(02-13-2016 05:05 PM)Redwingtom Wrote: Interesting, never knew your job only existed because of the ACA, so I'll thank Obama for that for you...lol.
But I was really only wondering if you had a source...or study that backed up the claim...that's all. I tried to find something with some detail, but none of them specifically cited what you claimed.
Sorry, but since I don't know you at all, where you work, or what exactly it is that you do...I have no way of knowing if your facts apply to everywhere or just your part of the country.
That's fine.
I spent 25 years in Institutional Finance, mostly with Banks, Insurance Companies and Trust in Texas (traveling often to NY obviously). I'm now in healthcare administration in California. Yes, 'the job I have' exists only because of the ACA, because doctors USED to be able to care for patients and still generally manage their business, but now they spend increasing amounts of time not only managing their businesses, but complying with increasing regulatory issues. That's where I come in. No, the ACA doesn't fund my job. I'm like the tax attorney whose job it is to keep someone from having to pay taxes. My job is primarily to help them avoid ACA penalties... and they'd rather pay me to do that than to pay the fines.
Said only somewhat tongue in cheek (because you opened this door, even if you didn't do so in a mean-spirited way) If you want to thank the aca for adding to your cost of care (my salary) without increasing the care delivered to you (because I don't deliver healthcare) then that's ok. I'm happy for my job, and happy that I'm helping solve a problem... but I don't think I'd be 'without a job' were it not for the aca by any means. Said cheekily, but not with malice.
'Facts' like these rarely specifically apply universally, but the comments I made are true everywhere. Not in every situation, but everywhere. Medi-Cal covers Dexilant, but only after the older acid reducers fail... My private insurance does not, no matter what. Dexilant is $3 a pill while Prilosec is pennies. In your insurance and state, it may not be Dexilant but is perhaps Serouquel... or Humira... The bottom line is that the reason certain prescriptions cost more is because they are newer... and almost by definition, better than the ones they replace... and under patent. The cost of 'the same care' (in terms of prescriptions) you got 10 years ago has actually gone down, just like Lasik used to be $10,000 and now it's $1500 and Prozac used to be under patent and now there is a generic... but today, we have BETTER solutions for those same maladies.
That's like saying that a Tesla is 30 times more expensive than a Pinto, and ignoring the differences in speed and efficiency and comfort and safety etc etc etc. The ONLY part of that that is pertinent is that people have demanded things that work better/faster/longer... and the things that work better/faster/longer are more expensive. That's GENERALLY driven by demand.... not 'greed' of those who produce it.