Brilliantly said, Craig... Agree 100%!

Kerry?

"In terms of content the clear winner was Brown. Vague generalities by Warren proved to be her undoing. However, this was to be expected based on her history. We need to ensure that we have intelligent, effective communication in the senate as Brown has delivered thusfar. If anyone thinks Kerry can actually relate to the average citizen think again!" -- All the talking points hit, Russ. You can collect your paycheck in Texas.

Quasi, Hospitals and providers will be paid less for each visit by a Medicare patient period. It is about $415 Billion in direct reimbursements that are affected. This means doctors are starting to reject Medicare insurance patients. They simply cannot afford to treat them.
The re-admissions penalty is on top of this cut. This will also cause hospitals to hesitate in treatment and probably cause the costs to raise as they will keep these patients longer in hospital to avoid the penalty. In addition it will hurt the very hospitals that need funding help the most. Those in inner cities that treat large populations of poor. The blindness of this is these people are the ones that go home and don't seek post hospitalization care. So the hospital gets whacked when their orders are ignored. Another instance where Obama wades in where he doesn't have a clue!

@Bob

I have heard that doctors are starting to reject Medicare patients. Until further notice, it looks like but just another unfounded rumor concerning the "horrors" of Obamacare , which are propagated by the anti-Obamacare bunch. As you know, even before ObamaCare, there are doctors who did not accept Medicare patients. But they were few, because Medicare is a good source of steady guarantied income.

First, as a rule, hospitals treat everyone who shows up at their doors, insured or non-insured. And this was a big problem for them, because many of these people showing up to the ER did not have insurance, so the hospitals had to absorbed the cost, but in reality, passed this cost to you and me through our insurances.

Second, the rate of reimbursement to a hospital is not as simple as you make it sound, but depends on the type and level of the illness, the age of the patient, etc, and keeping a patient purposely is now, and would be, out of the question.

As for inner cities poor who do not seek post-hospitalization care, you obviously assume that they are all stupid and do not know better, when, most of the time, the real reason was that they could not afford private doctor’s services, so they would be back at the hospital for free care. But this has now changed, the poor people also have health insurances, one way or another, through ObamaCare, so the problem is solved, because now they can afford to go to private doctors.

medicare was paying $716 BILLION more than needed and Mr 0 just discovered that when Mr 0-care needed some extra $ to float.

riiiiight ;)

Quasi, thank you for your condescending response. I see you follow the Biden ignore and disrespect opinions that don't agree with you policy.
Read my post again and explain where I said hospitals wouldn't accept them. Not there. I said providers are rejecting them and they are.
I work at a hospital and know about this issue all too well. Our revenue has been cut because it costs us $1 to treat a Medicare patient and we get paid $.62 cents! Before Obamacare it was $.72 cents and we could make up a percentage of the delta in other ways.
The reimbursement rates have nothing to do with age. They have to do with care provided. We bill based on obs terms and location of care. If the patient is treated in a provider office, the rate is lower than if in an AC setting (i.e. ER). We bill by x-ray, lab etc. nothing to do with illness or age. If we keep a patient an extra day or two to run additional diagnostic tests because the patient isn't responding to treatments, that will be paid by Medicare. The single largest cost in HC today is defensive medicine. The ordering of labs and tests and diagnostic imaging to protect the provider from being sued. Over 70% of providers have admitted practicing defensive medicine. This new penalty will drive that up and drive the cost of HC up with it.
continued....

continued.... ran out of space above

I never said they were stupid, that was your attempted projection and I reject it. They don't see their follow up because in too many cases they still use the ER as their PCP. Obama care hasn't solved any of that. Romney care hasn't either. It won't because many would rather take the penalty (and never pay it) than pay a monthly premium. It is simple economics. Go to any ER in Lowell, Lawrence etc. and you will see people with common colds and ear infections waiting. That is their PCP.

next time you have a dr's appt., ask your doctor about what is gonna happen to medicare patients under obamacare,who would know better than the doctors about how medicare gets affected. every doctor i have talked to has said the same thing,that doctors and hospitals are being paid half of what private insurances pay,but once obamacare kicks in it will go down to 30 cents on the dollar or 30% of what private insurance will get.so what doctor in their right mind wants to take medicare patients and get 30% instead of private insurance and get 100%. come on its common sense if you take off your liberal glasses and stop drinking that awful kool-aid

are you one who got some of the "millions" back from Liawatha's baby? If so I would like some details how that happened? In my > than 50 years I have never been cheated by a bank, a credit card company, ... I can't wait to hear. thanks

And the same problem exits with lots of regulation, only the pain for all is caused by a handful of government employees. So, again, if you think government does a better. more effective and efficient job than open competitive makers, I say Liz is your gal! I'd also suggest you study history to learn how well centrally planned and controlled economies have worked out for those not doing the planning and controlling.

Mitt pays the rate he pays because it is the investment income rate. EW's first reaction to every symptom is to raise taxes, she like to spend others $, yet she:
- chooses to pay the lower MA tax rate
- fleece college students of > $300k for one class (and cries the middle class is being "hammered")
- ...

But, she's not. She lied, that's the issue, not "racism". Aren't you getting a bit tired of racism being tossed about whenever there is valid disagreement that can't be countered?

and your proof that she lies is... Oh that's right, you don't have any, you just lied.

hey everyone, dan d just proved that he is a liar.

it is really simple for EW to PROVE her heritage and I am SURE she would have already done it if it were TRUE

I copied this from another forum:

BTW Professor Warren, if you are really a Cherokee, at least one ancestor of Cherokee blood, you should check the Dawes Rolls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl2WNu4ERqA&feature=related

you owe me one Dan ;)

Jon, very tough to prove a negative. Warren can clear it up but she won't. Why did she claim American Indian heritage only after starting her career (not on college or law school apps) and only after being rejected for top school employment? All of a sudden she finds her ancestry, checks the box and is accepted to Penn and then Harvard! Then Harvard STOPS listing her on their non-white faculty list when it is questioned. Nothing to see here! Move along!

This is fraud if she is not native American. Harvard received federal funds for having her on their faculty and claiming she is "non-white". If they, nor she, can prove that, they committed fraud! But that is ok here in Demachusetts right? as long as it is a Dem doing it?

I also think like you!