Posted on 11/12/2016 4:19:09 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
After reiterating his promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he may keep two of the law’s most popular provisions. One is straightforward enough — children up to the age of 26 being allowed to stay on their parents’ plan. The other — preventing insurance companies from denying coverage because of preexisting conditions — offers a perfect illustration of why Trump and most of the other Republicans critics of Obamacare don’t understand the health insurance market.
Let’s say that in the beautiful new world of “repeal and replace,” insurers are required to sell you insurance despite the fact that your kid has a brain tumor. Insurance companies know what to do with that. Their actuaries can calculate that kids with brain tumors typically require (I’m making this number up) about $200,000 a year in medical care. So they’ll offer to sell you a policy at an annual premium of $240,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Good point.
As we know, no body knows when they’ll come down with a catastrophic illness.
If we could predict it for certain, both life and the resulting impact upon our budget would get a lot easier.
How about just repeal it and forget the replacement part?
Start with no provisions for illegals and able bodied scum unwilling to work.
I’ve known this for a very long time. This whole discovery by WaPo is designed to discourage Trump’s supporters before the fight to implement his agenda takes place. They truly fear him.
Which defeats the purpose of HRP.
Then the taxpayers pick up the tab.
Since they’ll do it any way, make Medicaid the catastrophic provider of last resort.
Medicaid has income limits. The people getting Obamacare subsidies are those who made too much for Medicaid and too little to afford insurance on their own.
Every one else but seniors (covered by Medicare) will be allowed to buy the kind of health insurance, when they want it.
Assuming they can afford it.
The reason costs are so high; is because providers participate in a practice known as "cost shifting"...where paying customers (patients and insurance carriers) are being gouged to pay for all the "free healthcare" they have to provide.
That practice should be banned, and some other funding mechanism initialized.
The hospitals face losses from "charity care"...unpaid co-pays and insufficient reimbursement from medicaid. That is usually at a level below the hospital's cost.
Like PJ O'Rourke once said: "If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it's free".
You have to have a mechanism. We have to have a way to cover pre-existing conditions. Perhaps if the Republicans had done the smallest of things when they were in power we wouldn’t have had this whole mess. They have to figure it out and I am sure they will.
well, FRiend, the word “replacement” has been used. that genie is out of the bottle. but there’s no reason to rush any replacement. he’s got 4 years at a minimum.
Donald Trump has already said he will handle this with High Risk Pools as in the past.
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Exactly, We went through this in Florida with homeowners insurance. There was no insurance company that would offer insurance to homes in certain areas after multiple hurricanes.
The Florida Legislature established a not-for-profit insurer of last resort. It did cost 25% more. However, it did a good job and filled a desperate need.
The Washington Post is on it’s knees praying to Satan that Trump will not be successful.
My Lord is omnipotent, and He watches out for His children who are loyal to Him.
Trump will be blessed as will the nation.
Isn't that what Obamacare is doing? And what about people who live in states who don't offer high-risk pools? What do they do?
That’s got to be cheaper than what we are subsiding now...
Probably not. In the past high-risk pools provided minimal, specific coverage with high deductibles and high premiums. Which makes sense if you think about it. A pool of people all with serious health issues and who will be making multiple, expensive claims against their coverage? That's an expensive proposition under any circumstances.
Does anyone ever listen to what Trump says.
He clearly said he does not want to leave people without the ability to have some form of health coverage.
The debate will be how to accomplish this after repealing Obamacare.
Kid until 26?
That is so f’n insulting and ridiculous.
What happened to our personal responsibilities?
I would be mad as hell if I was 18 or older and had to be covered on “ daddy’s” insurance until I was 26.
Grow the hell up and be responsible for yourself.
Income limits for Medicaid can be raised.
If we do away with Obamacare and its regulations that restrict competition and consumer choice, premiums should come down.
If we don’t do that, we’re headed for single payer within a decade.
Yes, but if you have cancer, or have had open heart surgery, or do you weigh 400 pounds and smoke, then you are high risk. Why should someone with a common condition, such as minor and asymptomatic atrial fib, or type two diabetes not requiring insulin, or perhaps a history of chronic migraines . . . why should such people also be forced into the high risk pool. If you leave it to the insurance companies, they will be. And in the past, so if insurance was very expensive. It makes no sense to put all people with some form of condition, mild or severe, in the same pool, as if they are lepers. If all people with whatever condition are in the same general pool the risk is spread more evenly and efficiently.
They do NOT know anything, none of the MSM does, Trump has a ‘freeze’ on anything going out unless he releases it himself...I have been following this all day...
The lying, cheating, stealing corrupted MSM have nothing to talk about concerning Trump and what he is doing except what they make up...
Do you have a direct line to Trump to know what is happening? I don't and I worked on his campaign both nationally and locally for a year!!!
People are not houses.
My understanding is that they compete within the states where they do business, but pools, premiums, etc., are calculated down to zip code precision. That is not what I meant by interstate competition. Not my area of expertise, I grant.
So how do you think he'll accomplish it?
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