August 05, 2010
— Dave in Texas Gee you'd think with thousands of pages of legislation, the Congress might have actually gotten around to defining "health care services".
You'd be dead wrong about that (see what I did there?)
No wonder Missourians rebelled, as with voters in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia last year. There will be more such what-have-they-done ObamaCare moments. Wait until the public discovers the government is now literally determining what qualifies as "health care" in America.That isn't a typo. ObamaCare mandates that insurers spend a certain percentage of premium dollars on benefits, but Democrats never got around to writing the fine print of what counts as a benefit. So a handful of regulators are now choosing among the tens of thousands of services that doctors, hospitals and insurers offer. Few other government decisions will do more to shape tomorrow's health market, or what's left of it.
There are two parts to this. One is the MLR, the "medical loss ratio", the ratio of the amount of money paid out in claims (losses) over the amount of money taken in for premiums. This has been wisely established at 85% for large employers and 80% for small businesses. That target had to come from the Post Office, or maybe USDA. No one knows how to improve "benefits of services" against "cost to perform" like the federal bureacracy. If there's a nickel's worth of work you can get out of a dollar, they will by God get around to it. Eventually.
The other part, and this will kill you (haha I did it again!), is what services actually are defined as "medical treatment".
Currently: none. We've got top men on it. Top. Men.
Yesterday almost one million Americans in Missouri voted on whether their legislature should amend state law to nullify the individual mandate and push back against the federal health care cartel. And over 70 percent of them said "hell yes".
Granny Rictus had it half right, sometimes you have to pass a bill just so you know what's not in it too.
Posted by: Dave in Texas at
06:08 PM
| Comments (76)
Post contains 361 words, total size 2 kb.
Posted by: Just Another Poster at August 05, 2010 06:11 PM (HAdov)
Is there any doubt that our 'ruling elites' aren't near as smart as they think they are, and they are hideously overreaching? Bureaucrats are merely men, but convinced of their own matchless capabilities to master everything they can conceive of.
Reality has proved this wrong through all of human history, but that hubris continues with the belief that they are the ones we were waiting for...
Posted by: nickless at August 05, 2010 06:13 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: Bikermailman at August 05, 2010 06:15 PM (dIE9+)
Posted by: Dave in Texas at August 05, 2010 06:18 PM (Wh0W+)
Posted by: JSchuler at August 05, 2010 06:19 PM (yKEQc)
Posted by: Ira at August 05, 2010 06:19 PM (W6bJb)
Headline at Drudge: Postal Service loses $3.5 Billion...concerned about future liquidity.
Posted by: Guy Fawkes at August 05, 2010 06:20 PM (yT8z7)
from GatewayPundit:
McCaskill, however, makes the point that people “don’t realize” how beneficial the “mandate” for health care will be. “A lot of noise about the mandate that people have gotten so focused on that they don’t realize that there’s going to be more access and affordability and more choices,” she said.
Larry/Goebbels: The people are saying --
Moe/Hitler: I do not care what the people say.
Posted by: Ira at August 05, 2010 06:26 PM (W6bJb)
Posted by: SomeSay the Strawmarian at August 05, 2010 06:27 PM (V/EYZ)
Posted by: Ira at August 05, 2010 06:27 PM (W6bJb)
I work for a health insurance company and we've been banging our heads against the wall as to how to implement this health insurance reform bill. It's a shitstorm of a bunch of disjointed ideas and stupid, stupid plans.
It's a horrid bill and only confirms my theory that people in the government are either profoundly stupid or illiterate. Or both....
Posted by: specious at August 05, 2010 06:27 PM (5WNX2)
“A lot of noise about the mandate that people have gotten so focused on that they don’t realize that there’s going to be more access and affordability and more choices,”
Well, gee, you stupid bitch, maybe we'd be more aware of all that sweet sweet goodness in Obamacare if you mandarin kleptocrats hadn't buried it in 2,300 pages of lobbyist-written bullshit that you didn't even read.
Posted by: VJay at August 05, 2010 06:31 PM (Q/RCp)
Posted by: Obama at August 05, 2010 06:31 PM (V/EYZ)
Posted by: Obama at August 05, 2010 06:33 PM (V/EYZ)
I usually go with darts or tarot cards in those situations.
Posted by: Guy Fawkes at August 05, 2010 06:36 PM (yT8z7)
Posted by: Obama at August 05, 2010 06:38 PM (V/EYZ)
Dealbreaker refers to DI on this story too and then wonders if this has anything to do in relation to the above.
"It's a Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie, quintessentially American, unmistakeably Christmas. It is the only movie I recommend if you want to have a good cry. Never ever had a guy watch, who didn't ball like a baby afterward.
Posted by: . at August 05, 2010 06:41 PM (p302b)
Posted by: mesablue at August 05, 2010 06:43 PM (AUndp)
Our Revolution is the Original, badass motherfucker that, so far, has ended the reigns of Kings, Fascists, Communists, and Dictators by the score.
You will be a novelty, but not missed.
Posted by: Unfrozen Fozzilized Media at August 05, 2010 06:44 PM (hCQG5)
Posted by: Obama at August 05, 2010 06:44 PM (V/EYZ)
Posted by: . at August 05, 2010 06:48 PM (p302b)
Posted by: Dr. Spank at August 05, 2010 06:48 PM (xO+6C)
Posted by: . at August 05, 2010 06:49 PM (p302b)
Posted by: Cocaine-Addled Monkeys at August 05, 2010 06:50 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: . at August 05, 2010 06:56 PM (p302b)
Posted by: Obama at August 05, 2010 06:57 PM (V/EYZ)
Yes. They're claiming they've the right to do this extending from the power to tax.
BTW: Did you know there's no standard for electronic medical records, even from hospital to hospital within the same city? Sometimes docs can't tell where to look for the info to save your life, or cannot access it due to systems differences, or important info is locked behind passwords nobody has.
But, the bill mandates your records will go electronic anyway.
Posted by: Unfrozen Fozzilized Media at August 05, 2010 07:00 PM (hCQG5)
BTW, did you know that the AMA runs that Current Procedural Terminology system--you know, the one that ZeroCare mandates--and because it is trademarked and licensed, they make money every time one of their medical codes is sent to someone and that they really don't give a flying fuck how many doctors are AMA members because they're making their change off those codes?
Posted by: azlibertarian at August 05, 2010 07:22 PM (zw1gy)
Death by regulation. Not yours necessarily but the nation's. The Executive has overpowered the Legislative and made it impotent because the legislators refuse to reign in this rogue Presidency. And who would be surprised? Pelosi-Reid are equally rogue.
This is all by design.
Our national nightmare continues.
Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at August 05, 2010 07:26 PM (swuwV)
We can complain all we want now, but we're f**ked once a majority of the population starts getting a big subsidy to purchase government-mandated insurance.
The leftists are going to hook low-middle class citizens on the subsidy - they're counting on a slow decline in the quality of care as rationing gradually sets in.
If Republicans don't repeal this monstrosity as soon as they have the ability, the toad's going to get cooked in the pot.
Posted by: stickety at August 05, 2010 07:27 PM (EsWC3)
Posted by: Beasty Boys at August 05, 2010 07:46 PM (mSNsp)
Posted by: Team America at August 05, 2010 07:59 PM (SwkdU)
Posted by: mesablue at August 05, 2010 08:02 PM (AUndp)
This is actually a really big deal. My sister works for WellPoint and is one of those nurses that staffs a patient hotline and does outreach to encourage patients to get preventive care. These people undoubtedly help patients get better care and they save money by allowing patients to get answers and treatment suggestions and often to avoid unnecessary and costly emergency room visits. But they are not actually providing health care. If the government rules that these nurse hotlines are not compensable health services, my sister and all the nurses like her will lose their jobs, and patient health will actually get WORSE and cost MORE.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? But we are talking about government here.
Posted by: rockmom at August 05, 2010 08:08 PM (w/gVZ)
Apparently a little frustrated at her job.
Posted by: YIKES! at August 05, 2010 08:08 PM (x+k6q)
That process of job layoffs in medical field especially in hospitalsis on going right now because of Oclusterfuck care.
I dodged a bullit from the latest rounds.
Posted by: YIKES! at August 05, 2010 08:13 PM (x+k6q)
Expect many similar announcements as the Obama bureaucracy decides what is best for patients, doctors, nurses, drug-makers, and medical device and service providers.
I suggest all businesses - retail and otherwise - devise some promotion to give away something - anything - for free on Election Day. That will surely divert many of the parasitic Democratic voters, who would rather spend the day standing in line for a handout than going to vote instead.
Posted by: Adjoran at August 05, 2010 10:23 PM (VfmLu)
Posted by: Kohl at August 05, 2010 11:23 PM (0waZf)
Posted by: Damn Sockpuppet at August 05, 2010 11:59 PM (/m1En)
It's a horrid bill and only confirms my theory that people in the government are either profoundly stupid or illiterate. Or both....
Posted by: specious at August 05, 2010 10:27 PM (5WNX2)
There's a third option.
they make money every time one of their medical
codes is sent to someone and that they really don't give a flying fuck
how many doctors are AMA members because they're making their change off
those codes?
Posted by: azlibertarian at August 05, 2010 11:22 PM (zw1gy)
The AMA is a RICO. They're the ultimate corrupt union that has managed to get the government to give them power over others, members or not. They've probably done more to harm patients than help.
If the government rules that these nurse hotlines are not compensable health services, my sister and all the nurses like her will lose their jobs, and patient health will actually get WORSE and cost MORE.
Posted by: rockmom at August 06, 2010 12:08 AM (w/gVZ)They're creating an agency for that. They don't want to risk any unexpected changes in the employment trends. After all, if they're going to take over health care entirely, why not get started now?
Besides, they can't risk someone being given un-approved advice, some patient might enjoy their life instead of living in mortal fear of salt, and that would be a tragedy.
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at August 06, 2010 02:24 AM (bxiXv)
Posted by: curious at August 06, 2010 04:50 AM (p302b)
Posted by: Vic at August 06, 2010 05:09 AM (/jbAw)
Posted by: curious at August 06, 2010 05:12 AM (p302b)
and this: "UGLY: 131K Jobs Lost In July, Stocks Heading Lower "
and this: "Romer To Leave White House"
Posted by: curious at August 06, 2010 05:12 AM (p302b)
Posted by: Vic at August 06, 2010 05:13 AM (/jbAw)
Did we all miss something?
Posted by: curious at August 06, 2010 05:14 AM (p302b)
Posted by: curious at August 06, 2010 05:15 AM (p302b)
Only problem is that the clothes must cost less than $100.00.
Posted by: Vic at August 06, 2010 05:16 AM (/jbAw)
Posted by: Vic at August 06, 2010 05:18 AM (/jbAw)
Posted by: ed at August 06, 2010 05:40 AM (Urhve)
Posted by: ed at August 06, 2010 05:44 AM (Urhve)
Posted by: publicserf at August 06, 2010 07:44 AM (2XcgL)
Posted by: Tongueboy at August 06, 2010 08:21 AM (U1Ib2)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at August 06, 2010 11:12 AM (lVO0g)
Posted by: bill-tb at August 08, 2010 04:33 AM (y+QfZ)
Posted by: taoruankeji at August 11, 2010 05:53 PM (MQ8Pt)
¡¡｡･ﾟ･¡Ã) Posted by: rmt at June 17, 2011 06:08 AM (HBYXu)
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It's much better to just turn things over to government bureaucrats.
What's the worst that could happen?
Posted by: DrewM. at August 05, 2010 06:00 PM (X/Lqh)