Comments about ‘Robert Bennett: 'Obamacare' is rife with problems’

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Roland Kayser
Cottonwood Heights, UT

I preferred Senator Bennet's health care plan to Obamacare. But if I remember correctly, the plan was vehemently opposed by most of his own party.

Mike in Cedar City
Cedar City, Utah

Senator Bennett may have forgotten why the Medicare Advantage plan was dumped, but those of us who have looked at the reasons know that the plan was a give away to the health insurance industry. It was a move to privatize medicare that failed because it was not cost effective. The health insurers made good profits with it, but it provided few additional benefits and ramped up premium costs.

Far East USA, SC

Health care costs are skyrocketing. And have been for many years.

Medicare is a huge problem going forward. Healthcare costs and future viability of Medicare are closely tied.

Because of that, SOMETHING must be done to get our rising healthcare costs under control.

Only the uninformed or staunchly partisan can deny that.

I am not a huge fan of Obamacare, but we need to do something.

If only our elected officials would sit down in earnest together to tackle the issue. If only they would put politics aside and work on solutions.

Unfortunately, politics today means bashing the other side. It's primary goal is to insure party control. The best plan in the world would be panned by the other side.

Until we get past that mentality, nothing positive will ever happen.

This comment will be followed, not by those looking for solutions, but whose primary goal is to bash the other side. Just like our politicians.

salt lake city, utah

And yet Senator Bennett prior to Obamacare health care costs soared, millions didn't have coverage, and medicare marched down it's path to being broke and unworkable...and what did the Republicans do..nothing, absolutely nothing. In addition what would have happened if Obamacare had been "throughly debated"..it too wold have died, just look at gun regulation now. No Obamacare is far from perfect but it has moved the needle and started the work to health care reform.

Far East USA, SC

Both sides have touted combating medicare waste, fraud and abuse.

They agree on something. Hallelujah!

So, why dont they work together on this ONE THING. Start there. Baby steps.

Work on Waste, fraud and abuse without injecting partisan issues.

Hey, at least its a start. And a rare agreement.

Mike in Cedar City
Cedar City, Utah

JoeBlow. Medicare is not the "huge problem going forward" although, like every bill payer, it does have a problem going forward. Health care costs are rising because the health care providers (hospitals, Medical device companies, drug companies< are not responsive to market forces.

You might want to read a recent article in Time Magazine "Why Medical Bills are Killing Us" March 6 2013. In point of fact Medicare has been more effective than private insurers in holding down medical costs. In summary, heath care in this country is a "sellers market" Consumers in a sellers market can rarely shop for the cost effective health care. Find out what a "chargemaster" is and how it relates to Hospital costs. Find out how medical equipment suppliers are gaming the system, and how hospitals are able to charge ridiculous amounts for low cost mundane items.

Hayden, ID

Why are healthcare cost rising? Because you get what you pay for! Yes there is inflation but remember we have the most advanced healthcare in the world, best pharmaceuticals, the best trained doctors in the world and the best medical technology. If you want 3rd world medicine, well it will certainly be cheaper but you will get exactly what you pay for it. Ask yourself why a drug company is able to research, develop and market highly advanced medicines. The answer is because our medical system (capitalism) rewards them for doing so (profits). While some complain about high profits of medical devices and drugs, look at the fantastic return we are getting on our investments! Socialized medicine will remove the incentive for forward progress in medicine and will stop or at least retard future medical advancements. The largest cost of Obamacare will be limited advancements in medicine because it removes the incentive for investments and advancements. Why would anyone invest capitol if they know they will never get a return on it?


Overhauling the U.S. healthcare delivery system was always going to be a tremendous undertaking. Obamacare was developed over many months, in committees. Republican governors have shown they are willing to disenfranchise voters in their own states so why should anyone believe they aren't above playing politics with this issue?

Premiums will go up for some, particularly those in the individual market. But as was explained during the development and passage phase, people in the individual market will get better coverage--not the junk policies with high premiums and high deductibles that are all too common.

Drs. aren't quitting due to Obamacare. Dealing with multiple different insurance companies and multiple different plans within each insurance company is a major headache for healthcare providers. The Republican's idea to allow people to purchase policies from other states was merely going to add to the complexity.

Sebelius is very capable. There are going to be glitches and likely changes needed down the road but change we must. It seems to be working ok in Massachusetts. It would be better if all the governors were cooperative.

Far East USA, SC

"Because you get what you pay for!"

If only that were true. Your post is full of misinformation.

Now, if I had a very rare disease, then YES. Absolutely I would want to be in the US.

We do have the most advanced medicine.

Case in point. I had a routine, outpatient surgical procedure. I was in the hospital for a total of 4 hours. I was in the operating room for a total of 15 minutes. I laid around for 2+ hours waiting then over an hour in recovery sleeping.

The bill came to $26,000 (before insurance adjusted it). That did not include the surgeon or the anesthesiologist.

Did I get what I paid for?

Then you write "The largest cost of Obamacare will be limited advancements in medicine because it removes the incentive for investments and advancements."

Care to explain? We keep hearing that health care cost will go up (and I agree). So, how are we removing the "incentive for investment and advancements"?

Unless costs are dropping, where does the incentive go?

Mike in Cedar.
My thoughts are because people get roughly 3 times what they pay in. It can only get worse.

Ultra Bob
Cottonwood Heights, UT

Obamacare is not what the people of America wanted and expected from President Obama. And it doesn’t seem to be what some of the businessmen in Heath care wanted either. However some people seem to like it. Only thing is, the people who like it are not the people who profit from the Health Care scam.

If Obamacare was compared to the tax law in a poll, my guess is that more people hate the unfair tax law than the unfair Obamacare. And there would be a shift in the supporters versus the people in opposition.

The real problem is both cases is that the laws were created by businessmen for businessmen. Only in the case of Obamacare two sets of businessmen are pitted against each other.

Hayden, ID

@ Joe Blow. Then you should have gone to a "cheap" doctor! That way you would have gotten exactly what you paid for. There is no such thing as inexpensive AND excellent medicine! It doesn't exist and even Obamacare will not change that fact.

Fitness Freak
Salt Lake City, UT

Obamacare does absolutely nothing to address the EVER RISING healthcare delivery costs.

Pharmaceuticals/medical device manufacturers can raise their prices to whatever they want.

Hospitals/clinics can raise their prices to whatever they want. Doctors aren't limited much regarding "market forces" either.

Insurance companies will just keep passing on those costs until, at some point healthcare expenses equal greater than 50% of the family budget.

What we need is a thorough examination of WHY we're having to pay ridiculous amounts of $$$.

For instance: why can't I go to an independent lab, have my throat swabbed for strep, then if positive, go to the pharmacy and get a cheap prescription? Or, why can't a RN write a "prescription" for an innocuous medication like antibiotics?

We ALL think we should have "cadillac" medicine, but we all think someone/anyone else should pay for it.

Basically, forces outside our control manage every aspect of the system EXCEPT the price.

Obamacare doesn't even pretend to change that, it just takes "money from the left pocket, instead of taking it from the right pocket"!

Kent C. DeForrest
Provo, UT

Republicans have no right to complain about Obamacare. It is, in its most significant aspects, a Republican program. Why do we have it? Because the Republicans would not allow us to have a single-payer system patterned after any of 20 in the world that provide quality care for all citizens at half the cost of ours. They want some market-based program that would exclude half the population and allow the insurance industry and large health-care providers to soak in as much profit as possible. So, Bob, don't complain. We now have a Republican health-care system. If we really want to control costs, we need to follow the lead of the rest of the civilized world. Or maybe I shouldn't use the word "rest," because I'm not sure we're part of the civilized world. Our positions on health care and gun control put that proposition in question.

South Jordan, Utah

I just know our present system doesn't work very well. Senator Bennett and his republican friends had years to fix it and didn't. I'd prefer a single payer system, or a public option.

Cottonwood Heights, UT

Single Payer, Single Payer, Single Payer

Hayden, ID

One more important point (in my opinion) about Obamacare. When someone goes to the emergency room, they can not be turned away even if they can not pay. These costs are then passed on to "paying patients" by increased medical services they receive, hence, $10 aspirin tablets, etc. It was said by some that Obamacare would prevent these pass along cost of the uninsured from emergency room visits. What is not clear to me is that how Obamacare would change any of that. When I heard that Obamacare would decrease healthcare cost, I knew it was a lie.

Far East USA, SC

"When someone goes to the emergency room, they can not be turned away even if they can not pay"

Yup. The concept being that you cant turn away a dying patient. Not a bad concept.

Passed by Reagan with a GOP senate and a DEM house.

I agree mtnman. Business will find a way to outsmart government to insure that they will make more profits. Not that is really all that tough to do. Businessmen are smarter and our system allows them to contribute money (I call it bribery) to those who make the laws.

American Fork, UT

Yes, it has many problems. Mostly, it stopped far short of the creation of the single payer system we so need.

Irony Guy
Bountiful, Utah

Bennett's claim that Republican governors are not delaying ACA is totally disingenuous. Of course they're delaying it! Everybody knows it and so does Bennett. Meanwhile United Healthcare just raised my premium by 30 percent this year while its CEO walks off with $101 million payout. What do you think of that, Bob Bennett? Would you agree that is obscene or not?

HS Fan
Salt Lake City, UT

America has the best health care in the world, if you can afford it. For those who can't take two aspirin and have your family call the Doctor in mourning.

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