Electoral arithmetic , the real reason behind "stop the steal"

[BillsFanNC]

22 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

uh huh

 

That's it?

 

Cmon man. You more than anyone else has to appreciate deflection.

[Orlando Buffalo]

1 hour ago, redtail hawk said:

uh huh.  So wouldn't a Canadian type system be better?  Does this make you satisfied with your premiums?  

The 80/20 Rule generally requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money they take in from premiums on health care costs and quality improvement activities. The other 20% can go to administrative, overhead, and marketing costs. The 80/20 rule is sometimes known as Medical Loss Ratio, or MLR.

 

Rate Review & the 80/20 Rule | HealthCare.gov

Your argument against too much govt interference in a private enterprise is total govt control? You also seem to think that govt doesn't have a huge administrative cost 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

49 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

Your argument against too much govt interference in a private enterprise is total govt control? You also seem to think that govt doesn't have a huge administrative cost 

I didn't argue against too much govt interference.  I'm for single payor (gov't)  Insurance admin costs are only a fraction of excess costs.  hospital and clinics have to bill multiple insurance companies and individuals rather than 1 payor.  That's big money.  Could close whole departments in every office.  No more bad debts that cost shift like Carolina is c/o.  Also eliminate multi million dollar salaries of hospital and  insurance execs (those can just be removed).  oh, direct negotiation with drug companies and a national formulary also will drop prices like a stone overnight

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Orlando Buffalo]

16 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

I didn't argue against too much govt interference.  I'm for single payor (gov't)  Insurance admin costs are only a fraction of excess costs.  hospital and clinics have to bill multiple insurance companies and individuals rather than 1 payor.  That's big money.  Could close whole departments in every office.  No more bad debts that cost shift like Carolina is c/o.  Also eliminate multi million dollar salaries of hospital and  insurance execs (those can just be removed).  oh, direct negotiation with drug companies and a national formulary also will drop prices like a stone overnight

 

https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/news-room/news/item/06-06-2022-united-kingdom-s-redistributive-health-system-faces-major-challenges#:~:text=For example%2C persistent inequalities in,waiting lists for elective care.

 

I must ask what business you work in? Your beliefs are beyond messed up and from some fantasy world. You think many hospital execs get paid millions? You think many insurance execs get millions? As for medication costs you think insurance companies don't try to drive down the cost? 

 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

1 hour ago, Orlando Tim said:

https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/news-room/news/item/06-06-2022-united-kingdom-s-redistributive-health-system-faces-major-challenges#:~:text=For example%2C persistent inequalities in,waiting lists for elective care.

 

I must ask what business you work in? Your beliefs are beyond messed up and from some fantasy world. You think many hospital execs get paid millions? You think many insurance execs get millions? As for medication costs you think insurance companies don't try to drive down the cost? 

 

retired physician.  co owned a multi specialty practice for years.  later an employee in a big system.

 

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty's 2021 compensation package: Salary: $1,450,769. Stock awards: $10,781,573. Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $2,550,000

https://www.comparably.com/companies/aetna/executive-salaries

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/ohio-hospital-chief-executive-officers-earning-huge-paychecks-bonuses

3.28 million

The highest-paid Allegheny Health Network employee in 2021 was president and CEO Cynthia Hundorfean, who received $3.28 million in total compensation. 

https://paddockpost.com/2019/07/10/executive-compensation-at-geisinger-system-services/

btw, the number of hospital administrators has skyrocketed in the last decade.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for healthcare executives, administrators and managers will grow at a projected rate of 32% between 2020 and 2030. This is substantially higher than the 8% growth rate that the BLS projects for the labor market as a whole.  Lots of pigs at the trough.  Most have little or no impact on patient care.  It's all about the money

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Orlando Buffalo]

11 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

retired physician.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty's 2021 compensation package: Salary: $1,450,769. Stock awards: $10,781,573. Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $2,550,000

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/ohio-hospital-chief-executive-officers-earning-huge-paychecks-bonuses

3.28 million

The highest-paid Allegheny Health Network employee in 2021 was president and CEO Cynthia Hundorfean, who received $3.28 million in total compensation. 

btw, the number of hospital administrators have skyrocketed in the last decade.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for healthcare executives, administrators and managers will grow at a projected rate of 32% between 2020 and 2030. This is substantially higher than the 8% growth rate that the BLS projects for the labor market as a whole.  Lots of pigs at the trough.

I did not realize that many people at regional healthcare places made that kind of money. As for the large companies the top few guys make a killing and it drops quickly after. But you point out that since Obamacare has been introduced the administration cost have skyrocketed, which was a feature not a glitch so they could push single payer. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

21 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

I did not realize that many people at regional healthcare places made that kind of money. As for the large companies the top few guys make a killing and it drops quickly after. But you point out that since Obamacare has been introduced the administration cost have skyrocketed, which was a feature not a glitch so they could push single payer. 

It's not a function of obamacare.  It's a function of making money.  As I said, the administrators have almost nothing to do with patient care.  In fact, mostly they get in the way and are not liked by clinicians and worsen care to pad profits (eg midlevels doing stuff they have no business doing cuz they're cheaper).  btw, "drops quickly" is subjective- average aetna exec salary =$230k- how many do you think they have?  Go single payer and most of this goes away (sadly not midlevels- part of the reason I go concierge).  100's of millions of dollars a year.  hell there's 18 mil in just the CEO's salary for 2 insurance companies alone.  A few MBA's getting rich off the sick.  A colleague of mine once reminded me that these asshats were partying at their frats while we (Docs) were in the library.

Edited January 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Orlando Buffalo]

40 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

It's not a function of obamacare.  It's a function of making money.  As I said, the administrators have almost nothing to do with patient care.  In fact, mostly they get in the way and are not liked by clinicians and worsen care to pad profits (eg midlevels doing stuff they have no business doing cuz they're cheaper).  btw, "drops quickly" is subjective- average aetna exec salary =$230k- how many do you think they have?  Go single payer and most of this goes away (sadly not midlevels- part of the reason I go concierge).  100's of millions of dollars a year.  hell there's 18 mil in just the CEO's salary for 2 insurance companies alone.  A few MBA's getting rich off the sick.  A colleague of mine once reminded me that these asshats were partying at their frats while we (Docs) were in the library.

Our disagreement is in how to solve the high cost without losing the quality, you think government will be effective while I can show how the VA and Medicaid aren't great. To improve cost encourage competition, but my biggest question is when the national debt finally actually forces cuts do you think govt will cut their employees or benefits?

[Joe Ferguson forever]

58 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

Our disagreement is in how to solve the high cost without losing the quality, you think government will be effective while I can show how the VA and Medicaid aren't great. To improve cost encourage competition, but my biggest question is when the national debt finally actually forces cuts do you think govt will cut their employees or benefits?

i think that if the US starts defaulting on debt, the entire world is screwed.  I also think more revenue from high earners will be necessary to expand medicare for all.  money to fund it can also come from corporations and even small biz that are now spending huge bucks to insure employees (that may cover most if not all of it).  That direct cost will go away making doing business in the US cheaper (assuming overall savings on healthcare costs for reasons already given).  As far as the VA, some have excellent quality.  I know several top docs who left the private sector to work there.  Show up at a hospital and need inpatient care and there's no better insurance than medicaid for out of pocket cost so it works pretty well too.  btw, both have drug formularies that don't limit care imo-plenty of choices at huge savings.  I don't see quality decreasing with single payor.  Good clinicians are quitting in droves under the current bureaucratic corporate systems.  It can't get much worse.  there a few winners in the current system x those i've mentioned.

Edited January 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Joe Ferguson forever]

So the discussion has drifted into healthcare.  Spontaneity is cool with me.  And healthcare will be a huge issue in future elections so seems appropriate to me.  Here's another tidbit on how screwed up the system is now:  https://dnyuz.com/2023/01/28/how-a-drug-company-made-114-billion-by-gaming-the-u-s-patent-system/  It impacts your premiums.  Costing us all money.

Again, only a few winners in it.  many, many losers.

Edited January 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Orlando Buffalo]

1 hour ago, redtail hawk said:

i think that if the US starts defaulting on debt, the entire world is screwed.  I also think more revenue from high earners will be necessary to expand medicare for all.  money to fund it can also come from corporations and even small biz that are now spending huge bucks to insure employees (that may cover most if not all of it).  That direct cost will go away making doing business in the US cheaper (assuming overall savings on healthcare costs for reasons already given).  As far as the VA, some have excellent quality.  I know several top docs who left the private sector to work there.  Show up at a hospital and need inpatient care and there's no better insurance than medicaid for out of pocket cost so it works pretty well too.  btw, both have drug formularies that don't limit care imo-plenty of choices at huge savings.  I don't see quality decreasing with single payor.  Good clinicians are quitting in droves under the current bureaucratic corporate systems.  It can't get much worse.  there a few winners in the current system x those i've mentioned.

I didn't say default I said cuts, and they are coming within the next 10 years or within 15 we will be in default. Your point that things need to improve is accepted, your statement that quality will not decrease under government control is incorrect. I appreciate your engagement and hope to do it again on another topic but I think we have exhausted our topic.

[Tommy Callahan]

10 hours ago, redtail hawk said:

i think that if the US starts defaulting on debt, the entire world is screwed.  I also think more revenue from high earners will be necessary to expand medicare for all.  money to fund it can also come from corporations and even small biz that are now spending huge bucks to insure employees (that may cover most if not all of it).  That direct cost will go away making doing business in the US cheaper (assuming overall savings on healthcare costs for reasons already given).  As far as the VA, some have excellent quality.  I know several top docs who left the private sector to work there.  Show up at a hospital and need inpatient care and there's no better insurance than medicaid for out of pocket cost so it works pretty well too.  btw, both have drug formularies that don't limit care imo-plenty of choices at huge savings.  I don't see quality decreasing with single payor.  Good clinicians are quitting in droves under the current bureaucratic corporate systems.  It can't get much worse.  there a few winners in the current system x those i've mentioned.

some argue that just allowing people to purchase Medicare would become the low-cost government option.  Both Helping to make that program flush. and to lower the insane insurance cost to this new market price.

 

 

[B-Man]

Never seems to follow up their ridiculous posts

 

On 7/2/2022 at 12:44 PM, Tiberius said:

 

Efforts such as the North Carolina and Pennsylvania suits are all part of a multifaceted effort to limit voting rights, said Douglas, at the University of Kentucky." 

 

 

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/03/18/contentious-fringe-legal-theory-could-reshape-state-election-laws

 

 

NC Supreme Court Hands Win to GOP on Redistricting, Voter ID

by Tom Ozimek

 

The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday handed a victory to the state’s Republican legislators by siding with a petition that asked the high court to rehear cases involving election maps and voter identification laws. In a vote along partisan lines, the state’s Supreme Court voted 5–2 to rehear the two cases in March—ones that North Carolina’s Republican legislature had previously lost. Two Republicans running for seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court in the November midterm election beat their Democrat opponents, flipping the composition of the court red for the first time since 2016.

 

https://www.theepochtimes.com/nc-supreme-court-hands-win-to-gop-on-redistricting-voter-id_5033977.html