With all these high premiums one would think that they - the insurance companies, would ache out better than 2.5% returns … .
Well, I guess we need the efficiency of government apparatchiks to lower the cost and improve the quality of our health care, just as they are doing with our education system …. .One success begets another.
Say, Yekatman,Try getting your information from somewhere besides the left-wing media.
Some health insurance organizations are mutual companies, meaning the premium payers own the companies.
These profits are red herrings. All of the profits from the health insurance companies last year would pay for only three or four days of the country’s health care.
The executives and the board have control of the money and accounting. The bottom line is controlled by salaries, bonuses, buildings that rival the taj mahal, etc. Hence a very small bottom line. Very hard to get the policy holders to vote them out as long as the majority are happy.
You guys are hilarious! You actually think stated profits are an indicator of how much money insurance companies make? Try checking out the salaries and bonuses of insurance company executives. Try checking out the money they spend on things like management consultants (the insurance industry spends more on outside consultants than any other industry in the world). All of that counts against profits, eh?
Okay- take “non-profit”- then look at what Elizabeth Dole’s salary was raised to when she took over the American Red Cross. “Profitability” is counted AFTER the salaries and bonuses come out- boards of directors are most happy to keep profits down, when they’re raking off the top.
“With all these high premiums one would think that they - the insurance companies, would ache out better than 2.5% returns … .”
Wow, I wonder how with that “mere 2.5%” profit margin they manage to make more for ONE executive than could pay the entire Congress’ salary. Not including how many executives at just ONE insurance company can make more than a million dollars a year. Those poor, struggling insurance companies.
Gosh, I hope no one’s been dropped recently to help double profits while insuring fewer people.
”“Profitability” is counted AFTER the salaries and bonuses come out-“
Imagine how much more of that struggling “2.5%” profit margin could be “profit” if one person didn’t make 26 million of it, including so many others in that single executive board pulling in over 1 million. Imagine. They wouldn’t be so “unprofitable.”
“How about the millions (15 million) that don’t want health care.
I know because I was one of them for about 15 years>”
Because if you get sick or hurt and need to use the emergency room and don’t have insurance that ~$1000+ cost gets absorbed by everyone else. It isn’t “free.”
I find it so aggrevating that neither side of nearly every political discussion will actually listen to the opposing side.
The Government and Media (both sides, both the previous and current administrations, and just about every media source) have everyone busy name calling and blathering on about what is wrong with this side or that’s position. Wake up people.
We better start listening and working together, or our country is toast.
peter, citation, please. I doubt you are comparing apples with apples.
And davesmith, you have overlooked the rather obvious data: Medicare and Medicaid (government run single-payer healthcare! It’s already here!) runs more efficiently and at far lower costs and gets higher ratings by its customers than private insurance. So much for “screwups.”
MM- petey is considerably off on the average GS level across the government. The average is at the low GS-11 level or below. After degrees and 32 years experience, I reached 55K, as a GS-12 but retired 10 years ago. That same grade is now at $70K. Goldman Sachs FIRST YEAR salaries are around $90-165, 000. With the government- start is at $27 K- WITH at least a Bachelor’s degree.(GS-5)
Salaries in D.C. ARE higher for the person doing somewhat the same thing as “elsewhere”- that’s where most of these “high” salary claims come in- but it IS extremely expensive to live nearby and work in D.C.
“Medicare and Medicaid (government run single-payer healthcare! It’s already here!) runs more efficiently and at far lower costs …”
That is the joke of the year!
For example: Medicaid is being defrauded by about $65 billion a year, (60-minutes had a recent story about it) while the medical providers are being underpaid, and therefore, fewer and fewer doctors stay in the system.
http://www.bls.gov/
And, I too was for a long time without a medical insurance, for it was not worth it. And guess what, when I did have to see a doctor, I didn’t expect ‘YOU’ to pay for it.
A few days ago, a friend visiting me from Europe, fell off the bike and needed medical care. I took her to a store-front medical clinic (near Marina del Rey - not exactly Watts): x-ray, examination, clean-up of the wound and prescription = $60.
^^ In Canada it’s not free, because you pay in taxes. But you can use it whenever you need it – if you fall off your bike and need $60.00 worth of treatment or if you need $60,000.00 open-heart surgery. (Now wait for the Danny Williams line.)
“That’s right, many, if not most Europeans, together with American lefty intellectuals believe in free lunches.”
Free lunch? Healthcare is paid for everywhere, whether by taxes, additional coverage fees, or what have you.
The main issue is that in the end, every other developed country pays much less per person, and that’s under practically universal insurance. By most independent measurements, the quality is the about identical.
petergrt about 14 years ago
With all these high premiums one would think that they - the insurance companies, would ache out better than 2.5% returns … .
Well, I guess we need the efficiency of government apparatchiks to lower the cost and improve the quality of our health care, just as they are doing with our education system …. .One success begets another.
srauland about 14 years ago
petergirt -
This is about regulating rapacious insurance companies, not improving quality, which is more than adequate.
Americans already pay more for healthcare than any developed country, and we don’t cover over 45 million people - that’s almost 1 in 6 Americans.
Try getting your information somewhere else than Fox “News.”
blackash2004-tree Premium Member about 14 years ago
Say, Yekatman,Try getting your information from somewhere besides the left-wing media.
Some health insurance organizations are mutual companies, meaning the premium payers own the companies.
These profits are red herrings. All of the profits from the health insurance companies last year would pay for only three or four days of the country’s health care.
JerryGorton about 14 years ago
The executives and the board have control of the money and accounting. The bottom line is controlled by salaries, bonuses, buildings that rival the taj mahal, etc. Hence a very small bottom line. Very hard to get the policy holders to vote them out as long as the majority are happy.
petergrt about 14 years ago
So, the insurance companies are unregulated behemoths out to destroy America … .
It seems that the state Insurance Commissioners and other government apparatchiks don’t exist.
Accordingly, 2+2=2/2
Motivemagus about 14 years ago
You guys are hilarious! You actually think stated profits are an indicator of how much money insurance companies make? Try checking out the salaries and bonuses of insurance company executives. Try checking out the money they spend on things like management consultants (the insurance industry spends more on outside consultants than any other industry in the world). All of that counts against profits, eh?
davesmithsit about 14 years ago
Fact is the biggest bunch of screwups in the world are trying to take over your health decisions and you libby lefties dont have a problem with that?
Dtroutma about 14 years ago
Okay- take “non-profit”- then look at what Elizabeth Dole’s salary was raised to when she took over the American Red Cross. “Profitability” is counted AFTER the salaries and bonuses come out- boards of directors are most happy to keep profits down, when they’re raking off the top.
Jaedabee Premium Member about 14 years ago
“With all these high premiums one would think that they - the insurance companies, would ache out better than 2.5% returns … .”
Wow, I wonder how with that “mere 2.5%” profit margin they manage to make more for ONE executive than could pay the entire Congress’ salary. Not including how many executives at just ONE insurance company can make more than a million dollars a year. Those poor, struggling insurance companies. Gosh, I hope no one’s been dropped recently to help double profits while insuring fewer people.”“Profitability” is counted AFTER the salaries and bonuses come out-“
Imagine how much more of that struggling “2.5%” profit margin could be “profit” if one person didn’t make 26 million of it, including so many others in that single executive board pulling in over 1 million. Imagine. They wouldn’t be so “unprofitable.”
petergrt about 14 years ago
The average salary of a government apparatchik is around $70K, while private employees get about 50K.
biemmezeta about 14 years ago
How about the millions (15 million) that don’t want health care. I know because I was one of them for about 15 years>
Justice22 about 14 years ago
We are being taken to the cleaners by the insurance companies and only our wallets are getting cleaned.
Jaedabee Premium Member about 14 years ago
“How about the millions (15 million) that don’t want health care. I know because I was one of them for about 15 years>”
Because if you get sick or hurt and need to use the emergency room and don’t have insurance that ~$1000+ cost gets absorbed by everyone else. It isn’t “free.”Stuperfan Premium Member about 14 years ago
I find it so aggrevating that neither side of nearly every political discussion will actually listen to the opposing side. The Government and Media (both sides, both the previous and current administrations, and just about every media source) have everyone busy name calling and blathering on about what is wrong with this side or that’s position. Wake up people. We better start listening and working together, or our country is toast.
PS. I agree with Radish…
Motivemagus about 14 years ago
peter, citation, please. I doubt you are comparing apples with apples. And davesmith, you have overlooked the rather obvious data: Medicare and Medicaid (government run single-payer healthcare! It’s already here!) runs more efficiently and at far lower costs and gets higher ratings by its customers than private insurance. So much for “screwups.”
Dtroutma about 14 years ago
MM- petey is considerably off on the average GS level across the government. The average is at the low GS-11 level or below. After degrees and 32 years experience, I reached 55K, as a GS-12 but retired 10 years ago. That same grade is now at $70K. Goldman Sachs FIRST YEAR salaries are around $90-165, 000. With the government- start is at $27 K- WITH at least a Bachelor’s degree.(GS-5)
Salaries in D.C. ARE higher for the person doing somewhat the same thing as “elsewhere”- that’s where most of these “high” salary claims come in- but it IS extremely expensive to live nearby and work in D.C.
petergrt about 14 years ago
“Medicare and Medicaid (government run single-payer healthcare! It’s already here!) runs more efficiently and at far lower costs …”
That is the joke of the year!
For example: Medicaid is being defrauded by about $65 billion a year, (60-minutes had a recent story about it) while the medical providers are being underpaid, and therefore, fewer and fewer doctors stay in the system.
http://www.bls.gov/
And, I too was for a long time without a medical insurance, for it was not worth it. And guess what, when I did have to see a doctor, I didn’t expect ‘YOU’ to pay for it.
A few days ago, a friend visiting me from Europe, fell off the bike and needed medical care. I took her to a store-front medical clinic (near Marina del Rey - not exactly Watts): x-ray, examination, clean-up of the wound and prescription = $60.
d_legendary1 about 14 years ago
@Peetey Most of that fraud came from Pfizer and the pharmaceutical industry, not some small clinic in Florida.
“x-ray, examination, clean-up of the wound and prescription = $60.”
I bet your friend from Europe would have said:
x-ray, examination, clean-up of the wound and prescription in Europe= free. Pills included. Cause of single payer.
petergrt about 14 years ago
That’s right, many, if not most Europeans, together with American lefty intellectuals believe in free lunches.
Profit = theft
lonecat about 14 years ago
^^ In Canada it’s not free, because you pay in taxes. But you can use it whenever you need it – if you fall off your bike and need $60.00 worth of treatment or if you need $60,000.00 open-heart surgery. (Now wait for the Danny Williams line.)
davesmithsit about 14 years ago
Motive what planet are you on?
d_legendary1 about 14 years ago
That’s why I mentioned single payer, Peetey. Single payer works with taxes.
By the way no one here is saying profits=theft. For profit insurance killing Americans by refusing treatment is murder….and theft.
4uk4ata about 14 years ago
“That’s right, many, if not most Europeans, together with American lefty intellectuals believe in free lunches.”
Free lunch? Healthcare is paid for everywhere, whether by taxes, additional coverage fees, or what have you.
The main issue is that in the end, every other developed country pays much less per person, and that’s under practically universal insurance. By most independent measurements, the quality is the about identical.