Socrates Is A Man
Stanley Feld
M.D.,FACP,MACE
All Men Are Mortal
Socrates Is A Man
Socrates Is Mortal
This is the classical syllogism. Syllogisms are a
form of decisive logic that leads to a certain conclusion.
“A
syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός – syllogismos
– "conclusion," "inference") is a kind of logical
argument in which one proposition
(the conclusion) is inferred from two or more others (the premises)
of a specific form. “
In my last blog I reported the 3.5% tax the Obama
administration is levying on the healthcare insurance industry for ever
healthcare insurance policy it sells through Obamacare’s health insurance
exchanges.
In 2014 the healthcare insurance industry is going to
be required to sell healthcare insurance policies through the health insurance
exchanges.
The healthcare insurance industry will also be
required to sell plans that comply with the rules and regulations of the Obama
administration.
The 3.5% tax “users fee” was published on a Friday
afternoon at the end of November. The tax received little media attention. I
said the healthcare insurance industry would pass this “users fee” on to the
consumer.
At the end of December the healthcare insurance
industry did better than that. It increased healthcare insurance premium rates
by double digits.
“Health
insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning
double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the
biggest objectives of the Obama administration’s health
care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for
consumers.”
The consumers most affected by the higher rates are
small businesses and consumer who must purchase insurance on their own.
"In California, Aetna is proposing rate increases of
as much as 22 percent, Anthem Blue Cross 26 percent and Blue Shield of
California 20 percent for some of those policy holders.
The rate requests are in
addition to the 39% increase in rates last year.
In other states, like Florida and Ohio, insurers have been
able to raise rates by at least 20 percent for some policy holders. The rate
increases can amount to several hundred dollars a month.
In 2010 the
increase in healthcare insurance premiums increases provided springboard for
public opinion sympathy of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
Obamacare will go into full effect in 2014.
Why would a business (the healthcare insurance
industry) facing loss of its customers because of high premiums increase
premiums even further?
Why, if the traditional media has published articles
stating that the cost of healthcare has been decreasing would a premium
increase be justified?
If Medicare spending has risen only
.4% why would Medicare premiums increase by at least 33% while private healthcare
insurance premiums are increasing by 10-30%?
Annually physicians’ reimbursement continues to
decrease.
Why do consumers’ deductibles continue to increase
each year?
It is illogical. The numbers do not make sense. The
actions do not follow the syllogistic logic.
How can Medicare be losing money? Medicare premiums
are means tested and represent a redistribution of wealth.
The average
premium for Medicare with after tax dollars for a couple with a reasonable
pension fund is $15,000 dollars.
The average direct cost of care per Medicare patient
is $6,600 dollars.
In 2014 Medicare premiums are scheduled to increase
to more than $20,000 for full Medicare insurance coverage.
Seniors have paid for Medicare insurance in payroll taxes
continuously for the last 47 years.
There is something wrong with the numbers. They do
not add up. Where is the extra money going?
Consumers must start becoming aware of these facts.
Only consumer protest will bring out the truth about
these illogical numbers.
The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.
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