Donald Trump cannot replace Obamacare; here's why

Here is an interesting title of a "Washington Post" article dated today, January 10,2017:

Trump to GOP: Obamacare is a disaster, right? So hurry up and replace it, already!

Here's why Donald Trump cannot replace Obamacare, and why he will ultimately have egg on his face for not doing so in a small nutshell: medical insurance is illogical.

Wikipedia reports that Donald Trump holds a degree in Economics from the Wharton School. What a scream! Has he not taken away anything from that education, or does he think that he is so high and mighty that he can overrule God's basic, natural laws of Economics?

Now, in a larger nutshell, I will further explain why medical insurance is illogical.

First, insurance coverage of a certainty as opposed to a risk is virtually a contradiction in terms. Just about everyone, especially as they age, will eventually need medical services at some time or other. But to make matters all the worse, The Donald, like Obama, wants to cover preexisting conditions. Can anything be more certain than preexisting conditions?

Secondly, the more people you cover with medical insurance, the more you send people rushing to doctors for every little splinter that they contract. This increases demand for medical services; this in turn increases demand for all sorts of medical services per Economics theory; this in turn raises the prices of medical services; the increase in the prices of medical services increases the price of medical insurance coverage due to more expensive claims; this causes more people to seek coverage; more people seeking coverage together with mandatory coverage as is the case under Obamacare cause insurance premiums to skyrocket AS HAS BEEN THE CASE UNDER OBAMACARE.

If I ruled this kingdom, I'd go in the opposite direction and outlaw all forms of medical insurance. HMO's and any prepaid plans would have to go, too. They stink.

They're not going to repeal or replace it. They're simply going to re-brand it with some superficial jiggering and call it Trumpcare and the GOP will do a victory lap. The GOP never actually disliked it. Everyone knew it was imperfect but that it would slow down the collapse of hospitals across this country. What they disliked is that the other team was getting the credit.

I bet they know exactly what they are going to do.

They are just letting the opposition scramble for a short time.

They have become experts on triggering the triggerables.

a reply to: theworldisnotenough

Some people think all government interference is the problem.

If there was ever a good example of failures caused by government interference, it's the insurance industry.

I've been saying this all along.

medical insurance IS illogical. It's a broken idea born of a stupid concept.

Forcing insurance down our throats because healthcare costs too much is like making ALL cars bigger because it's deadly to get in an accident with a big car. Oddly enough, that has also happened in this country.

Ban insurance companies- the cost of healthcare will work itself out in a real hurry.

a reply to: network dude
My political affiliations? WTF do you know about my political affiliations?

It will take a massive reeducation campaign to get the public to accept market based reforms for healthcare. The problem with liberal policies is that they get so many people dependent upon the government is that it makes it damn near impossible to cut it off when it is determined that reform is needed.

originally posted by: Edumakated
It will take a massive reeducation campaign to get the public to accept market based reforms for healthcare. The problem with liberal policies is that they get so many people dependent upon the government is that it makes it damn near impossible to cut it off when it is determined that reform is needed.

Universal health care has been a disaster for Greece. Ditto for a certain South American country. Was it Venezuela or Argentina?

I think that best and ultimate solution is to reinstate a jungle style; no regulation, no consumer protections, ultra conservative private system and temper it with an opt in public option payer system. If you don't want any insurance you are on your own, no emergency room, nothing, just sell your house and die quickly.

This way everyone gets what they want and both systems will keep one another competitive.

originally posted by: banjobrain
I think that best and ultimate solution is to reinstate a jungle style; no regulation, no consumer protections, ultra conservative private system and temper it with an opt in public option payer system. If you don't want any insurance you are on your own, no emergency room, nothing, just sell your house and die quickly.

This way everyone gets what they want and both systems will keep one another competitive.

My response: charity care.

originally posted by: theworldisnotenough

originally posted by: Edumakated
It will take a massive reeducation campaign to get the public to accept market based reforms for healthcare. The problem with liberal policies is that they get so many people dependent upon the government is that it makes it damn near impossible to cut it off when it is determined that reform is needed.

Universal health care has been a disaster for Greece. Ditto for a certain South American country. Was it Venezuela or Argentina?

The private system has been a disaster for America, over 50% of bankruptcy filings were due to medical debt.

40,000 preventable deaths a year

originally posted by: theworldisnotenough

originally posted by: banjobrain
I think that best and ultimate solution is to reinstate a jungle style; no regulation, no consumer protections, ultra conservative private system and temper it with an opt in public option payer system. If you don't want any insurance you are on your own, no emergency room, nothing, just sell your house and die quickly.

This way everyone gets what they want and both systems will keep one another competitive.

My response: charity care.

My response, Africa for the last century which has received the most dollar amounts and sees the most preventible deaths despite charity care.

First of all the Washington Post is the Ministry of Truth, straight out of 1984, nothing but CIA propaganda. We all have the best government money can buy.

a reply to: theworldisnotenough

Bravo! And thank you!!! At first I thought the article made these points, and I was shocked. But the credit's all yours.

I've been thinking and saying basically the same for a long time, just in different terms. To your first point, insurance is for "if" not "when" situations -- and certainly not "after the fact" scenarios. That's not insurance. What we've really talking about is a healthcare program.

To your second point, I liken it to insurance vs warranties. Not just in the sense of accident vs wear and tear, but we need to really think about how much we expect insurance to cover -- Bandages? Aspirin? -- and how much we can and should do for ourselves.

Finally, both when "insurance" is mandatory and when healing aids are restricted/unavailable, the consumer is held hostage by crony capitalism and costs are necessarily artificially inflated.

Most harmful to the consumer, unlike pretty much any other type of insurance, if someone stops paying their premiums the claim is no longer covered, even though the person was covered at the time of diagnosis. Too many serious illnesses (and accidental injuries) have very long treatment and recovery times, causing unemployment so income dries up... and after going completely broke, these folks usually end up on Medicare in the end. It's their only choice.

I really don't see any way forward except with a public and a private option. (And a Patient's Bill of Rights.)

Allow Medical insurance to Operate like Progressive and Geico car insurance and watch it fix itself......

Obviously I know there are more nuances to it then that, but it would be a pretty rapid fix

originally posted by: theworldisnotenough
Here is an interesting title of a "Washington Post" article dated today, January 10,2017:

Trump to GOP: Obamacare is a disaster, right? So hurry up and replace it, already!

Here's why Donald Trump cannot replace Obamacare, and why he will ultimately have egg on his face for not doing so in a small nutshell: medical insurance is illogical.

Wikipedia reports that Donald Trump holds a degree in Economics from the Wharton School. What a scream! Has he not taken away anything from that education, or does he think that he is so high and mighty that he can overrule God's basic, natural laws of Economics?

Now, in a larger nutshell, I will further explain why medical insurance is illogical.

First, insurance coverage of a certainty as opposed to a risk is virtually a contradiction in terms. Just about everyone, especially as they age, will eventually need medical services at some time or other. But to make matters all the worse, The Donald, like Obama, wants to cover preexisting conditions. Can anything be more certain than preexisting conditions?

Secondly, the more people you cover with medical insurance, the more you send people rushing to doctors for every little splinter that they contract. This increases demand for medical services; this in turn increases demand for all sorts of medical services per Economics theory; this in turn raises the prices of medical services; the increase in the prices of medical services increases the price of medical insurance coverage due to more expensive claims; this causes more people to seek coverage; more people seeking coverage together with mandatory coverage as is the case under Obamacare cause insurance premiums to skyrocket AS HAS BEEN THE CASE UNDER OBAMACARE.

If I ruled this kingdom, I'd go in the opposite direction and outlaw all forms of medical insurance. HMO's and any prepaid plans would have to go, too. They stink.

I agree completely about the first half..

Insurance is a total scam. Health, medical, life, all of it.

For example; say we spend 100 billion dollars collectively on every Americans health care. If insurance companies are taking 30% of that off the top as insurance company profits, and they ARE NOT PREFORMING A HEATH CARE RELATED FUNCTION. They are paper pushers taking a huge chunk of the pie!!!


That's why I think nonprofit government run health care institutions is the only logical option.

Recycle that 30% back into the industry.

See I don't think an "if you can't afford it your children are screwed" approach works for a modern society.

originally posted by: theworldisnotenough
Here is an interesting title of a "Washington Post" article dated today, January 10,2017:

If I ruled this kingdom, I'd go in the opposite direction and outlaw all forms of medical insurance. HMO's and any prepaid plans would have to go, too. They stink.

Medical insurance can work quite well. Provided people pay the government the premiums, and the government uses it's clout to bargain for the best insurance deal from the private insurance companies.

If you're not going to go that route, then the next best thing is no insurance requirement at all, like you propose.

The problem with Obamacare, is that it can't work. The private insurance companies have no incentive to lower premiums for the individuals, because the individuals don't have any clout or bargaining power. And all companies have the same goal of increasing "profit" wherever possible.

The corporate objective to "always increase profit" is at variance with the individuals need to "find lower premiums."

They are two contradictory goals. And only the corporations win in the Obamacare scenario. Any corporation that can't win, will simply quit the business, leaving no insurance provider available there.

Either way, the individual loses. He will pay higher premiums, if he can find any insurance co at all to sign up with.

It is true that some people get coverage, who could never get before, but that could more easily be solved with a complete government solution. No need for the half-baked plan of government law and private business.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
Allow Medical insurance to Operate like Progressive and Geico car insurance and watch it fix itself......

I would love to watch a "Flo vs Caveman" competition commercial !!

originally posted by: banjobrain

originally posted by: theworldisnotenough

originally posted by: banjobrain
I think that best and ultimate solution is to reinstate a jungle style; no regulation, no consumer protections, ultra conservative private system and temper it with an opt in public option payer system. If you don't want any insurance you are on your own, no emergency room, nothing, just sell your house and die quickly.

This way everyone gets what they want and both systems will keep one another competitive.

My response: charity care.

My response, Africa for the last century which has received the most dollar amounts and sees the most preventible deaths despite charity care.

This is not Africa.