36 Comments
User's avatar
Dr. Fake Smile's avatar

The rethugs never ever talk about the waste fraud and abuse in the Byzantine medical oligarchy of UHC, Aetna/CVS, BCBS and the rest of the gang who have bought the whole chain. From provider groups to PBMs to preferred pharmacies to connectors like ChangeHealthcare to the INSCOs themselves, they own it all. The whole damn chain from managed Medicaid to Medicare Disadvantage to ACA plans to commercial insurance- all the same cronies.

They are just begging for nationalization.

Someday we’ll figure it out.

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Traditional Medicare and Medicaid administrative costs are generally considered to be low, typically falling within the 2% to 5% range of total program spending.

For example, in 2021, administrative expenses for traditional Medicare, including contractor costs, were 1.3% of total program spending. Medicaid's administrative costs in 2023 were even lower at 3.9% of total spending.

These figures are significantly lower than administrative costs in private health insurance, which can reach 17% or higher.

However, some argue that the lower Medicare administrative costs are due to high health expenditures among seniors, which make up a smaller proportion of overall spending.

It's also important to note that these figures may not capture all administrative costs. For example, they don't include insurers' costs for administering private Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans, which are notably higher than traditional Medicare. Studies on overall U.S. health spending indicate that administrative costs, including those related to eligibility, coding, submission, and rework, represent a significant portion of excess U.S. health spending, estimated at approximately 15%.

The complexity of the U.S. healthcare system, with its multiple payers and associated administrative burdens, contributes to higher administrative costs overall. This complexity can also impact patients through confusing bills and delays in care

Expand full comment
Dr. Fake Smile's avatar

I agree Boom Boom Mancini-our public plans are actually more efficient than our commercial plans!

So Medicaid and Medicare roughly 5% administrative costs, INSCOs ~18%. We all know that’s where tgeir profit comes from, and no way it takes 18% to administer their plans! That~18%operating margin is where their profit comes in, so if they can offload administrative costs to PBMs and ChangeHealthcare connectors, the INSCOs make more profit.

They are required by law to spend 82% on actual care.

A question I’ve always had is why do they get to have 18% to administer their plans if the public plans can do it with 5%? I thought private enterprise was more efficient than government?

Ive read that the European plans take somewhere between 10-12% to administer their plans, but I would like to have someone with authority corroborate that percentage.

I don’t really want to stir up discussion on the pros and cons of American healthcare vs the rest of the free world, but we should definitely as a nation ask ourselves why the hell we pay so much but get so little.

Expand full comment
Dr. Fake Smile's avatar

Right on Boom Boom. Let’s go

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Right beside you Dr.!

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Outrageous CEO compensation plans and internal corruption (you know, the fraud waste and abuse fElon/DOGE was looking for as he sucks hundreds of billion$ in gov. contracts on the backs of hard working 💪 Taxpayers) are mostly to blame.

Government programs have oversight committees to help contain the corruption.

Private concerns have no such protections!

Healthcare, Education, Big Pharma'$ products should NEVER be privatized.

Expand full comment
Susananda's avatar

Fossil fuel industry and or capitalism are the culprits.

Expand full comment
Susananda's avatar

$1,780,000 per second in profit to ruin our atmosphere and our health is fossil fuel industry

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Thank you. Both are one in the same!

The only difference is Unregulated Crapitalism is the vehicle that all Greedy Billionaires and their 'Corp.'se run on.

Expand full comment
Kathy Powers's avatar

Is it time for Single Payer Health Care/Medicare For All NOW?

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Long passed due!!!

Expand full comment
Kathryn Lewandowsky's avatar

I get what you are saying. Remember that you’ll be there one day also wanting that very expensive care. There are many of us who are fighting to create a truly affordable healthcare system. It’s not by subsidizing already predatory systems that funnel profits to the wealthy!

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Single Payer Medicare for all. People OVER profit!

Expand full comment
KaijaJo's avatar

Healthcare should be about or for profit. It should be about people.

When people can’t even get a PCP that makes eye contact or asks questions about their health how they are doing etc because of profit … we aren’t testing patients we are effectively a drive thru window at “who cares R Us Medical”

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Thank you Mr. Potter for doing Democracy's work for us all in reporting the TRUTH!

As a 74 year old Senior Citizen living on Medicaid, partial SS and nothing much else; I am terrified of any cuts to our safety net programs which would gut me to the bone!

You are America's Hero. Full Stop.

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Why is it authors (boomers) never seem to mention the fact that they are the single largest drain on the American healthcare system?

For those of us not part of the “Me” generation (their parents actually named them that), it’s important to remember this.

The generation that built the world we must now fix socially, economically, environmentally and so on; is in fact the largest and most demanding consumers of health care.

Never mind that they historically paid the lowest taxes of any of us currently alive, as we now pay higher taxes in order to pay for them, just remember that this self obsessed generation of “Me” people will do anything it takes to get what they want.

Any information from them is to be viewed with a very high level of skepticism.

We are now in the hockey stick like slope created by this generation in terms of entitlements like healthcare, social security etc.

It is expected to peak around 2035.

So not only do we have to fix the social, economic and environmental mess left behind by these “me” machines, we also have some steep climbing to do in paying for them as we get these people off the planet.

Make no mistake, they will go kicking and screaming, doing everything they can for and about themselves just as they have lived; and neither they nor anything they write can be trusted.

One look around at what they leave behind for us demonstrates that beyond all doubt.

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Thank you for the Stupid, Mr. Ayn Rand.

Even she ended her life being saved by the very Social Safety Net she fought against her whole life.

For your info, America is WE the People, not ME the People!

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Pipe down boomer.

Haven’t you and your “me generation” kind done enough damage, already?

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

HAHAHA! Not until the likes of you and your MAGA/TECH Bros are ultimately 'van$quished' into obscurity. You are on the wrong side of everything, including "Life" itself. Go spread your manure on Joe Rogaine's head and grow a brain!

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Hey, genius 👋 - you’re literally using our stuff, including this very app.

AI is now here to place you further under our control.

I’ll bet you’ve already looked at your phone or computer at least 15 times today.

We own you 😘

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

It looks like your neural implant is malfunctioning HAL 2000!

fElon owns you.

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Not only do we own you, you’re also paying us for it.

And you won’t ever stop, you can’t stop 😂

Expand full comment
Kathy Powers's avatar

Prepare for your old age, sir.

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Can’t, too busy paying

for yours.

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

Mister BIG $hot. POS.

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

So wise, so eloquent.

Are you in LA, “homie”?

Expand full comment
Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

It's about time you recognized a superior intellect.

Expand full comment
Jerry Myers's avatar

Um, ok.

Just make sure you keep making your payments and driving engagement for us 😂

Expand full comment