Dr. Margaret Flowers: New health care law fails to make the grade

[Better Believe It]

Dr. Margaret Flowers: New health care law fails to make the grade
Dr. Flowers serves as congressional fellow for Physicians for a National Health Program. She is also a board member of Healthcare-Now.
The Cap Times
November 22, 2010

A growing number of people have insurance policies that require high co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. These “cost-sharing” measures are serious obstacles to getting care. The majority of people who go bankrupt from medical bills have insurance when they get sick. Private health insurance is like an umbrella that melts in the rain -- it may not be there when you need it most.

Sadly, the new federal health law fails to make the grade. Even the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 23 million people will still lack coverage in 2019 after the health legislation is fully implemented. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reports that health care costs will rise more quickly under the new law than if there had been no health bill.

A potent example of what to expect occurred when the recent provision preventing health insurers from denying new policies to children with pre-existing conditions kicked in. The day before this protection went into effect, insurers like WellPoint, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, Cigna and Humana announced that they would no longer offer new policies to individual children.

What can we conclude about the new legislation? It further enriches and empowers the very industries which are at the heart of the problem. As long as private insurers occupy a commanding role in our health system, we will never achieve universal or affordable care. Insurers make money by enrolling the healthy, screening out the sick, denying claims and raising premiums.

Read the full article at:

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/article_eda0df58-9679-5f14-8fed-d41921476906.html

[leftstreet]

1. Arrest that woman!

Oh...they already did

K&R

[xchrom]

2. Insurance companies will never become benign entities. Nt

[JuniperLea]

3. Margaret Flowers and her group are huge proponents of universal health care...

It behooves them to malign anything less... it helps their cause.

Of course the current health care is flawed in comparison to universal health care. That's a no brainer. That doesn't, however, mean that incremental steps toward that end aren't happening and aren't the best way to go about this.

She was on Bill Moyers Journal... it was great.

[Better Believe It]

7. We seem to be making incremental steps toward a more expensive and lower quality health care system

The health insurance industry does not provide any value or useful contribution to health care.

None whatsoever.

[JuniperLea]

8. It's hard to say for sure just yet...

Most of the deal hasn't even been rolled out yet. It was just a week or so ago that the rule about 85% of the cost going to actual health care.

It really truly is too soon to tell.

[Better Believe It]

9. There already are exemptions to the rule about 85% of insurance costs going to actual health care!

Obama Administration loosens medical-loss ratio rules for "mini-med" health insurance policies!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9616963&mesg_id=9616963

[JuniperLea]

12. And you really believe that RW WSJ bullshit?

Really?

I cannot even read the WSJ anymore... it's sitting on my desk right now... and I hate that there is even an office subscription in my name. What a vile rag it's become since it last changed hands.

[EFerrari]

13. And that's a very good example of why mere regulation will not work. n/t

[ProudDad]

15. PNHP are huge proponents of Universal, Comprehensive

Effective Health Care...

NOT give-aways to insurance corporations, drug dealers (PhRMA) and medical equipment manufacturing corporations (G.E., etc.) that WILL NOT provide Health Care nor cover everyone who needs to be covered.

There's no "maligning" necessary, the bill will fall flat without any help from us once it's realized that it's NOT a "step toward" Universal care...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Not to worry. They're going to "fix" it...some day...maybe..if they have the votes..

..enough dry powder..when mallards moo..

[Better Believe It]

11. When cows fly.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. dupe

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Too early to judge IMHO

It doesn't all kick in until 2014 (assuming, of course, Obama wins re-election in 2012), so judging it on the basis of as-yet-to-be-completed implementation is way too premature IMHO.

[EFerrari]

14. In 2014, I'll be 59 and will have had zero health care in my 50s.

That's enough information to make an educated guess, I think.

[BlueIris]

10. K&R. nt

[Winterblues]

16. All I can say to this is .....Duhhhh

:shrug: What we all have been saying here for over a Decade....