Michael F. Cannon discusses health care costs on CNN

[TimeWarp66]

Nancy Pelosi is a disturbingly disgusting wench.

[032125]

Pelosi makes me throw up a little in my mouth every time I see her face. I know that's visceral and irrational, but I can't help it.

[smkuhner]

hahahahah me too

[CountArtha]

When businesses are fighting for their lives like this, somethings got to give. Would you rather they keep benefits as they are and cut wages instead? Or how about they increase benefits AND wages and just lay off a few thousand people?

[Joem734]

The Government has a track record when it comes to cost, and it isn't good.

VERY wrong about the cost of Medicare.

VERY wrong about the cost of Medicaid.

But don't worry, Obama says it will be awesome!!!

[ForTehNguyen]

lowers costs when it costs $1.2T at a minimum with 13 new taxes LOL. Govt has never lowered costs on anything

[Elasaltaculos]

That Pelosi bitch looks so pleased with herself. She can jam her healthcare bill up her wrinkled ass, fucking crypt keeping vote whore

[ancjr]

Sometimes I think the underlying goal of this regime is to completely exhaust the willpower and patience of those that rationally oppose it.

[whoo689]

States with single-payer may LOOK like they're containing costs, but they're not.  Prices are the only thing that's lower. Costs are still high, but people who are pricing things or determining costs don't get compensated fairly. This is inefficient. It leads to RATIONING, fellow liberals. Don't believe that nonsense that a gov't system somehow "contains" costs. It doesn't. It just doesn't pay the people who need compensation enough, and gov't is the one running shit, so it's in charge.

[whoo689]

Insurance doesn't cost a lot merely because of "greedy insurers" who want to fatten their pockets. It doesn't work that way. There are A LOT of costs and complex calculations that go into insuring people. Reducing copays isn't always about increasing executive pay. I mean, I'm pretty sure the regulators would notice that by now and have fined or brought companies that did that to court. Yet you Democrats think you know better, automatically assuming high costs are due to "greed"? Please..

[Frumibandersnatch]

Yup, While profits across our economy run an average of a little over 5%. as I understand it, insurance averages about 2.2%. I can not source those numbers but that is what I understand.

[t80tank20]

You are correct. Medical insurance companies average a 2.2% profit margin. Meaning that if they decided to not proift from their plans, the costs would still be sky high with very little drop.

[Frumibandersnatch]

Those greedy corperate mother f*#@ers huh?

[t80tank20]

lol. If only the media and Obama would talk about the insurance companies' profit margins and the effect (none) it would have on them not making a profit. Of course they have to make people love the gov't and hate the rich and big business

[whoo689]

This bill proposes a public option which will, yes, make things more affordable, but MORE insurance is not what we need. MORE insurance will increase moral hazard and no doubt raise costs b/c more people have to be treated. Higher demand but the supply will not be increased, not unless we have some HUGE product or technological breakthrough immediately after the bill's passage. It's economics 101, lefties! How can you ignore basic economics and pass this bill so ignorantly?

[whoo689]

That's why single-payer is such a dumbass system. It will increase moral hazard to the EXTREME! You don't think people in states like the UK or Canada overuse their doctors and hospitals? Get outta here. Of course they do! It's "free", isn't it? There's no reason to cut back or maintain your health. That's why increasing Medical Savings Accounts is so crucial. People are insulated from the costs because of insurance paying, which leads to them overusing it, which raises costs MORE.

[whoo689]

What Michael Cannon was saying is pure economics! That's it! How can he be "an idiot" for saying what just about every economist says would happen if you increase insurance for more costly people? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that more mandates, esp. those reducing how much people have to pay per year in copays while increasing the amount of high-cost people will raise costs indirectly. It's adverse selection 101, bonehead.

[Frumibandersnatch]

I did an inflation check on the web of that $7.oo that Ralph Cramden didn't want to pay and adjusted for iflation it account for about $58.oo today. but still! The left asks "we all pay mandatory auto insurance don't we?" but when you have your oil changed do you call Geico? Geico is only for catastrophies or at least a high cost repair. let's have doctors compete for the low hanging fruit.

[Frumibandersnatch]

I saw an episode of the Honymooners the other day, where Ralph didn't want to go to his annual check up because he didn't want to spend the $7.oo!!! and progressives say that we can't look to the past for answers. What the hell were they doin' back then!?!?!!

[MagnusIan]

Fuck you, Nancy Pelosi, and fuck all the idiots in D.C. who support the current healthcare system OR the new one proposed by Congress. The government already HAS its hand in healthcare. Why do you think it's so messed up?

[mrdoonbeg]

uh oh!

[whoo689]

Ooh, scary! Workers will have to pay an additional $10 at the doctor's office. Big fuckin deal. Christ. I HATE this employer-provided insurance nonsense. Besides, if you're covered by your employer, you have no freedom! You can only do what the plan says, as opposed to choosing your own plan.

[Pvtjamesryan2]

I got the flu. I went to the doctor today and it cost me $80. The doctor prescribed tamiflu which cost me $90 at the pharmacy.

I don't have Health Insurance coverage. If I did I would be paying over $200 a month. I seldom get sick and now that I am sick it cost me less than $200 and the way the health insurance coverage works is that you have to hit a $250 deductible before they even help you. So it would have cost me double to get better if I had Health Insurance.

[TracyII77]

Same here. Except I just spent $20 at the doctor and $25.00 for my antibiotics and prescription cough syrup. My insurance premiums would have been $350.00/month without even drug coverage.

And now you and I are going to be fined for not wasting our money on the insurance bureaucracy. So much for all the care about us uninsured Americans.

[chenchiheshang]

the guy in the last is such an idiot

[whoo689]

Who, Michael Cannon?  not so. You might wanna try READING his book "Healthy Competition." It has plenty of tips on how to improve our healthcare system by actually reintroducing true competition into the system, such as drug approval and recommendation, which is monopolized by the FDA and screws things up, although most people are unaware. Look up FDA Type I and Type II errors. They're quite common.

[whoo689]

@chenchiheshang Of course, if we follow your left-wing loony non-economic logic, we can increase mandates on the healthcare market ALL WE WANT and not raise costs a dime, something that is TOTALLY unrealistic and makes no sense theoretically. Why do you think healthcare costs are so high?? The market is distorted!! A lot of that is due to ridiculous regulations and rules. Another part is the excessive insurance that Americans rely on, rather than paying more out of their own pockets.

[whoo689]

If people had their own medical savings accounts with enough money saved up, they could pay a lot more out of pocket. They would then only need insurance for the worst situations. And unless you have an EXTREMELY costly preexisting condition, even you can afford to pay more out of pocket with the MSAs. Catastrophes are much rarer, so insurers will be able to more effectively price things and hopefully lower costs. They won't have to pay as much in claims, which is a great savings for them.

[whoo689]

Capitalism CAN save healthcare. We just have to put our faith back into it, not assume the market has "failed" every time soemthign goes wrong or some people can't afford something. Maybe it's GOVERNMENT's fault that things cost a lot sometimes. Maybe gov't fucked it up, but its hand is so hidden that we mistakenly think it's the market. This kind of crap hapepns all the time.

[whoo689]

Look at Switzerland. They have a VERY free-market healthcare system, but their costs are only 10% of GDP (correct me if I'm wrong). So much for "gov't lowering costs."

[ForTehNguyen]

govt screwed up costs on whatever industry it meddles in, its rising medical costs when it started meddling with Medicare, it destroyed the housing market flooding it with cheap loans, and its making tuition rocket because of cheap federal loans

[helltrackrider]

what an ugly person...inside and out.