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The Spectacle Blog
From the Boston Globe:
BOSTON—A special commission charged with studying rising health care costs in Massachusetts is recommending the creation of an independent oversight panel to identify acceptable and unacceptable reasons for price variations in care based on which hospital or doctor is used.
The Special Commission on Provider Price Reform was created by lawmaker last year. It also recommends that state regulators be given the authority to settle price disputes between insurers and health care providers if the cost of a medical procedure exceeds the market-based median.
So, Romneycare is proving to be too expensive. And the fix is a panel of unelected experts intervening in private transactions.
Remind you of anything?
View all comments (17) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Joseph Lawler
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Jim from Virginia| 11.10.11 @ 1:47PM
The issue is not that Romneycare is getting expensive. The far better question is whether health costs as part of GDP rise more rapidly under a Romneycare or without a Romneycare. The US spents 16% plus of its GDP on healthcare and cover roughly 50% of its citizens for "most" of their lives. Western European countries spend 10% or less of their GDPs on health care and cover their citizens for a lifetime!
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.10.11 @ 2:03PM
Your comment is total baloney. Everyone in America is covered one way or the other. The 16% figure you quote does not reflect the fact that the USA is number one is medical research which includes pharmaeceuticals.
Other countries then get the benefit of that research at reduced controlled costs indicating that citizens of the USA are subsidizing the entire globe.
George S| 11.10.11 @ 2:29PM
And the implicit assumption is that rising costs are excess profits going into the pockets of insurance companies, drug companies, or doctors and hospitals. Far from it -- rising costs are attributed to inefficiencies arising from regulations and the fact that most people do not incur the direct cost of health care. Why would anyone care about efficient capital allocation when they only see a thirty dollar co-pay?
Dixie Pixie| 11.10.11 @ 1:54PM
RommeyCare causes "Death Panels"?
Which is sicker, the people in it, or the people running it?
Next comes ObamaCare for all, costs explode and Grandma is told to snuff it !!!!
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.10.11 @ 1:58PM
Unelected "Experts" is giving them more credit than they deserve. Politicians don't have the slightest clue when it comes to insurance underwriting.
RJ| 11.10.11 @ 5:15PM
You are right - "Unelected Cronies" is more appropriate.
PattyMor| 11.10.11 @ 2:20PM
Right-O Phil the Capitalist Pig, but it never stops The Politicans thinking "they" have the solution!
And another reason why our healthcare costs are so high is that we are covering a bunch of illegal aliens either thru Medicaid or thru the ER.
Mike| 11.10.11 @ 3:28PM
Ah, yes. Romneycare. The creation of the Heritage Foundation, a most conservative think tank, that Romney implemented. And now, in a supreme act of political treachery, conservatives are ready to throw Romney off the bus.
Tell me, Lawler, what cost savings are in Ryan's plans? Please don't confuse cost shifting with cost savings.
Anyone But Mittens | 11.10.11 @ 3:52PM
Heritage Foundation created RomneyCare? Mike, whatever it is your're smoking, I'd love to get some please.
RJ| 11.10.11 @ 5:20PM
Sadly, The Heritage Foundation was involved in the development of RomneyCare. Evidently, they believed that something needed to be done and they were will to impose an insurance mandate on the people in the hopes it would get rid of the free-riders who don't buy health insurance but show up at emergency rooms expecting free care.
I have reconsidered my contributions to Heritage as a result of their participation in Romney Care, which probably is better named Romney-Kennedy Care.
Noni| 11.10.11 @ 4:12PM
"Romneycare" has been changed quite a bit since he left Mass gov. If we are to try new large ideas, where better than in states ? They really are our 'incubators'. Mass was going to start some form of universal healthcare with or without Romney. He simply tried to form the best plan possible. I lived in Mass, people are crazy liberal, mostly due to Kennedy's and so many college students. It is obvious these plans are cost and invention killers,that's why Romney strongly opposes ObamaCare. Do a little reading, I promise it doesn't hurt!
Teflon93| 11.10.11 @ 5:38PM
Let Democrats try the big new socialist ideas.
A conservative would NEVER allow such an atrocity to pass, much less embrace and defend it as Little Lord MittleRoy does.
Chris k| 11.10.11 @ 5:47PM
I can't figure out why people think Oromney is a conservative. If he is the nominee, I'd vote for Obama, because he would be the conservative in that matchup
Clint| 11.10.11 @ 7:47PM
We Are Being Set Up By RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges For The Ruling Elites' Frontman Mittens Romney.
These Are The RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges Who Gave Us The Serial Traitor To Conservatism, John McCain Of McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy,McCain-Lieberman,Gang Of 14, Opposing Bush Tax Cuts Of 2001 & 2003,TARP.
Now They Are Trying To Give Us RomneyCare,TARP, Cynical Flip-Flops On Abortion, Gays, Refuses to Sign Pro-Life Pledge, Illegal Immigrants, "Little Chain Saw Al" At Bain, Crony Capitalism Campaign Money Trail.....
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.11.11 @ 8:19AM
Uh, death panels? Sarah nailed it way back when.
sharonsj| 11.13.11 @ 12:49PM
Whatever happened to reading comprehension and critical thinking? The health system is too expensive for plenty of reasons. Why does a hospital charge $10 for a single asprin? Why do insurance companies pay their CEOs millions of dollars? Romney and Obama have nothing to do with that.
As for Bill who says "Everyone in America is covered one way or the other"--well, that's a complete lie. Almost 50 million have no coverage whatsoever.
Chris k| 11.14.11 @ 4:28PM
Sharonsj, where are you getting your numbers from? 50 million uninsured really? How many people decided not to buy health insurance? How many cant get it because of pre-existing conditions? 12 million. If you don't have healthcare, you go to the ER and the state pays for it, so Bill is right. As for insurance ompany profits, huh? With all the regulations from Obamacare, there are no profits. Which is why I have to pay higher premiums to cover those who refuse to work. You may want to do a little reading, And not believe everything the government says as gospel