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This is one of those citation needed moments. IIRC insurance companies paid 90% of their income as "medical loss ratio". Even if you made them NPO - the cost wi

This is one of those citation needed moments. IIRC insurance companies paid 90% of their income as "medical loss ratio". Even if you made them NPO - the cost will drop some percent. US needs healthcare costs to drop times.

WalterBright 9y ago
The Atlantic pointed out a few years ago that removing all the profit from health insurance companies would not make a significant dent in health care costs. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/09/how-american-health-care-killed-my-father/307617/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/09/how-ame...
- mgkimsal 9y ago
  That was pre-ACA. Given the min 80% payout rule, it would seem the only way to increase profits is to increase the costs of everything, no?
  - deegles 9y ago
    Hence the laws prohibiting price negotiation!
    - chimeracoder 9y ago
      > Hence the laws prohibiting price negotiation! Insurers are not prohibited from negotiating prices. Quite the opposite.
- icantdrive55 9y ago
  Combine it with allowing patients to buy their medicine from any country, tame the AMA, tame the FDA, allow non-profit insurance companies the freedom to sell insurance across state lines, sell more medications OTC, make becoming a General Practitioner easier (just the Family doctor, not specialists.), and then maybe tort reform for all health professionals? Oh, yea--allow certain patients the authority to refill their own prescriptions if they are on a maintenance drug (yes they would have to have a blood test,etc., but they days of doctors holding patients hostage would be over? I'm sure the average Doctor could add a lot to the list. Maybe they don't want much to change, with the exception of making their club smaller, or just the changes that increase their wealth? Yea--my view of them has changed. I don't look at them as The Golden Boys anymore. I just look at most of them as greedy little business entities. Maybe they always were?

WalterBright 9y ago

The Atlantic pointed out a few years ago that removing all the profit from health insurance companies would not make a significant dent in health care costs. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/09/how-american-health-care-killed-my-father/307617/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/09/how-ame...

mgkimsal 9y ago
That was pre-ACA. Given the min 80% payout rule, it would seem the only way to increase profits is to increase the costs of everything, no?
- deegles 9y ago
  Hence the laws prohibiting price negotiation!
  - chimeracoder 9y ago
    > Hence the laws prohibiting price negotiation! Insurers are not prohibited from negotiating prices. Quite the opposite.
icantdrive55 9y ago
Combine it with allowing patients to buy their medicine from any country, tame the AMA, tame the FDA, allow non-profit insurance companies the freedom to sell insurance across state lines, sell more medications OTC, make becoming a General Practitioner easier (just the Family doctor, not specialists.), and then maybe tort reform for all health professionals? Oh, yea--allow certain patients the authority to refill their own prescriptions if they are on a maintenance drug (yes they would have to have a blood test,etc., but they days of doctors holding patients hostage would be over? I'm sure the average Doctor could add a lot to the list. Maybe they don't want much to change, with the exception of making their club smaller, or just the changes that increase their wealth? Yea--my view of them has changed. I don't look at them as The Golden Boys anymore. I just look at most of them as greedy little business entities. Maybe they always were?