$1.2 trillion wasted -- per year
August 31st 2009 08:54
From CNNMoney.com:
President Obama -- you're addressing health care because it's too costly, right? Well, FOCUS ON CUTTING THE COSTS. That would make health care more affordable for everyone -- including those 47 million who are uninsured. Eliminate that $1.2 trillion of waste that has already been identified and then we can reassess where we're at. If you do that, this boondoggle of a problem will be much more manageable. However, if you add another wasteful and costly entitlement program to the already wasteful and inefficient health care system, you'll just be pouring gasoline on a fire.
Do the right thing, Mr. President. Clean up the current system and drop the new entitlement program. Do that and you'll be hailed as a hero. Don't do it and you'll make an already atrocious problem exponentially worse.
Down the drain: $1.2 trillion.
That's half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on health care each year, according to the most recent data from accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute.
What counts as waste? The report identified 16 different areas in which health care dollars are squandered. But in talking to doctors, nurses, hospital groups and patient advocacy groups, six areas totaling nearly $500 billion stood out as issues to be dealt with in the health care reform debate.
That's half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on health care each year, according to the most recent data from accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute.
What counts as waste? The report identified 16 different areas in which health care dollars are squandered. But in talking to doctors, nurses, hospital groups and patient advocacy groups, six areas totaling nearly $500 billion stood out as issues to be dealt with in the health care reform debate.
President Obama -- you're addressing health care because it's too costly, right? Well, FOCUS ON CUTTING THE COSTS. That would make health care more affordable for everyone -- including those 47 million who are uninsured. Eliminate that $1.2 trillion of waste that has already been identified and then we can reassess where we're at. If you do that, this boondoggle of a problem will be much more manageable. However, if you add another wasteful and costly entitlement program to the already wasteful and inefficient health care system, you'll just be pouring gasoline on a fire.
Do the right thing, Mr. President. Clean up the current system and drop the new entitlement program. Do that and you'll be hailed as a hero. Don't do it and you'll make an already atrocious problem exponentially worse.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
The Democrats, however, are clinging to the public option because they want the government to take over health care. They're not fooling anybody. Heck, Barney Frank even admitted it on camera. Their focus isn't on costs. It's on having the government move towards taking over health care.
Comment by rickb_georgia
1. I do not think anyone in Washington really gives a rat's tail about health care reform. It is all about power and the effort of the Federal Government to control the cash cow represented by the health care industry. The term has changed to health insurance reform which the liberals would have everyone believe is the sole fault for rising health care costs. I just do not understand how the payer causes the costs to increase. They do not set the rates, the providers do, at least for non medicare services. They do not establish the costs of drugs, the drug companies do. But yet, in listening to Pelosi, et al., the high cost of health care is all the fault of the CEO of United Health Care.
2. I do consider myself a conservative, perhaps a bit more moderate than many, and I do agree that health insurance does need reform but as a part of overall health care reform, not a stand alone item. And acutally health iinsurance reform could be very simple and stay in the private sector.
3. I do not want a civil service employee dictating how my health care is to be handled. They screw up everything they touch. I have yet to meet anyone happy with VA unless it is their only alternative, and I have had the opportunity to deal with a lot of veterans looking for options. Medicare touts their 3 percent overhead but routinely fails to mention the 10 to 25 percent they pay out each year in fradulent claims. My accounting professor taught me all expenses are a part of overhead ... at least they were back in the 60's and 70's. But then, the government accountants cook the books on unemployment figures to make them look better than reality.
4. I do not trust our government, and have not for about 20 or so years. Even George Washington would fib about cutting down the cherry tree in today's Washington DC.
Keep stocking up on can goods and ammo ... Much safer investment than the stock market.
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate
Health insurance costs need to be reduced, but the entire supply chain should be addressed. As you said, it's not just the insurance companies that impact costs.