2 Trillion in savings by health industry boils down to a $2,500 savings in year 5 for family of 4.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Big Whooptie doo.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/health/policy/11drug.html?_r=1&hpw
Industry Pledges to Control Health Care Costs Voluntarily
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 10, 2009

WASHINGTON — Doctors, hospitals, drug makers and insurance companies will join President Obama on Monday in announcing their commitment to a sharp reduction in the growth of national health spending, White House officials said Sunday.

The officials said the plan could save $2,500 a year for a family of four in the fifth year and a total of $2 trillion for the nation over 10 years. That could make it less expensive for Congress to enact comprehensive health insurance coverage, a daunting challenge facing the Obama administration.

At this point, administration officials said, they do not have a way to enforce the commitment, other than by publicizing the performance of health care providers to hold them accountable.

By offering to hold down costs voluntarily, providers said, they hope to stave off new government price constraints that might be imposed by Congress or a National Health Board of the kind favored by many Democrats.

Plus, this is talking about a sharp reduction in GROWTH. Who gives a shit about growth? The current baseline for healthcare costs have to be erased and re-established.

This isn't throwing a bone to the public - it's throwing a picture of a bone to the public.

[AndyA]

1. So...let me make sure I understand how this deal is supposed to work...

We're going to expect the health care industry to police itself? Is that it? We're going to take their promise at face value that they're going to do this, and hold them accountable only by the fear of a published report on their performance?

Excuse me while I :rofl: over this.

Have we learned nothing from the Wall Street spectacle? You cannot depend on corporations to do the right thing unless it serves the corporation. They've had the chance to lower costs and make access to affordable health care easier for years, and they've done nothing about it.

This is bullshit. The only way they will do something is when they are forced to do it by legislation, a system of checks and balances, and strict oversight.

What a joke.

[a kennedy]

4. Oh yeah, that's great.....let them police themselves....

and ditto to :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[bluestateguy]

2. That is actually not what concerns me

No, $2500 is a sizable amount of money for a family of 4, and would represent a real savings, BUT how is this all supposed to be enforced?

And let's just say that the Obama Administration finds a way to effectively enforce this accord. OK, great! But it's a 10 year plan, and the O-team will not be in the White House forever. What if the next Administration doesn't give a damn about enforcing this plan, and it all falls apart?

[angstlessk]

3. like another DU'er said ...'who will die in order for them to save this cash?'

they will save money by killing people, just as they have done for years...only this time the dead will pass on the savings to the living....for time. And for them to promise to stop ratcheting up the multi-billion per year in profits cause they say so, so every thing is just fine now..reminds me of the promise of the HMO in reigning in costs of insurance...PHEWEY...IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN IF WE DEPEND ON THE CORPORATIONS...:grr:

[xchrom]

5. the health care industry is going to police itself.

:eyes:

[prolesunited]

6. We're paying about half our current income for healthcare

We're not choosing between food and meds; we're choosing between healthcare and homelessness. Something has to stop this madness.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Breaking! Healthcare industry checks back pocket and finds 2 trillion it didn't even know it had!

Silly healthcare industry!

Where was this drive for "efficiency" and holding down costs 8 years ago? 5 years ago? 3 years ago? 1 year ago? That's right, it didn't exist.

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. I am curious why the USA citizens are not more aggressive for decent health care.

.
.
.


If the taxpayer only knew how much of their taxes go for the war-machine,

and leaves behind the taxpayers that give them the money to abuse them,

they might get angry

YA THINK?

:freak:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

10. I am curious as to why it has become a "negotiation" with the vested interests

who got us to this point in the first place. Someone tell me why federal legislation could not/cannot be passed or regulations formulated that said to the insurance industry a LONG TIME AGO: no prior conditions, no waiting periods, no cherry picking on any basis (age, gender,sex, etc., no overhead or administrative costs over 5% to passed in premium increases, etc.etc. etc.

The answer is that most if not all of our Congressional reps appear to be in the pockets of the healthcare and pharma industries. What they do is so OPENLY contemptuous of the American public's welfare, that it is both laughable and piteous to think they represent out interests. They do not.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. **IF** that is a coincidence, it is one of the more eerie one's I've heard of .......

2500 a year is what Obama says he hopes to save every American, isn't it?