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People who rely on Medicare will eventually find themselves relegated to a place in the pecking order LOWER THAN MEDICAID patients.

This is a direct result of Obamacare's steady whittling away at Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals - all in the name of cost-savings. It makes the cost of Obamacare look much more affordable, but in the end, it erodes coverage for those who need it most.

This article, published in the Washington Examiner, is eye-opening:
Read the article here - how Obamacare will impact Medicare

As it stands today, more and more physicians are refusing new patients on Medicare. That's because of the abysmal payment schedules set by Medicare. Those payments are small and getting smaller by the day.

By 2019, they will be lower than MEDICAID based on the way the law is written.

We have a looming shortage of primary care physicians in this country and it is only going to get worse because of Obamacare, not better.

All of us, the people and the politicians we elect to represent us, need to revisit this ill-advised law sooner rather than later.

CDR

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aca litigation blog: Reading the tea leaves: Why I think Judge Hudson w...: "Judge Hudson's ruling last week denying the United States's motion to dismiss Virginia's complaint was technically no more than that -- a re..."

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Everyone knows that you can negotiate the price on a new car, but did you know that you also can negotiate the price of healthcare?

If you are not the type of person who will insist on a lower price on a new car, chances are, you probably don't ask for lower prices for healthcare. By not asking for discounts, however, you end up paying too much.

According to this video article from the Sun-Sentinel, 74% of people surveyed said they did get discounts from their doctors when they asked.

This is one of the key secrets to maintaining a health savings account plan. Because the plan carries a high deductible insurance policy, everyone insured with an HSA plan learns to negotiate prices for services performed. The better negotiator you are, the lower the prices you'll pay.

Visit our main website for details on how a health savings plan can help your family save on health insurance.

High deductible plans

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Almost 500 teachers in the Milwaukee district have been laid off due to tough economic times, and many who are left are fighting - not for their former colleagues to be reinstated but for inclusion of Viagra in the district's medical plan.

You can't make this kind of stuff up.

On the one hand, male members have a point, sort of. They argue that many "female only" things are covered, such as birth control pills, estrogen replacement, and vaginal creams. Interestingly enough, penile implants ARE covered under the plan; Viagra is not.

Many who follow my blog may find this difficult to believe, but I actually agree with the men here, and no, not for personal reasons.

Viagra is a prescribed drug that is prescribed in response to a diagnosed medical condition (ED as it is commonly known). It is not just a "sexual problem" thing. Usually, the condition itself is reflective of other issues such as hypertension, etc. So medically speaking, the drug usually helps, but even if it's purely from a mental standpoint, it still should be covered because many other drugs are covered for mental-nervous conditions.

Like it or not, the men's position here is at least consistent. And that's one thing I consistently argue for - consistency.

Either do it all or not at all.

The real problem with our healthcare system, however, is that we have developed a mentality that our health plans should "do it all" for us.

If those teachers had to pay the full cost of their own premiums, they would have a dramatically different outlook.

And THAT my friends is the real problem with our system that the teachers highlight here by arguing for Viagra inclusion: LACK OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

High deductible plans go a long way toward restoring the personal responsibility that is lacking in our healthcare system today.

Make no mistake: High deductible plans ARE the wave of the future. We are just beginning the process of reverting to the 1980's before copay plans were invented. The cost of premiums for copay plans has gotten too much out of control and the copays themselves are greatly at fault. Copays are the antithesis of personal responsibility. Copays encourage someone else to pay or heavily subsidize the cost of one's own medical care.

CD Richard
"the health insurance guru"
Licensed Agent/Broker since 1980