– The one chart that proves Obamacare really is working (for the fascists) (ZeroHedge, April 14, 2015):
With the election cycle starting up again, we are going to be bombarded more and more with propaganda like this: 7 Charts That Prove Obamacare Is Working
I submit to you that, below, is the one chart that proves Obamacare really is working (for the fascists).
Since the Obama administration began pushing the healthcare reform bill in early 2009, the stock prices of the Big Five health insurers have done remarkably well, even vs. the S&P 500, and even without taking into account their phenomenal dividend yields.
Question: How many patients did Cigna, BCBS (Anthem), Aetna, United Healthcare, or Cigna diagnose or treat last month? Last year?
Answer: Zero.
Read my article from last year: You have health insurance, but you cannot afford surgery? You should have bought HUM stock.
These are insurance companies…they are by definition intermediaries…not medical providers. They don’t diagnose or treat anyone. They make money only by receiving premium payments, investing these payments, and by minimizing the physician reimbursements they make to the providers that actually provide healthcare.
The insurance companies and their captured regulatory body, CMS, set the prices paid to doctors, not the providers. The doctors have essentially zero negotiating power. In fact, the fee schedule attached to the physician’s contracts with the insurance companies is usually blank. No shit. Just think about the hubris of that for a while. Some large hospitals may have a little bit of negotiating power, in smaller markets, but not much.
In fact, the Senate is set to vote on a bill, H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. Though H.R. 2 was overwhelmingly passed in the House by a vote of 392 to 37, the Senate delayed its vote. If the Senate does not act before April 15 when the CMS will no longer hold claims, it will result in a 21 percent cut to physician reimbursements for Medicare, which will then rapidly reduce insurance company expenses when they follow suit by reducing their fee schedules, accordingly, but mark my words, if this happens it will not lower premiums, only raise the stock prices of the insurance companies.
So, the next time your congressman tells you that he is working to help reduce healthcare costs, ask the fascist how his Cigna stock is doing, and remember that the only surefire way to dramatically reduce healthcare costs is to remove the middlemen and allow market forces to return to healthcare.
Don’t agree with me? Try this. Call three local mechanics and ask how much an engine diagnosis and tune up costs. You will likely receive three prices over the phone to compare. No intermediary. Next, call three doctors and ask how much an examination, x-ray, and any simple procedure like a complete blood test costs. Good luck! If mechanics can have transparent and affordable market pricing, then so can doctors, but only without the intermediaries.
I have just found the drugs I have been receiving for my spinal condition……which is fatal…….are no longer going to be available to me or anyone being treated for pain………….not just one of the drugs………..three of the four………..
I had a stroke about 2 weeks ago……….a bad one…………and now I have to deal with excessive pain on top of the injuries I sustained from the stroke…………..it is pure insanity. Obamacare truly sucks………..I knew this would happen…………..people suffering from excessive pain, regardless of the source, will no longer be given drugs for pain………….it isn’t good for us, you see?
We now have to visit a primary care doctor to get medications for the most basic of needs………….no pain drugs………….this madness will drive a lot of people into the black market………….the drugs cost 10X more that way………
A friend of mine called yesterday……..he was informed he had to pick a primary care doctor immediately, or be assigned one. He got one, and had to visit one by a given date or else……………
These are just a couple of short stories…………
This is just the beginning……………………
To Marilyn,
Just saw your comment.
I will reply later.
Best,
I.U.
Dear Marilyn,
When I studied acupuncture in China we were treating many patients with stroke, incl. really bad strokes.
Acupuncture correctly applied works miracles.
In fact there were many western doctors that couldn’t believe their own eyes how successful acupuncture was.
When coming back from China I treated my grandfather who had cancer that has spread from the prostate to the bones with acupunture.
With the treatment he was able to stop using the morphine(which his stomach couldn’t tolerate).
Back then I was very young and did not know how to cure cancer. Now I know much, much more.
And when I offered you my help, I was hoping being able to help you to get well again, like this lady:
– Carla Shuford: 54-Year Bone Cancer Survivor
However, I totally respect that you did not just want to get well, only to die from Fukushima radiation later on (still having to live in this increasingly mad world).
As much as I (and many others) would like you to live up to at least 100 years (without pain and suffering), enjoying your knowledge, analysis, opinion and company, I deeply respect your choice to not want to live much longer.
If you want to send me an email and let me know how the stroke is affecting you, then maybe we can figure out a way to help you to improve your condition and also reduce the pain.
Having suffered a stroke this might be difficult or impossible…
… but there are other things you could do to improve your condition and to reduce the pain.
In this book you’ll find all you need to know about coffee enemas and the Gerson Therapy:
–The Gerson Therapy: The Proven Nutritional Program for Cancer and Other Illnesses
One of several reasons why the Gerson Therapy is so effective is that it uses relatively high doses of iodine:
This is from a Gerson lecture:
Best,
I.U.