This will be short and to the point. I have always been a supporter of Universal Care. I am a liberal who believes that necessary social infrastructure (like medicine) should be socialized.
I understand that this is not a realistic political goal in the United States for a large list of resons. The problems of health care in America has always been unfettered cost increases.
I recognize socialized medicine is the only real solution because I understand that under a socialized medical infrastructure, like the health care systems of Japan or New Zealand, costs are inherently kept in check and the medical profession is considered a seamless component of other social order systems like fire, rescue and police.
So here it is, my main problem with ACA.
Under the current health care system, insurance companies are the ONLY force against cost increases. They work very hard to negotiate reduced price points for the hundreds of itemized charges associated with health care.
the ACA then has a fundamental disconnect. . .maybe I don't see the solution within the law? maybe you can correct me on this?
but, the problem is that
1. Under the ACA the insurance industry is placed into a regulated profit margin system that is based on a percentage of the total amount of money spent on providing heath care to the pool of subscribers.
2. They were cajoled into this by the hundreds of billions of dollars (?) of potential subsidies in the form of direct payments for low income and tax credits for subscribers.
so
3. Inherently contained within this system is a motive to INCREASE the PER UNIT health care costs. Because the prices of the premiums will go up, the subsidies will go up and the dollar value of the percentage of the total paid out costs will also go up, leading to a higher profit per participant.
I just don't see how this is going to do anything but convince the insurance companies to promote increases in health care costs.
Do I have this right?