EDITORIAL: Tuesday’s Republican health care plan is different but no better
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Ironically, many of the losers would be Trump voters, low-income adults who don't qualify for
Lower subsidies mean that some working class adults would be priced out of the insurance market.
"We just had an election about the working class," said conservative columnist
"We learned that a lot of people are out of the job market, the social fabric is frayed, so the lesson is pay attention and help these people.
"The
By going after
The
The
The potential impact on safety net hospitals like UF Health Jacksonville could be devastating.
Unfortunately, there is not an estimate from the nonpartisan
Under Obamacare, older Americans were being subsidized by younger Americans. Under Obamacare's rules, insurers can't charge older people more than three times the rate of young people. The
But without subsidies to compensate, older Americans will be priced out of all but catastrophic policies.
As he added, "Half the country will hate it, just a different half."
RIGHT WAY
Republican options are limited by trying to avoid the 60-vote threshold needed in the
But a bipartisan approach is needed for any bill that affects one-sixth of the economy.
How can we deal with the costs and affordability of health care?
Any proposal will have to make some compromises. You can't have low cost, high quality and universal coverage. Something has to give.
One proposal was found on these pages from a physician-financial planner from
She would take the same funding used for
Good primary care is needed to deal with the minority of patients with chronic disease who are so costly to treat.
Much of it came from home health care services, which have been easily exploited by criminal enterprises.
One example of fraud was an assisted living facility that received kickbacks for referring patients to a specific pharmacy. The pharmacy owner was sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay back more than
Because
As the saying goes, if you've seen one
BUSINESSES STEP UP
Many Americans still receive their health insurance through their employers.
As analyst
After all, one person's waste is another's profit.
One hopeful sign comes from a
The group will use its clout to purchase prescription drugs, create specialized physician networks and use the Watson software from
Companies would gain more access to cost data on prescription drugs along with guaranteed rebates.
Computers could even predict which employees are likely to develop diseases like diabetes and recommend preventative action.
The businesses are not waiting for government to get its act together. But that sort of action is needed so that everyone can benefit from these efficiencies.
Frankly there is enough data about cost and quality to improve both in health care. It probably will take business to show the way.
Winners: Young, those with higher incomes and those living in areas with low health insurance costs.
Losers: Older Americans with low incomes who live in high-cost areas.
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