care WORKER and student. Insurance needs to be reeled in along with Medicare and medicaid fraud. Not payments to legitimate doctors. They get paid crap already for what they do. Fraud and theft. And if you get caught committing fraud your out you get no benefits that you don't buy privately.

Does anyone realize that the Government pays out a fraction of the actual cost doctors charge in medicare and medicaid? So those wanting socialized medicine must want to cut the wages of the doctors and other medical professions treating them. Does anyone think the money spent designing new MRI technology was spent by Siemens and GE to make your life better or make money? Do you think that research money would have been spent if the profit would be better spending it on other research?

If you really want socialized health care, go through all the work it takes to be a doctor, Physicians Assistant, Nurse... and work for half of what they currently make. That should bring down the cost of health care.

Bob Martinez

if u think this is a capitolist society you're so wrong. A capitolist society would've let those "companies too big to fail" to fail

And those too poor to survive to die.

@Gloryhound-848713

I was in the hospital for 3 hours in July and was billed $700 for an attending physician I never even saw. That would never happen in a socialized system! Plus doctors and nurses in a socialized system dont deal with the fear of lawsuits. And since its not for profit, they have more care for the people they are dealing with, instead of looking at every patient as a dollar sign!

lib50...explain National healthcare is the way to go. what will be the benfit?

everyone i talk to think it means free health care for people. what it means is if you don't have ins, which will be unaffordable, then a fine will be given when you file taxes. which will be much cheaper than paying the ins. therefor will help bring the defecit down. so like magic makes obama look good. he has never cared if anyone has care. remember you have to pass the bill to know what is in it.

what a joke

So how is this hopey changey thing working for us?

Actually very well. Got out of Iraq. Killed Osama and a whole host of real terrorists. The economy added 200K jobs recently. And now the medical costs are actually showing signs of taming off.

Go for Obama 2012.

I would invite any member of Congress who thinks that the government can efficiently run a national healthcare system to take a tour of any VA hospital in the United States– you know, those places where doctors exposed 10,000 veterans to HIV and the hepatitis virus, and where they routinely botched radiation treatments to cancer patients…

Similarly, waiting lists at VA hospitals can take years… and I can attest from personal experience. I simply cannot begin to imagine the disastrous inefficiency that will ensue when a national health plan, that no legislator has actually read, is rolled out across America…

In the words of Canadian Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin wrote, “access to a waiting list is not access to healthcare.”

http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/the-truth-about-nationalized-healthcare/

pjam09 this is for you:

Maybe if we didn't spend trillions of dollars on other imperialistic pursuits such as the Iraq war that has almost no importance in the war on terror when compared countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, we wouldn't be in such debt. not to mention catering to the rich with tax cuts and bailouts.

So how does this wasteful spending add up??

"According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published in October 2007, the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost taxpayers a total of $2.4 trillion dollars by 2017 when counting the huge interest costs because combat is being financed with borrowed money. The CBO estimated that of the $2.4 trillion long-term price tag for the war, about $1.9 trillion of that would be spent on Iraq, or $6,300 per U.S. citizen."

SOURCES:

http[colon]//www[dot]kiplinger[dot]
com/businessresource/forecast/archive/The_True_Cost_0720723.html http[colon]//www[dot]reuters[dot]com/article/2007/10/24/us-iraq-usa-funding-idUSN2450753720071024

Here's a little more food for thought: (Credit to 'Give It A Rest!' ())

Tomahwak Missle- Unit cost: US$ 569,000.

Tomahawks used in Libya: 112

Cost to US taxpayers: $65,728,00.00

Total cost of Libya war to US Tax Payers: $896,000,000*

*As of 8/23/2011 (over 2 months before end of conflict)

What ends did we meet with this? Oh um, a brutal Islamist-style assassination and the political rise of the Muslim brotherhood in a country now recovering from war. So we spent 900 million dollars of tax payer money on creating another terrorist threat to the western world. So, we can pay for a higher terrorist threat, but we can't pay to help keep our people healthy?

SOURCES:

http[colon]//en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Tomahawk_(missile)http[colon]//abcnews[dot]go[dot]com/International/libya-international-military-coalition-launch-
assault-gadhafi-forces/story?id=13174246 http[colon]//www[dot]washingtonpost[dot]com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/libya-war-costs-for-us-896-million-so-far/2011/08/23/gIQA5KplYJ_blog.html

Costs of the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich to the US: 2.8 Trillion USD.
The tax cuts were touted as a to help our economy, but where did our economy head afterwards?

SOURCE:

http[colon]//www[dot]democrats[dot]com/bush-bailouts-1.8-trillion-and-counting

Cost of the Bush Bailouts: 1.8 trillion USD

SOURCE

http[colon]//www[dot]washingtonpost[dot]com/blogs/fact-checker/post/revisiting-the-cost-of-the-
bush-tax-cuts/2011/05/09/AFxTFtbG_blog.html

Anyway, right there is over $7,000,000,000,000 (7 trillion dollars) of money squandered in the past 8 years. Yet my mother who has type two diabetes and chronic bronchitis can't get nearly the amount of treatment she needs because she's unemployed, which is because shes often too ill to work. She cannot even begin to afford health insurance. This is also the story for hundreds of thousands people across america who can't afford to be healthy enough to work, which further hurts our economy.

Also, I'm 5 times more likely to die from my epilepsy because I cannot afford the expensive medications or any of the medical procedures to treat it.

I'm not saying obama is innocent in any of this, because he is not. But all this other wasteful spending, and people like you with your blind adherence to the conservative agenda pushed by lobbyists on behalf of these greedy corporations is hurting our people and in turn, is jeopardizing our economic recovery.

Personally, I hope the new Health Care Bill is permanently rejected. Without an Option Plan, the Bill serves only one purpose, which is to support Big Business ( Insurance and Medical fields) with a guaranteed income along with increases at their discretion. The new Health Plan does not demand any capping. The new Health Plan will not cover 100% of the American citizen population. Compared to other countries, medical and dental treatment costs are drastically high in comparison to wage earned income for the poor and middle class groups. For those who do not pay (illegal immigrants and the poor), their payments will have to be covered by someone (most likely by the middle class....what's left of the group, since the elite are provided many tax exemptions.

HEY AUTHOR SHAME ON YOU.

Title: Americans hit the brakes on health care spending

Should be, Americans refuse to pay the blood sucking Insurance Corporation leeches.

From the Article: "In 2010, the net cost of health insurance - which includes the overhead and insurance company profits - increased by 8.4 percent.

The Insurance Corporations are raping and f**king virgins before you can even do anything. STOP CONFUSING THE SHEEP TO BELIEVE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS ARE THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

President Obama Face the Nation, September 20, 2009:

Obama: No, the difference is that they're making huge profits on it, Bob. I mean, let's take the Medicare HMO programs that are being run by insurance companies. It's estimated by everybody that they're overcharging by about 14 percent. This amounts to about $177 billion over 10 years. About $17 billion a year, $18 billion a year. That's just going to pad their profits, hasn't been shown to make Medicare recipients any healthier. And in fact because those huge subsidies are going to insurance companies, Medicare recipients are not getting a good deal. Now if we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting a bang for the buck, it's not going to be possible for insurance companies to simply pass on those costs to Medicare recipients because ultimately it's Uncle Sam that's paying for those services anyway.

Summary US Taxpayers are paying the Profits of the Insurance Corporations of $17 Billion to $18 Billion per year just for Medicare. Now add in the Insurance Corporations profits for managing Mediaid, US Military TriCare, etc. also paid by the US Taxpayers (and US Military). Now increase those profits by the percentage indicated by the Article, as well as the Insurance Corporations increasing their Premiums to cover any future losses.

about that- Conservative most of my life until the Idiot Child Bush corrupted the system. As Puppet Extraordinaire for 8 years he negligently put this Country in the crapper. I am an Independent Centrist with moderate leanings despising all things Bush.

Maybe you should consider leaving Bush Country with your anti Bush attitude. Hint: You are WRONG. It was the removal of the US Laws that made Illegal the CAUSES of the 1907 Depression and the 1929-1939 Great Depression that F**KED THE US ECONONMY TO THE TUNE OF $60-$100 TRILLION USDS. Yes, Bush did not reinstated those US Law, so why the f**k hasn't President Obama Reinstated those US Laws that were eliminated 1999 and 2000. And knowing the Facts I would not hire you either, as lacking cognitive research skills.

marlen101917 - The only cure for a sick America is Single-Payer Health Insurance.

STOP CONFUSING THE SHEEP TO BELIEVE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS ARE THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

You kick the Insurance Corporations out of the Medical Profession and the cost of Medical Treatments automatically DECREASE by 80%.

ram-762581 - and we end up paying a fortune just for health coverage.

YOU are paying a fortune for Insurance Coverage, not the actual Costs of Medical Treatments.

Give it a rest!- Maybe nearly $66 million dollars in missles could be used in a better way.

and jaysoner1,

Sure lets throw all the expensive overpaid US Civilians that are employed to Manufacturer the missiles on Unemployment. Credibility is being able to do the real research.

And how much of that for US Citizens Employed by the US Manufacturing Company that Employs them to make those missiles. You have NO idea do you. As the US Military Defense Industrial Complex as created by President FDR go the US out of the Great Depression 1939, before US Entry into WWII; and is currently barely keeping the US out of another Great Depression, by still employing almost a million US Citizens, not including the US Citizens employed by the US Contractors. Offseting the US Trade Deficit are the hundred Billion USDs Sale of US Military Equipment to US Allies as Foreign Military Sales. As President FDR learned that US Consumerism could not get the US out of the Great Depression and the Sale of War Materials could and did.

jaysoner1 this is for you:

How about this you budget $20,000.00 for expenditures this year. Then someone gets your credit card and spends $40,000.00. Now what happens. You have a Budget Deficit right; the Credit Card Company tell you that this is all on you, that you will have to pay the $40,000.00, same with all the Lawyers, Local, State, Federal Law Enforcement that are coming to your door asking for the money.

So NOT Budgeted for was the $1.7 Trillion to $2.1 Trillion President Obama Health Care Reform Act.

So now it is US Congress Job to come up with the $1.7 Trillion to $2.1 Trillion are telling everyone Austerity Measures and Cut Backs to their Previously Budgeted Programs.

Seriously ask yourself do you think it is fair for US Taxpayers to pay for the "potential losses of the Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, Pharmaseucticals Industy from President Obama's Health Care Reform Act". The Insurance Corporations get $67 Billion, the Medical Device Industry gets $23 Billion, the Pharmaseuctical Industry gets $20 Billion.

And do you honestly think it was a coincidence that the President Obama got the Health Care Reform Act passed into US Law, then he got $1 Billion of Unlimited Corporate Campaign Contributions from the Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, Pharmaseucticals Industy. Just after his buddy "Mr. Corporate America" Legal Briefed the US Supreme Court on Unlimited Corporate Campaign Contributions before the Citizens United case even made its way to be heard by the US Supreme Court, as either Rule in favor of Unlimited Corporate Campaign Contributions or Rule that the 2008-2009 Elections Invalid due to "Mr. Corporate America's" admitting to violating US Law, McCain Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. After the US Supreme Court Ruling "Mr. Corporate America" was slapped on the wrist with a fine of $200,000 for his violating US Law prior to and during the 2008-2009 Elections.

This President Obama Health Care Reform is NOT what the long time advocate of Health Care Reform, Senator Kennedy (RIP) wanted. As REAL Health Care Reform would start with the Elimination of the Insurance Corporations from the Medical Profession, resulting in something similar to the President FDR's Universal Health Care For All US Citizens, today US Citizens would pay $50. for Unlimited Medical Treatments.

80 PERCENT OF THE COST MEDICAL TREATMENTS IS GOING TO THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS. NOT THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

Decreases cost 80% (last part of video) by Doctor David Ores, New York.1:45

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5247963n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

"the loss of private health insurance forced many Americans to delay or forego medical treatment, government officials said on Monday."

notice the delay or forego part?

at least in Places like Canada u may have to wait but at least u can get some damn medical care without having to go broke. Why people stand up for our current system is beyond me i know a guy from germany where u can have private or public insurance, he says here is a total rip off. stop listening to fox news and republicans people. They are lying!!!!

jaysoner1 - Costs of the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich to the US: 2.8 Trillion USD.

Are you counting the "Poor and Middle Class" also as part of the cost of 2.8 Trillion USD of the Bush Tax Cuts.

jaysoner1 -The tax cuts were touted as a to help our economy, but where did our economy head afterwards?

Is that a rethorical question or do you want to know Facts. The US Economy started to move in the direction of another Great Depression. Just like it took from 1933 when the US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of the 1907 Depression and 1929-1939 Great Depression were passed till 1939, 7 years, until the US Economy started to recover. So it took that long or longer for the US Economy to go into the current Depression, NOT Recession, as same Causes equals same Results.

Also adding to the US Economic Recovery and to lessen the effects of the Great Depression, President FDR: a. Nationalized All US Businesses and US Industry (start of the current US Military Industrial Complex, increased US Citizen's Employment)., b. Suspended US Labor Union Activities as a "Italian Organized Crime Legit Business with Political Clout"., c. Sold the War Materials manufacturered by President FDR's US Military Industrial Complex from 1939 to 1941., d. Instituted his Universal Health Care For All US Citizens, this significantly cut the profits of the Insurance Corporations as "Italian Organized Crime Legit Business with Political Clout" and put more spending money into the pockets of the US Citizens; US Citizens no longer had to decide on Food and Rent OR Health Care.

If you go back years to before the Insurance Corporations got involved with the US Military Health Care, that would be what President FDR's Universal Health Care for All US Citizens was modelled after. Before the Insurance Corporations got involved with US Military Health Care, internal to the US Military the US Military Medical Service Corps managed US Military Health Care as a self sustaining Entity, including the increasing of Medical Professionals thru numerous programs as to why there previously was no shortage of Medical Professionals. After the Insurance Corporations got involved, the below minimum wage US Military Personnel ended up paying for the Medical Treatments for themselves and their Dependents thru payroll deductions, deductables, etc.; as this "Benefit" (something that you DO NOT PAY FOR) was to offset their below minimum wages. And how were these benefits removed by allowing the Insurance Corporations into the US Military Health Care, simple the Politicians you hired, got Campaign Contributions from the Insurance Corporation Lobbyists. As these US Military Benefits were EARNED IN BLOOD during WWI, WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, and especially the Blood of those US Military Veterans that were killed during the Demonstrations at Washington D.C. as demanded by the US Politicians fearing for their lives that the US Military Veterans Peaceful Demonstrations would turn violent and their Politician arses would be lynched as the Traitors that they were by just kicking US Military Veterans to the curb after the US Military Veterans returned from War. Since most of you have not figured out anything and are too lazy to do the research it is the US Politicians that demand where and what the US Military goes and does to enforce the US Politicians Policies, so ignoring those that did this and are doing this as US Military Veterans and US Military Service Members, is a Broken Trust (Treason).

Do you want to know why the US Economy will NOT recover:

1. The US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of previous Depressions have not been restored yet, as eliminated 1999 and 2000 with the result being the $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion USD "Global Economic Crisis" consisting of the "Mortgage Crisis", "Financial Crisis", "Banking Crisis", "Wall Street Crisis", "Credit Crisis", etc..

Adding to the "Credit Crisis" was Candidate Obama's "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share", causing the Richest Person in the World to flee the US along with all of his Business Investments. The Rich copying his successes also fled the US. The Rich already knew thru the Elitists of the Electoral College that Candidate Obama would become US President, so the Richest Person in the World could lose $10 Billion then or wait until Candidate Obama became US President and lose $100 Billion. The First Fatality was CompUSA (Bankruptcy Closure), then Sears Holdings (Bankruptcy Reorganization), K Mart (Bankruptcy Reorganization), Circuit City (Bankruptcy Closure), Aloha Airlines (Bankruptcy Closure), etc. (long list of the Richest Person In the World's Investments in the US). As US Business could not get any Business Investments, when was the last time any of you invested $1 Billion in a Business. Retail just happens to be the "canary in the coal mine", the "frog of the environment".

The "Crisis" mentioned above of the "Global Economic Crisis" are the same as those that occurred during the 1929 to 1939 Great Depression.

2. Once again repeating the same mistakes as after WWI, leading to the 1929 to 1939 Great Depression.

3. Cuts to the one thing barely keeping the US out of another 1929 to 1939 Great Depression, the US Military Defense Industrial Complex. Per www.whitehouse.gov. the President Obama Automatic Budget Cut of 10% of the US Military Budget would put one million US Civilians on Unemployment, and this is exactly why I wanted this to happen so that all of you will be eating one rationed can per week of "Obamachow" (Dog Food of Undetermined sources) during the next Great Depression and finally shut up (as a lesson learned the hard way during the life or death School of Hard Knocks, NOT your failed Academic Idealistic US Education System, that must be educating those things necessary for survival just long enough to gain Real World experience).

4. Repeating the same Mistakes and Expecting Different Results.

supersmooth - republicans people. They are lying!!!!

The sooner that you realize that the Demoncraps, Repugnants, In Depends (Adult Diapers), Scrotums (Tea Baggers) are all the same, the better off you will be.

The Price Tag Of Politics

As Bob Schieffer explains, Politicians generally listen to the ones who gave them the money to get where they are today and in the end, once they reach Washington their positions are set in stone, thanks to lobbyists and special interest groups.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6228712n&tag=related;photovideo

FYI. The US Government as Established by the Founding Fathers was NOT for what you perceive. As prior to the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers were the "Rich" that did not want to pay "Their Fair Share" as the British Stamp Act, aka the Tea Taxes. These British Taxes to pay for the Protection of the Colonists by the British Military, as well as the American Colonists demanding the British Military assist in the take over of lands from the "Indians" but not wanting to pay for this. These British Taxes were also used for the debts incurred during the Napoleonic Wars and the other British Colonies of the British Empire. This can be seen in their Establishment of the Electoral College, with the excuse that this had anything to do with the representation of the smaller "States"; as they actually did not believe that the common man was capable of "determining the Highest Offices of the Land, the President and Vice President". The Founding Fathers were the Rich of those days as they did not have to do daily subsistence living like everyone else.

Multiple Party System is absolutely correct. The working poor are the class of folks in the worst position in America. For Working people wo be worse off is absolutely unAmerican. Non-working poor and illegal immigrants get a much better deal than the workers in unskilled jobs. Also, recall in the last few years all the experts who push people to the medical jobs as the future of employment in America. I have written for a long time that this was bogus. A nation full of burger flippers and Walmart clerks is not going to be able to pay $20,000 a year for medical care for a family of 4 nor will they pay $8,000 a month for an elderly family member in a nursing home, nor can they pay the tax load it takes for the gubmint ot provide these services. So just who is supposed to write the paychecks for all these people being told to get trained in medical jobs ? already we see in this article that medical spending is going down. The money is just not there.

Some of them are not-for-profit, but you would never know that if you looked at the executive payroll.

At one time they were not for profit, and it was great!

Not for profit does not mean that it will be cheap. It could just mean that instead of allowing for profits, they funnel that money to the employees. And by employees, I mean the senior management.

Blue Shield CEO Bruce Bodaken earned $4.6 million last year

NON-PROFIT? Right, how can a hospital make a profit and call themselfs non-profit? How can a business man with a 4 year degree tell a doctor want treatment is the prefered treatment for you? Tell us Mr. Obama how much is the NON-PROFIT hospitals are going to profit with Obama care with thier Rich CEOs in charge. Obama did not touch them, he went after the insurance companys! Only fools would think that insurance CEOs sets the price for health care! How much would it cost us if NON-PROFIT hospitals CEOs were limited to a non-salery? How much would it cost if all healthcare cost had to be posted on the internet? Just try to shop and compare heath care cost? You will never get a staight answer! Obama care was not about us, it was for the rich Obama friends, the NON-PROFIT hospital CEOs! You liberals giving to the rich and still have no idea that you were fooled! Game on in November, and Obama can take his RICH NON-PROFIT freinds with him! 2012 vote and send Obama to the unemployment line!

I received this email message from a friend in Wisconsin:

"Back then, American corporations tried to raise up revenues instead of profits by marketing themselves to get more business. Back then, the difference in pay between the top and the bottom was much smaller. Now, corporations seemingly only care about maximizing short term profits by racing to the bottom to see which company can eliminate more employees and their traditional benefits. What matters to them now? Reducing legal liabilities, minimizing their labor force, while maximizing their CEO's pay. This proves they're aren't job creators any more.

And the people making these decisions are also saying let's get rid of the public sector, all states should secede from the Union, eliminate all taxes on the wealthy, increase taxes on the poor, and eliminate more jobs, too. if more right-wingers take over this country, and you want a middle class job with a living wage, you won't find it in America any more, save for lots of right-wing megachurches that want to save your soul, for a monetary price."

Really? You think "right wingers" have done all that damage? Obama promised us a public option and when he had a democratic majority he choose to allow it to die and instead gives us a federal law that mandates we purchase health care or be fined. If you think for a second that any democrate has your best interest in mind while bending you over, then you really are delusional. It makes no difference if it is a republican or democrate in office, just follow the money and you will see where their votes come from. We have the best government money can buy, and man is this government ever on sale.

It DOES make a difference. If republicans would not have voted en masse against everything Obama wanted to do, we would have a better HCR bill. One party is so far on the side of the plutocrats they aren't even trying to hide it anymore.

boom-- on $9.7 billion in revenue. Just cash or stock or options? If you're running a nearly $10 billion company I'd pay you a LOT if you were the right person!

Not-for-profit does not mean that a business does not make a profit, it means that it is not owned by shareholders. In other words, when it makes a profit, the money can (although not necessarily, it can still overpay its executives) be reinvested in the company's infrastructure and employees rather than systematically shipped off to stockholders. For-profits have no responsibility to preserve their companies (they all are eventually sold for a profit), their infrastructure or their human capital. By statute, their only mandate is to earn profits, endlessly, for shareholders.

Not-for-profit does not mean that a business does not make a profit, it means that it is not owned by shareholders.

You don't know what you're talking about. The shareholders that you are thinking of only exist when a company "goes public." There are many private for-profit companies that do not have shares traded on the stock exchange.

By statute, their only mandate is to earn profits, endlessly, for shareholders.

By this statement, you show that you don't exactly understand how profit is used. The vast majority of profit is used to invest in the company, and there are many more ways that profits are utilized. New factories, and renovations are paid for using profits.

Dividends are paid using profits left over after all investments and and other uses are completed (profits simply are: revenues - costs). This is one of the reasons why not every dividend-paying corporation pays dividends every year -- because they may use it up or not have enough.

For-profits have no responsibility to preserve their companies (they all are eventually sold for a profit)

Not at all true. They most certainly have the responsibility of preserving their companies.

Do us a favor and don't post any more on business-related topics -- you'll only confuse people who don't understand the issues with your misinformation.

--

By the way, do you ever wonder why your utility rates always go up when they have profit caps? This is because they can earn greater profits by raising their costs. How could this be, you may ask?

If a utility has a 1% profit cap (arbitrary number), they may have $100 in revenue and $99 in costs (100-99=1). Since I'm doing quick and very simplistic math, don't expect the real-world to function exactly like this -- it's only a simplified model.

If $1 is their 1% profit they are allowed, how do they earn greater profit figures? Well, if they increase their costs they can increase their rates (simplistically-speaking). If they raise their costs ten-fold to $990 dollars, they can raise their rates to generate $1000 revenue (1000-990=10). Now they have $10 profit (1%).

Now you know how percent profit caps can be exploited. Think about that the next time your utilities tell you about their wonderful new project.

That's right. If you don't believe it, find out who owns the really nice trophy houses in your area. Many of them are owned by insurance brokers (please note, I did not say salespersons).

AARP is one of those..

The Republican Governor Crisp of Florida used to pay himself $100 million a year at United Healthcare. That was before the crook Jeb Bush left office.

HMO's/Insurance companies are the biggest Death Panels out there.

Universal Healthcare NOW!!!

You are so right, marinmom!!!

Insurance companies are a rip off. You get a few uncaring CEO's managing your money for you.

But if your plan to stop this, is to instead of letting multiple different distant CEO's rip you off, let 1 distant government bureaucracy do it, then I have a bridge to sell you in Alaska.

No one is going to look out for you money better then you. Let the American people pay for and save for their own medical care tax free and stop giving other people control over you life, literally.

The lack of understanding of insurance companies and the kind of reform Obama could and should have done is flat out amazing to me.
Instead of doing something simple like making it mandatory that healh care insurance be available over state lines and that each insurance company had to identify themselves as a singular entity not use a rented title like BCBS and probiting descrimination in access to or cost of insurance, most of the problems would have been solved. All else would be needed would be a percentage amount of sales to CEO pay to keep the non-proit status.
Too simple and didn't enter into Obama's plan to socilaize medicine in this country. I guess that would stop people from other countries where they have socialized medicine from coming here for treatment since it would be no better than what they are fleeing.
Since Obamacare passe, insurance premiums have shot up, medications covered have become fewer and fewer and the percentage of cost of medication to the patient has doubled. Yeah, this is the way to make things better. NOT
In the end many here are absolutely correct. Only the rich and the suckers on the dole will get helath care and the rest of us will get shoved off the cliff. Our only hope is that the Supreme Court will rule correctly and find this debacle unconstitutional. Then, we can elect a new President who may do the right thing or at least stay the heck out of our health care.

The only cutting they talk about is to Medicare, haven't heard any cuts to Medicaid. How many millions or billions would we save each year if hospitals and doctors were not forced to teat illegal aliens on our tax dollars.

For those of you who will cry heartess at that let me say if it is treatment for people who don't belong here or treatment for me and mine then it should be me and mine who have worked our butts off and paid taxes to support this country all our lives.

Starting to think the hospitals are right there with them, you can rent a penthouse suite in almost any city, cheaper then it is to spend one day in a hospital, the minuet health service is required the cost is multiplied drastically. Why? Yes not everyone can preform operations and they have many specialized machines, but so do many other repair shops, which is what a hospital really is. Also with all the billions of dollars donated to research, why are drug companies allowed to charge those exorbitant prices for the drugs they eventually produce?
Bring the cost of health care down and the insurance rates should come down too, then maybe more people would not loose everything they own account of some miner illness or accident.

I like the right wingers defending the insurance company ripoffs. "If Obama would just deregulate the insurance companies and give up this Healthcare kick." Yeah, right. Let a right winger congress and a right winger president get in and see how much you pay for healthcare. (or don't pay for healthcare because it is unaffordable)

Vote Obama, Vote Democrat and Vote for 99% of America.

am.can

I agree on the costs. My husband fell on our stairs and broke his wrist. He was told they don't cast them nowadays--he needed surgery. We have employer-paid insurance but knew we would have the deductible and co-insurance to contend with. It was an accident...so we had to deal with it. We were thinking maybe $5-10k max for this. We wished! The hospital, alone, for a one -hour surgery on his wrist as an outpatient for a late morning charged $27k for that. Add on a $1,600 ct scan and another $4k for the surgeon, $1,200 for the anestesiologists amongst other things--we met the $2k out-of-pocket max which is probably better than many. Had to pull from the 401k to pay that. But, thanks to the accident, he was able to get his colonoscopy done after (now that we figured it out) 14 years. He has Crohn's Disease and should be getting one every other year. The costs are completely outrageous...it is no wonder people are putting off what they "can" put off. Healthcare is a complete joke.

IMHO-2730490,

READ POST #1.35.

You Really think there is a difference,

READ POST #1.38.

Everyone demanding elimination of President Obama's Health Care Reform Act and insisting on Universal Health Care for All US Citizens are absolutely correct.

And you are absolutely wrong, in still including Insurance Corporation in the Medical Profession.

CrabbyPatty73,

Do you want to really know why all that happened.

1. The Insurance Corporations tell the Hospitals that they must have Insurance to cover any Liabilities, just like your Home Owners Insurance.

2. The Insurance Corporations demand that the Hospitals have certain Medical Devices available and used or they will not insure that Hospital. The Medical Device Industry makes huge profits from these sales, as well as the continuous upgrades, calibrations, and repairs.

3. If a Medical Professional uses a procedure not approved by a Bureaucrat (a non Medical Professional) the Insurance Corporation increases the Medical Professionals Malpractice Insurance until either the Medical Professional listens and does the Medical Procedure determined by the Insurance Corporation or can no longer pay the Medical Malpractice Insurance and then can no longer perform any Medical Procedures (aka Unemployed). It does not matter what the Medical Professional from training or experience knows, the Medical Procedure determined by the Bureaucrat for Profit of the Insurance Corporation must be used or the Medical Professional and the Hospital (Medical Facility) can lose their Insurance and still do not receive any payments for the Medical Procedures performed from the Insurance Corporations. This is why the expensive procedures and medicines are NOT used even though they have less life threatening side effects, versus using the cheaper (most profit for the Insurance Corporations) procedures with more adverse life threatening side effects are used.

80 Percent of the Medical Treatment Costs are from the Un Holy Trinity: Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, Pharmaceuticals Industry. The majority is the Insurance Corporations.

So the obvious is why isn't anyone doing something about the majority of the problem FIRST instead of the minority. See post#1.35, money from the Insurance Corporations buys a lot of US Politicians.

The above reasons are why one of my friends closed his clinic that treated about 1,500 in a rural area (nearest other Medical Facility outside the "Golden Hour", as every time he used the procedures with less life threatening side effects, the Insurance Corporations increased his Medical Malpractice Insurance and he refused to pass these costs unto his Patients, the Insurance Corporations refused to reinburse his costs for the Medical Treatments, when he did get reinbursed for every dollar he spent he was paid twenty cents, and finally they increased his Insurance on his Medical Facility eventhough he had all of the required State of the Art Medical Devices. So he filed Bankruptcy, closed his new Medical Facility and quit the Medical Profession and joined organized crime, became a US Politician.

Even if such a thing existed, the idea of betting on your country to fail is nauseating.

Nice to see the media laying the groundwork of excuses for when spending skyrockets under Obamacare:

"some analysts said the durability of healthcare prices and pent-up demand for services could suggest a sharp increase in costs down the road"

You mean like in 2014?.... hmmm, I wonder why.

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

CFarinha - Anyone want to purchase some economic collapse insurance!? lolololol

Clotho - Even if such a thing existed, the idea of betting on your country to fail is nauseating.

You are laughing now. That is exactly why the $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion USD "Global Economic Crisis" consisting of the "Mortgage Crisis", "Financial Crisis", "Banking Crisis", "Wall Street Crisis", "Credit Crisis", etc. occurred after the US Laws that made that Illegal were removed 1999 and 2000.

examples: You can "Bet" that Greece will Fail, buy the Insurance on that "Bet"; so that either way you will make hundreds of Billions from Millions; Millions from Thousands. This is what was happening with Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, etc.. This is also what happened during the Great Depression, as the US Financial Institutions that held the Mortgage on a Family Farm, would "Bet" that the Family would Fail to pay their Mortgage, buy the Insurance on that Bet, then the Financial Institution would do measures to cause the Family to not pay on the Mortgage payments; example: not giving them a loan for seeds and fertilizer. So the US Financial Institution gains: the Family Farm (Foreclosure) as physical colateral to obtain more loans, Wins the Bet, and gets the Insurance on the Bet. This is now all 100% Legal after the US Laws that made this Illegal were removed 1999 and 2000.

Shows how much both of you, CFarinha, Clotho and those that voted for your posts do not know.

If you want to talk about the chump change Stock Market, I can explain that too.

The doctors and hospitals charge high "list prices" because so much of the work they do is reimbursed for peanuts (Medicare and Medicaid patients) or not at all (uninsured poor). The rest of us pay through the nose to subsidize them.

Not to mention the ridiculous malpractice insurance premiums in our sue-happy country. We need tort reform and also a more fair way of dealing with the cost of treating patients who don't pay their fare share.

The President tried but too many congressmen/women are on the take from these companies (drug and insurance companies). Look at how they terrified everyone with their death panels. Have you seen or heard of anyone going before a death panel?

I rest my case.

Spending edged up 3.9 percent, bringing the total size of the U.S. healthcare system to $2.6 trillion, or $8,402 per person

That's every man, woman, and child in the US in 2010. We have built the most expensive system possible and Obamacare changes nothing. Doctors will charge, hospitals will treat, the administrators will take a share, and everyone will claim to be underpaid.

The problem IS insurance, NOT the cure. If we had to buy automobile repair insurance, an oil change would cost $1000.

Yes, irene, I would agree with you, except that yes, I have seen many go before death panels. They are called underwriters and the review panels hired by insurance companies to say no to people. Those are the real death panels.

Death panels? Grow up. We can not possible afford every treatment some doctor can dream up.

I cost the system $350,000 this year. Thank you. I will now start costing a bunch more in the next 5 years or so. I never paid anything like that into the system, but the system has grown to these proportions because, "it's covered." I am never told the cost. I have to cause trouble just to find out the billing. I think it's 90% of the healthcare cost is for the first year of life and the last five.

You guys just keep saying, YES. My doctor thanks you and has plenty of ideas how to supplement his billing. Funny, I don't feel any healthier - but, who am I to say. I feel like there should be some sanity in the system, but thanks anyway - it's covered.

You guys just keep imagining nasty CEOs stealing your money. You have no clue and you will have little care.

Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife, we are never going to see tort reform in this country. The vast majority of our politicians are lawyers, so it will never happen. That is their bread and butter. We have the highest per capita health costs in the world, but 50 million of our citizens have no health-care insurance. If one of these 50 million has a heart attack, they can go to the ER and get stabilized but with no follow up care, they are sent home to die. That is a disgrace.

8800 per person per year? Why bother with reform. At that price you could buy top of the line health care for your family. We are getting screwed every which way here.

Single payer is the only reasonable option!

goverment health care ? come on people wake up and smell the coffee , all this is is the goverment trying to be God , a socialistic government if you will . When and where is it the governments job to provide health care ? Even more so what right do they have to force you to buy something just because your alive ? Oh they make it sound all rosey and good , but where do we draw the line and whats the next thing they say your going to have to buy , flood insurance ? mabe life insurance ? They , the government wants total control over your life and if you cant see that then YOUR BLIND sheep headed for the slaughter , Bahhh , bahhh !!!

Grinspoon, single payer would cure that disease your doctors have. the supplemental doctor salary disease.

Single payer. No more third party payments. Let the consumer pay, in cash for services rendered. Single payer. You should be the single payer. Please pay in cash.

Totally agree, Americans, support single payer! health care for all! Health insurance companies must disapear!

Single payer is just insurance. They will either say yes or no to what the doctor wants. Say no, and it's a death panel. Say yes, and it's runaway costs.

The result is a long fight between the doctors, unions, and hospitals - with the single payer. We would be caught in the middle. You know that Doctor Medicare cut up in Congress next month. Want to bet it gets passed and doctors don't take less. How is a single payer going to work if Medicare has no clout.

Single payer is a (literally) dead end.

irenermiscione-1 - The President tried but too many congressmen/women are on the take from these companies (drug and insurance companies).

You can believe that all you want. The worst was President Obama.

Read posts#1.35, 1.37, 1.38, 3.11 and 3.12.

I spoon fed all of you the solution. USE WHAT WORKED BEFORE.

There is no easy solution here folks. This is clearly a muntifaceted issue affecting those who can afford it the least. If you are forced to choose between food and health, which would you choose? And consider this propoganda being fed to you through every day social media....the drug companies tell you that you have a problem and recommend you to talk to your doctors and hospitals who also support the drug companies...now lets think about it, was "it" really a problem for you before the drug company brought it to your attention? Do you really need a Dr. and medication for "it"? Don't be fooled into thinking those commercials are to help you.

Again, a mulit-faceted issue that requires significant debate and multiple solutions. I do not agree with the government getting involved in my personal choices to make my own health related decisions. But let's think about it from another perspective....let's take the cost of a generator, for example. If the cost rises to a rediculous point during extreme weather, the gov't steps in and calls it price gouging. And has taken steps to prevent that from happening. But if your heart stops, your arm breaks, they find a tumor, etc....there are no boundaries for extreme circumstances or price gouging that will help you.

Obama care is NOT the answer, but at least it's an attempt, and has opened the door for further debate.

As for the decreased spending in healthcare, get real people, again I ask you, if you have to choose between food and health, which would it be?

Keep your ears open....and this debate going....could be that we are on the verge of something great.

Keep your ears open....and this debate going....could be that we are on the verge of something great.

Yes, Medicare E (For Everybody) as we're the last major industrialized country not to have it.

There has been no decrease in health care spending. Spending is UP 3.8% this year over last. The rate of increase isn't as high as in the past, but the bill is still increasing.

S Mc, how much of that money was actual premiums. The average person in the US spends way in excess of 200 bucks a year just on over the counter pain relief and cold remedies...

Most people get 200 dollars deducted from their paychecks per paycheck...the average employer subsidized health insurance costs an employee about 5000 a year, then you have all the copayments for doctor visits and prescription drugs.

If my husband got laid off or chose to leave the company and we couldn't get health insurance anywhere else, we could "keep it" for a year and half IF we were willing to pay $1500 a MONTH. Are you kidding me, when the maximum unemployment compensation in most states is 1500 a month.

Why should health insurance cost more than a mortgage or car payment when auto insurance is 60-120 a month? Everybody bitches about oooh what if we are being forced to buy health insurance...well, you are forced to buy auto insurance or you don't get to drive and nobody rails against that.

You aren't forced to buy a car. Barring suicide, you don't have much choice about being alive.

I have to agree with S. McIlnay, I have rarely spent over $200 a year on healthcare over my last 63 years. The problem we have is with whiny people who run to the doctor for every little thing, people who pop pills incessantly for every little ache, pain, or sniffle, people who would be an embarrassment to their pioneer forefathers.

The pioneer forefathers whose life expectancy was like 42? Those guys? Yes, they were tough, if they got cancer they just went ahead and died of it. None of that wussy chemo/radiation stuff. Sack up, America!

I noticed the same thing on just regular visits....if you can't fix simple things in 1 visit then you aren't doing your job. Not to mention drug prices are out of control. if the medicine for strep throat is $80 then obviously someone is gouging the customers.

It is totally obscene. I agree.

I lost my job after 33 years with the same company. My COBRA premiums for two people were $995 per month. I could not get insurance from any other company until the 18 month COBRA period expired because I am a diabetic. I started going to school for a new career at age 57. I am able to purchase insurance through the school for $400 per month, but that stops when I get out of school. My only hope then is to get a job with benefits, or maybe the new healthcare law will allow me to purchase it at a reasonable rate. In the meantime, I order my insulin from out of the country because it is $200 per month less expensive than buying it from a USA supplier. The weird thing is, a USA company manufactures it, and puts a "foreign" label on it, but it's the same drug manufactured in the same factory.

That's because if they didn't, you and some scum attorney would sue them if her finger didn't heal correctly. Notice any tort reform in ObamaCare?

Tort reform would not do much of anything to lower costs.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/06/03/236071/tort-reform-health-care-costs/

Universal healthcare is the way.

Don't take this in a harsh way, Leslie, but you are an example of the sort of fool who has driven medical costs up so much. If people will just refuse to be ripped off by the medical establishment and the insurance companies, if people will just say NO to paying such obscene amounts, then prices would be forced to fall to some reasonable amount that people would be willing to pay.

Lib 50: You and the mis informed author of that link miss the point. As long as there are bottom feeding lawyers suing, you will have physicians over ordering expensive tests and procedures. Get rid of the parasitic lawyers and have real tort reform, and physicians will respond. You cannot regulate physicians and have lawyers drooling over the outcome.

Congress should not have their health care (any of them) paid for by the taxpayer. Heck, that should include the President and the US Supreme Court Justice.

I bet you feel better too, Cowboy. The pill pushers aren't there for our health. They are there for our money. Stopping running to them for every little thing is the smartest thing you can do.

Health care is over priced. Not just overpriced...way overpriced. If doctors would stop the malpractice and do things right and stop stealing from the government, and drug companies actually charged a small profit for their drugs instead of marking them up 300% then we could have affordable health care. If you don't believe that, then why are people trying to get their drugs from Canada and Mexico...because they are cheaper and won't break the average consumer

Brian...invest millions and millions of dollars in R & D, come up with your own novel drug and give it away ok???

I think maybe you are the fool.............

Profit is what is left over after everything has been "paid" for. This includes the big CEO salaries, expense accounts, retirement packages, trips to "meetings" in exotic places, etc. The last year I had a job, my "premium" (salary) was around $60K, my "profit" was $0.00 because I had to spend all my "premium" on housing, utilities, taxes, food, healthcare, etc.

Also, my "share" of the $11,940 COBRA premium was $11,940. NOT $70 as you think. I also paid out well over $5,000 for my deductibles, medications, and lab work co-pays.

Brian: If doctors would stop the malpractice and do things right

Really? Is that what you really think is the problem is incompetent doctors???

ok lifer lets take all the premiums paid to ONE health insurer. Find one under $1 billion in receipts will be hard so let's say it's a round $1billion. Eliminate the big obscene fat ceo salary from what a shooter like you is paying in premiums. You should save a whopping .12 cents a year perhaps? Truth is-class warfare is the issue not affordability. Obama got you to take your eye off the truth and focus on exactly what is not "the" problem. May be "a" problem but it's incompetence to spend more than 30 seconds on it. It's UTILIZATION NOT INSURANCE COMPANIES! Stop using it and the cost will go WAY down! if it was so profitable companies would be jumping in like crazy to make obscene profits. That's what we do in America isn't it? Chase obscene profits? So why aren't companies diving in? Look at the reality. Profits are low but because volume is high they can deliver massive value for the dollar. That's what they do. But everyone likes to have some simple answer. Ever wonder why all these different issues and questions seem to have the very same answer? More government. Government is a business and like any business wants to grow and dominate.

70.00 dollars. what alternate universe do you live in?

might want to google how many zero's are in a billion. $1 billion would be 100,000 people covered give or take. Following me altered universe? That would be a very, very small plan so if CEO made $1 million, which would be huge for a plan that small, it would cost you $10 a year. If the plan covers 1 million, big plans cover around 4 million, it would cost you $1 a year if he/she was paid the same. They would be paid much more. So it might cost you $2 a year. You're really going to focus your time on that? Really? How much did your insurance go up last year and you're trying to knock out $2? Do you really think a discount CEO would do a better job of controlling your costs? Government propoganda. It's not that complicated.

Mark D. the government spent millions and millions of dollars for R&D and the drug companies profitted. It's time for single payer and that's no joke.

IMHO not defending drug companies but the govt. gave them R & D write offs and sometimes incentives for tricky, expensive or other items of public policy. Nothing unusual there. Should do more of it as without it how do you encourage drug creation for obscure illnesses? If a drug is a blockbuster they pay taxes on the income. Again--not the issue. maybe a piece but govt. has spun everything as "if not for crooks it'd be free!" Not so and so obvious but sound bytes and easy answers and convenient bad guys are what everyone craves I guess.

Mark D said...invest millions and millions of dollars in R & D, come up with your own novel drug and give it away ok??

Got I'm sick of that argument...for the most part, a person in the US pays about 50% MORE for a prescription of any given medicine that a person in Canada, the UK, Europe, and most any other country/continent. The people in these other countries are purchasing THE SAME MEDICATIONS as the people in the US...

So why, exactly, are we paying so much more for the same drug if the only reason is R&D?

Drug Companies spend 80-90% more on advertising and spiffs for doctors than they ever do on R&D. Most "NEW" drugs are "Me Too" drugs, that is a minor modification to existing drugs in order to maintain their exclusivity for the patent.

It's easier for pols to blame regular folks like you, as if it were your fault for losing your job. Companies shed employees all the time, so why should it be treated like a mark of stigma?

It makes you wonder what happened to the elderly before Medicare. If even young and middle aged people have issues getting insurance, what happens to the old in a modern hyper-selective health insurance market?

The elderly and EVERYONE paid the doctor. Non of this 3rd party crap, especially from government, that is a big part of the tremendous escalating costs of health care.

I think before Medicare old people just died, basically. We didn't treat near the number of ailments we do today.

Deb,

I don't agree. We don't pay auto insurance for "basic coverage. You have auto insurance to pay for the, god forbid, big problems. I.E. You don't get auto insurance for oil changes. Why should you get health insurance for a cold?

Jen,

No........"Yesterday", we didn't have the medical technology we have today. Even with Medicare, you still would have died because the technology was not there to keep you alive.

Bernie, we don't philosophically need health insurance to "pay for a cold", but we have to ask it to pay for our cold because many employees need a doctor's note to prove they were sick. We know that cold will turn into a sinus infection and a cough with green phlegm that could turn into pneumonia. Most of us know we are going to need antibiotics, but we can't buy them over the counter. We have to go see a doctor to get a prescription and then the antibiotics aren't cheap either.. Also, do you like it when sick people show up to work and give you THEIR cold rather than staying at home if they thought they could? Most people need a doctors note if they are out for more than a couple of days.

deb ----send your statement for every one in Congress. Again and again. Wish you and family the best.

I've turned that "doctor's note" around. Now I tell the doctor that I need a note to prove I'm healthy and can return to work. That's what the note is for.

Deb R, what state are you in?

You think it's bad now? Just wait until the Obamacare tsunami hits in 2014:

U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011

"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.

By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.

Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.

CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.

As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.

Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.

As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.

CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3

P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.

We heard you the first few times, Troll.

I agree

Go Troll somewhere else, no one listens to you anymore.

You forgot to mention like GREECE. Soon USA will be spelled GREECE when everything is FREE!

Jello headed idiots!

It really is an embarrassment to live in a country where people have to pass on necessary medical care because they can't afford it. I am confident we'll have universal health care in the near future.

I had emergency surgery for my appendix a few weeks ago, and luckily I have good insurance. If I didn't, I would have held off until it burst and became life-threatening. And if I survived, I'd be paying back the hospital for the rest of my life. America is better than this.

Why do people like you pick the worst places to compare to. Why did you not pick Germany or France, both those have better heath care, a one payer system, and a shorter waiting time for treatment than we do and their economy is in better shape than ours. Plus they only spend approx half per citizen that we do and everyone is covered. Less missed work time and a more productive work force.

joe-1237641,

I think it's because he IS a jello headed idiot.............................

All of these comparisons are apples to oranges. They don't have the same sue-happy malpractice leeches and ambulance chasers that we do in the U.S. The average American has more medical tests and exams ran than any other developed country yet our health rates are lower tier. The reason for the tests and exams is for doctors having to CYA so they don't get sued. All these extra tests cost extra money, hence the extreme cost of health care in the U.S. An additional cost is the exorbinant amount of malpractice insurance that each medical professional has to carry. And we wonder why health care costs so much in the U.S. but our health care rating is mid to lower tier for a developed country?

Or you could compare us to canada. Anyone seen this? ROFL

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/317433

um.... medicare is on the skids. And have you ever dealt with it? Ever wonder why the plans change every year, payments are being cut, etc? Efficiently run? Wow.

Well, Obummer is trying to get everybody to pay. That's what the health care act is all about and that's what the fight is about -- mandatory payment for your health care.

he's right. pay your damn insurance and pay for your own health care.

Nice idea...but they already don't pay any tax...why and where would they pay for health insurance.

They would have to drop the cable and unlimited data/text family packages...

Nobody gets free health care. Under EMTALA, if you go to the emergency room in unstable condition, they cannot turn you away. However, they DO bill you personally for all the services if you don't have insurance. And it's usually the taxpayers who end up paying, because these poor people can never repay the entire bill.

As a general rule: If you believe that illegal immigrants "have it easy" in any way, shape or form, your facts are almost certainly way off.

Remember, illegal immigrants, poor and people who just don't believe in medicine can cause epidemics. It's best if we can treat, immunize and cure everyone, not just the 1% that can afford it.

Single payer healthcare is the only way to go. Join the other industrial nations. They're more civilized. Just look at Canada.

Yes, because your representative who voted for "Obamacare" would especially like to know that you are covered. Thanks to "Obamacare."

Yes, and your representative would like to know you support universal healthcare.

Sally I am guessing you make a lot more than I do. Try paying for the treatment or the ins on 250 dollars a week. Can't get a better job because of past heart problems and a bout with cancer. Check on the state cheap plan they wanted a little over $2000 a month, you show me how to get the insurance and I will be glad to have it for now that I was cancelled after the heart problem I can not afford to do any thing but get sick stay home and die.

Sally, cool you live in your dreamworld where you have fixes for everything and resources to get them. When something serious happens in your family your tune will change...especially if you lose your insurance. You obviously have little experience with "stuff happens even when you are prepared as best you can be". Good luck to you and I sincerely hope you won't have to scrape and end up disabled or dead because you can't get health care when you need it.

You're out of touch with reality, 65% of all bankruptcies our because of medical expenses, it's could be higher now due to the recession. The inflation rate could be 3% for our country and triple that for medical costs, how do you deal with that ? I could go on but I don't believe it would sink in. You can live in your fantasy world and hopefully have no problems, YOU WILL.

Define bad doctor.

Credentials in the US mean nothing, except mediocrity.

I sure wish we could dump the medical insurance industry. I can remember when I was growing up going to the doctor when I had a cold or flu or measles and the cost was $5-10 for the office visit. My parents paid for it out of pocket. If I needed medication, we went down to the local drug store and the cost was again between $5 - $10. My dad had a good job with health insurance. This only came in to play when my mom had to have a major surgical procedure.

I'm gonna go with totalcynic's characterization over Blue 'N Gold.

Most physicians want to provide good care--and are qualified to do so--even if they might be wanting to maximize their pay.

There really isn't a "Health Care System" in America.

There is just a group of companies that are out to gouge everyone for as much as they can get, as often as they can get it.

There is no co-ordinated effort between the insurance company's, doctors, hospitals and pharmacy's to bring you quality health care at an affordable price.

Ergo there is no "Health Care System" in America. If you want a health care system see the other industrialized nations of the world, that for better or worse, have a "Health Care System'.

Universal Healthcare and get treated the same as Stephen Hawking. Got two years to live and universal healthcare pulled him through and he's made it to 70 years old.

No. Either the parents pay or suffer the consequences. That is called "life".

sloppyjoe- So where do you get health insurance for 200/mo? Who's smoking crack? LOL That's why we need single payer, or make all health Insurance co's not for profit. I know our premiums have been going up along with copays for the last 10years, all the while record profits for the insurance co's! Turn off the faux noise, quit blaming the poor and working poor, for the health Ins Co's greed!

Sloppy is showing an astounding lack of knowledge of healthcare, which is typical I have found.

Sloppy, go put some clean clothes on and read about healthcare. The reality of it and not what your white ring rags tell you to spew. Obamas plan has not taken effect yet and you are claiming its had all these negative effects. It hasn't done anything but make people like you into paranoid freaks.

Actually, I pay $240/month for family coverage thru my employer (I'm a state employee) and my insurance would definitely cover this kind of procedure. However, our costs are going up and we haven't had a raise or COLA in nearly 5 years. Our pay is 20-50% BELOW that of the private sector (and YES, that's been PROVEN by an article by our newspaper), and a lot of employees are having to work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. My daughter needs knee surgery. No problem. However, it's the PT afterward that we can't afford. $40 copay EVERY TIME, 3-4 times/week. No way can we afford $120-160/week on what we make. We're strapped as it is.

Hubby takes 4 different medications. With insurance/co-pay, $100/month. Without insurance, nearly $700/month. And these are mostly generic. And this was BEFORE Obama. So, know what you're talking about before opening your friggin' mouth.

It is an absolute NESSESSITY to overhaul the healhcare system and bring costs down. I sure as hell didn't see the GOP doing it when they had the chance. Prehaps they were too concerned with the money they were getting from the insurance companies to NOT do anything to worry about the average person.

JKLD you said it well...except we have a small business and our health insurance is 750 a month with all kinds of things going on deductibles. You are right on the solutions, too. This was going on way before Obama, so the old blaming him trick won't work. The only hope we have here in this house is the bill taking full effect but that doesn't help us now, and really we needed single payer...sigh.

We wouldn't need any insurance at all if we had tort reform. Stop the real cost of health-care, aka lawsuits. The medicine isn't that expensive to create (after R&D costs are taken care of), the doctors and nurses (unless they're brain surgeons) aren't multi-millionaires, the standard hospital staff sure as heck aren't driving Porsches and Lambo's. So where does all of that money go? I'm talking about the hospital and doctor bills, not health insurance premium money so it's not going to the demonized insurance companies. It's all going to malpractice insurance firms. You have tort reform, put those insurance firms out of business or at least lower their impact and all of the sudden the premi twin pregnancy doesn't cost 650,000 but more like 65,000 and the 200/month insurance company would probably be pleased as punch to pay that kind of hospital bill since they're playing the "averages" anyway, which is all insurance really is.

Tort reforn has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. This crap was going on well before large settlements. There's something inherently wrong with a system that charges 1 thing with insurance and the same thing is 10-50x more without. BTW, ever look at an itemized hospital bill? Next time you go in, take a REALLY GOOD look at the bill and you will be amazed at what you're charged for.

My late MIL had to take a daily dose of immodieum. Standard OTC drug. Howeer, because it had to be done in a bottle and not the blister packs, she was charged 10x more than had she bought it OTC in the packs. Where in the hell is the sense in that? My husband takes 4 meds. With insurance/copays - $100/month. Without insurance, $700/month. It's NOT Tort reform. It's the greed of the insurance companies and the big pharms. And these meds are generetics, NOT specialities.

Tort reform my ass. The insuraance companies have whined about that for years and yet they refuse to try to police themselves nor take responsility for their own screwups unless they're forced to.

Don't you love the right wingnuts trying to keep things the same or even make them worse for the 99% of America that can't afford Healthcare? Where they get there idea that capitalism will see us through I honestly don't know. They have no heart. They have no brain. Hey! They could really use universal healthcare!

IMHO-2730490

Capitalism works for those that want to work, it's lazy butts like yourself that want socialism, so someone else can work to support you. You fricken lefties love socialism so much, move to China, North Korea, Venezuela, nobody is stopping you lazy morons. Those that can, do, those that can't become Democrats, liberals, progressives, socialist, communist and anti-American trash. Hey how's that lying anti-American piece of trash in the White House working out for you?

Guess you didn't take that class that explains what different political systems actually endorse. Read the book and come back when you know what you're talking about.

And this has nothing to do with Obamacare, it was collapsing long before it under the weight of rising costs and indigent patients. People do not consider that hospitals are required to care for patients who need emergency care. The costs are staggering.

Republicans bury themselves in self pity and greed, the have no clue what its like to be out there seeing it first hand.

You are both right. Well, Jan, I don't think all Republicans do that..and blue dog Democrats are wastes of space.

Congress buys coverage from an insurance exchange. I have the same plan as my postal carrier and Congressional Representative. This is another urban legend that needs to be debunked.

The first law that needs changing is the one requiring hospitals to treat deadbeats. Then we need a law requiring doctors and hospitals to publish their prices for services, and require them to charge the same amount to everyone, no sweetheart deals to one group or another. Then people can shop for medical services, same as they shop for anything else. Prices will tumble as we stop overusing medical services and doctors and hospitals have to compete for customers.