Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alighieri who wrote (833670)	2/1/2015 12:11:42 PM
From: i-node	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1577143

>> We won't fix the cost problem until we get control over the crazy and wildly varying costs of health care in the US. Right, because, after all, food and cars pricing vary wildly and and THAT is a huge problem. The problems with American health care costs were diagnosed years ago. And not one single thing was done about it in the ACA. Not one thing. We have known for decades about cost-shifting as a result of Medicare and Medicaid and that it is a central cause of price increases. We have known for decades that government price controls don't work and consistently wreck markets, but government has imposed idiotic price controls on 1/2 of the multi-trillion dollar health care system since 1965. Coincidentally, right about the time costs actually started to become a problem. We have seen for decades that patients having no "skin in the game" causes health care to be vastly more expensive than otherwise. When Medicare Part D GAVE them skin in the game they suddenly became aware of generic drugs and started making the effort to use them instead of brands. What does the ACA do? Eliminate the skin in the game in Medicare Part D. Just stupid. >> As for your comment on nurses providing care in place of a doctor, the health care delivery system had been moving in the direction of NPs and PAs LONG before Obamacare came along...and this had been viewed as a beneficial step in costs controls for low risk medical care....now it's fertile ground for political attacks. I have no problem with midlevel providers. But I do question the ways in which they're being used. I work with a clinic who has put in a midlevel provider who does nothing but allergy procedures. I'm sure she's good at it; but in her first several months she ginned out $350K in allergy tests other fees. I'm sure that work was needed but I'm not sure it contributes cutting costs. The reality is that it is seen as necessary by the clinic to remain profitable in a world of ACA. Other NPs at this tiny practice (there are 3 in all) handle exclusively Peds and Medicaids. This doctor knows what he has to do to make money. But it is not pretty.