Quote:
Originally Posted by dotti105
One of my big concerns with the huge monopoly type insurance companies who buy up their competition is the fact that they have a very large lobby which is an industry in and of itself. They are proud of the fact that they line the pockets of the house and senate members who are elected to represent OUR best interests. Our representatives are no longer representing us, they are representing the special interests who pay them well to do so.
Citizens United needs to be overturned and term limits in place before we will have elected officials who are willing to represent the citizens who voted them into office. $$ is running politics now, and big business supplies the big bucks. The insurance industry is one of the largest and most successful in getting laws drafted to their advantage.
When ACA came out with Insurance Companies in charge, we were guaranteed to have higher premiums, co-pays and less option for seeing the provider/specialist of our choice.
As they have put out the programs for 2016, there have been many changes and most are again in the favor of the insurance companies.
Our healthcare system, like our political system would be better run without the SuperPacs, and lobbyists who have the insidious power to determine our political future and the future of our healthcare, to a much greater degree than the citizens who elected those officials.
That is a recipe for disaster for all except the big boys with the big bucks.
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While I would agree in principle that lobbies and superpacs diminish the influence of individual citizens with their elected representatives, I think there may be room for debate on your health insurance statements.
Here is a list, from CNN, of the top 10 lobbies in Wash DC:
The full list: Here are the publicly traded companies that have done the most direct lobbying since 2009, plus a bonus:
1. General Electric (GE): $134 million
2. AT&T: (T, Tech30) $91.2 million
3. Boeing Co (BA): $90.3 million
4. Northrop Grumman (NOC): $87.9 million
5. Comcast Corp (CMCSA): $86.4 million
6. Verizon Communications: (VZ, Tech30) $86.4 million
7. FedExCorp (FDX): $85.7 million
8. Exxon Mobil (XOM): $85 million
9. Lockheed Martin (LMT): $78.8 million
10. Pfizer (PFE): $77.8 million
...
16.Google (GOOG): $62.2 million
CNNMoney (New York) October 1, 2014: 11:36 AM ET
I don't see any insurers here
"When ACA came out with Insurance Companies in charge, we were guaranteed to have higher premiums, co-pays and less option for seeing the provider/specialist of our choice."
Actually, when ACA came out, period, with 40 million who for the most part could not pay their own premiums destined to enter the system, no exclusion for pre-existing conditions, and children up to 26 on their mommy's policy (and couch) who were not paying their own premiums, WE WERE GUARANTEED TO HAVE HIGHER PREMIUMS regardless of who was running it. The concept that the 3 TRILLION in cost over 10 years would be offset by more efficient care, EMRs and decreasing so called "fraud" was a joke from the beginning. So, as Obama exits next year and Obamacare gets fully implemented, hold on to your wallets. So far his $2000 saving/family has been a $5000 increase, not including higher deductibles, and will go up even further. If you think you are safe on medicare, NOT. Obamacare takes 550 billion from that program which already has financial problems, especially part B.
Remember, ACA had very little to do with health care reform and everything to do with being the largest tax increase and power grab by the federal government in our history. If they were serious about health care reform, the targets would have been pharmaceutical costs, tort reform, slashing regulation, and durable medical equipment costs---none of which were touched