The Affordable Care Act

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

FWIW, Obamacare offers several levels of coverage with the lowest levels offering the highest deductibles and lowest premiums. Nothing new or novel there.

BS again. Health Saving Accounts were "new and novel". You can only contribute to such accounts if you have a qualified high deductible plan. Before 2002, such options were not available.

While I agree that single-payer would be far better, the fact remains that the GOP has never offered any serious plan that was able to garner political support that would improve things whatsoever.

Single payer is just another form of cost shifting and managed care, where the consumer has no skin in the game. it's "far better" than a sharp stick in the eye, I guess.

Deciding whether or not to have a smoke, drink or hike is quite a bit different type of health decision than deciding the most cost-effective treatment for complicated illnesses or injuries.

If you indeed practice what you preach, I have to assume you have advance notice of the full costs at all of your area hospitals for treating any injury or illness that will land you in the emergency room. If so, you're the only person in the nation that possesses such information. Similarly, if you know the cost vs. efficacy of every drug everyone in your family takes, you should be a lead researcher at NIH.

Lastly, the only way to somewhat accurately make these judgments is with the much-maligned-by-the-GOP "death panels," groups of experts who, through education and experience, have the experience/education to make such judgments.

BS, and more BS.

The "average" medical insurance plan has about a $1500 individual deductible, $3000 for a family. In an average plan year, less than 20% of participants in a typical insured group meet or exceed their deductible. That means that most folks covered under that group policy aren't treating for "complicated illnesses or injuries.". They are incurring costs more typically for scrpts and more routine medical services. That's where the opportunities for medical consumers to get engaged truly are.