Lower health care cost

When I first looked at Obamacare plans I said they would reduce the overall cost of health care by rationing care and high deductibles and I saw both of these changes as necessary. Here is an example of rationing. Hospitals were initially penalized with reduced Medicare reimbursements if they had higher rates of readmission for patients with heart disease and pneumonia. Last week, the list was expanded to include serious lung conditions and hip and knee replacements. Hospitals will seek to keep such patients in emergency rooms rather than admit them. Why? The simplest way to avoid readmission is not to admit a patient in the first place. But substituting ER services for hospital stays will only increase the chance that patients will deteriorate and return with more complication Here is an example of deductible sticker shock. When ObamaCare patients learn their deductible is so high they’re unlikely to get any reimbursement, they often wind up in places like the Denton, Texas Community Care Center. "There are quite a few, and I saw another one today, where their deductibles are so elevated that they can't afford them," said Dr. Flippo Masciarelli, chief physician at the center, which was designed to treat indigent patients. Robert Laszewski of Health Policy and Strategy Associates noted, "You're going to the doctor, you're paying (a) premium, and because of this really high deductible, you're not getting any benefits." The administration pushed insurance companies to keep premiums low, but that also created high deductibles, about $5,000 per person for the least expensive plan, as well as narrow networks of providers. But most people buy based only on premiums.