PP&ACA in Cambridge

For John, BLUF:  It is like they didn't identify the real problem and developed a solution for a false problem, which will require a lot of work to make work properly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The photo cutline for the lead picture in an article on the PP&ACA♠ lists Dr. Alan M. Garber, a physician and health economist, who is the provost at Harvard.  He is defending the increases in costs for health insurance at Harvard.  I had to think a minute, because what flashed into my mind was Professor Jonathan Gruber, of MIT, who said, infamously, that we the voters are stupid and the backers of the PP&ACA took advantage of that in passing the bill.♥  Professor Garber defended the changes because they "can slow the growth of health spending.”

How, you ask?

Michael E. Chernew, a health economist and the chairman of the university benefits committee, which recommended the new approach, acknowledged that “with these changes, employees will often pay more for care at the point of service.”  In part, he said, “that is intended because patient cost-sharing is proven to reduce overall spending.”

Well, I guess that since we don't call it rationing, it isn't.  Maybe it is just saying that the American public is a bunch of hypochondriacs, who need to go to their physician less frequently and the PP&ACA is going to make that happen by making patients do some "cost-sharing".

I feel for the staff at Harvard.  Private company and all that.  Although, with some of those teaching loads, maybe they can duck under the 30 hour a week limit.

Per the article in The New York Times, many see this as being a pay cut, a reduction in take home pay.  What do you bet they feel betrayed?

Frankly, I don't believe the PP&ACA goes to the heart of our health care provisioning, which is meeting the needs of those who were already underserved, often because they are geographically, financially or socially isolated.  I would rather have paid a little more in taxes to fix that than deal with this new system, and I am pretty protected from it right now.  But, the big bureaucracy will find me some day and make me do "some 'cost-sharing'".

Hat tip to my Brother Lance.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  For George Anthes, Esq, Obamacare.
♥  I think the corollary is that the Tea Party folks must be pretty smart, since they saw through it and opposed the PP&ACA.