Hospital mergers

[KensanIV]

We are at our sons beach house for a few days.  I met the next door neighbor for the first time.  She is an Anesthesiologist at a Maryland Hospital.. We got to talking about the consolidation that is going on ? forcing ?  all hospitals to join healthcare groups, I thought it was only a Pennsylvania trick all of our local hospitals have joined other groups.

She said they have to do it in all states to survive under the Affordable Care Act.  (We  know it as Obamacare) to survive.  On the surface  it seems like a good idea...Why should a Hershey Hospital have a 50 million dollar cancer machine. when 12 miles away a Harrisburg Hospital has one that is larger, but not in the same group...so a patient must stay within the original group.

Is it necessary?  why can't one hospital send their patients to another?  Or why must all healthcare compete with the guy across the street?  She says they cannot, or they can't make enough profit to survive alone... So they send patients within their healthcare group.

I don't know what the R's have in mind for their plan.  I do recall under the Obama care plan, that the involved Insurance companies could not compete across state lines.  To me that seems to be a no-brainer.. the more you can sell, the less expensive it will be.

Surely to God the R's can improve this plan.

[captain_kook]

"the involved Insurance companies could not compete across state lines."


That's not true and has never been true.

All an insurance company needs to do is register in each state
where they want to do business and obey each state's insurance regulations.


That's what they want to be free of:

state regulations and consumer protection laws
 - getting free of them is the big big advantage big insurance companies want
to help them drive out smaller companies

and ignore regulations that eat profits.


One of the list of "reforms" the GOP failed to get past the Democrats in the ACA negotiations.

A BAD THING for the American people.

[KensanIV]

I truly do not know enough about that to argue the point, but it must have been more difficult than what you are saying.  or they would not be closing availability and refusing to sell any further coverage in certain states. even after raising the cost more than 128%, and I do  recall our D governor revealing the increased deductible was so high than no one can afford to meet the deductible before the insurance kicks in.

I'm willing to learn.  Tell us why states did not originally sign up. if it was so easy.  as well why so many insurance firms have opted out of continuing coverage.


Are there any states where Obamacare HAS Worked AS PLANNED?

I CAN ONLY SPEAK OF WHAT I HAVE READ SO FAR.