After Obamacare Cracks Up, Then What?

By Rick Ackerman Posted on May 27, 2014, 3:54 am EDT Last Updated May 27, 2014, 6:13 pm EDT

[The disaster that is Obamacare continues to grow, even as the mainstream media remains in denial about the program’s inevitable crack-up. In the guest essay below, Neal Muhlberg, a licensed health insurance agent with 25 years of experience, examines some of the ACA’s failures. He fears, however, that the best opportunity to replace the program with one that works came and went with the unsuccessful presidential bid of Ron Paul. Even so, there are glimmers of hope in evolving health care practices such as “concierge care,” which allows patients to pay with cash rather than insurance in order to receive prompter and more-attentive care. RA]

A new McKinsey & Co. report finds that Obamacare’s goal of providing coverage for the previously uninsured has failed. The report concludes that 74% of Obamacare enrollees at the end of the first open-enrollment period already had health insurance. Just 26% reported being previously uninsured. According to the Associated Press, at least 4.7 million policy holders lost their health insurance policies when their plans were declared “substandard.” Many of those individuals simply went through the Obamacare exchanges to buy policies to replace the ones outlawed by the Affordable Care Act.

The same phenomenon occurred almost 50 years ago, when Lyndon Johnson implemented the Great Society programs of Medicare and Medicaid, ordering all insurance companies to cancel major medical policies for those 65 years or older, and charging a tax that everyone was forced to pay for programs whose resemblance to a Ponzi scheme has become increasingly obvious over time. Under the ACA, this is occurring again for those under age 65. Is there any hope that the voters will rise up and throw the rascals out, repealing this disastrously misguided law? I hope so, but I doubt it.

No Real Choice

Let me explain. Polls indicate extreme dissatisfaction with all aspects of the ACA. It seems like the American voters are constantly being suckered into choosing between left-wing socialized medicine (Obamacare) and right-wing socialized medicine (Romneycare in Massachusetts, the model for the ACA). In the process, the Republican Party (and, of course the Democrats) rejected and slandered the only free-market candidate, as well as the only physician who was a serious Presidential contender, Ron Paul, a 12-term member of the House of Representatives. Between political runs, Dr. Paul delivered over 4,000 babies in his lower-middle-class Texas district, much of his services given for free to those who couldn’t afford it. He and most doctors of that era were true to their Hippocratic oath.

In reaction to the ACA’s strictures and to increasingly stingy reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid for basic services, many doctors are taking early retirement or limiting the number of Medicaid and Medicare patients they see. It is predictable that much longer waits to see doctors or get MRI scans are on the horizon as the ACA slowly roots itself. Doctor shortages can only get worse, since we are seeing far fewer top students choose medical school because of the huge debts they and their parents will incur and the uncertainties they will face when they emerge into a professional world that even now is being upended.

Doctors Shun Insurance

There is hope, however. Many doctors are no longer accepting insurance, instead forming concierge medical practices that give patients some attractive payment options. For one, you can often pay as little as $25 in cash for an office visit, or get unlimited visits for a set monthly payment of between $50 and $150. More and more care providers are also starting to offer free EKGs and biopsies, and cut-rate prices on prescription drugs. Many patients have catastrophic insurance but feel the fee is well worth it for personalized service, including house calls, the doctor’s cell-phone number, and quick responses to e-mails.

Before Medicaid there were various “mutual benefit societies” formed voluntarily by health care providers to ease the burden on those who could not afford emergency care. Such organizations may be formally organized with charters and established customs, or may arise ad hoc to meet unique needs of a particular time and place. There were, and still are, many religion-affiliated hospitals whose charters demand that they treat a significant percentage of indigent, or poor /lower middle-class people who don’t have insurance. [Note: A story out this morning in the New York Times suggests this charitable practice may be in jeopardy because of Obamacare. Click here for the full article.]

Medical Vacations

In addition, medical vacations are becoming increasingly popular to destinations that offer surgical and diagnostic procedures at a cost far lower than in the U.S. Let’s say you need stomach surgery that would cost $30,000 in a typical U.S. hospital. That same procedure, including airfare and a hotel room for a ten-day recovery period, will cost you less than $5,000 in India. “Medical tourism” is available in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and many other countries.

For those who want relatively cheap coverage for true major-medical needs, short-term policies are still available at very affordable premiums. These plans are underwritten, however, and so not everyone can qualify. Critical-illness insurance is also a becoming more widespread. These plans pay directly to the insured a lump sum of $5,000 to $500,000 upon diagnose of a critical illness. Also, small-business group plans are still available, but a business owner must have at least one employee ( and up to 50). Like ACA coverage, these plans are “guaranteed issue” for pre-existing conditions, and there aren’t any open enrollment periods as with the ACA. These plans, however, are in danger of being outlawed unless we actually do throw the rascals out.

You can contact the author of this essay by clicking here.

EVIL VLAD May 31, 2014, 8:09 pm

hey, saw this right now in passing, and it was so good, I couldn’t pass it up before thread ends-
(and it’s NOT a joke, it is true)

“DOG CARE — EASIER THAN OBAMACARE”
by david lazarus, ‘los angeles times,’ may 29, 2014.

“It tells you everything you need to know about the U.S. healthcare system that you can get more comprehensive coverage for a dog than you can for a human being.”

(and here is his recent personal experience, re the need for pet care insurance in the ussa).
haha.

“Like most pet owners, we wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever’s necessary to help our newest family member. But we took a recent $150 visit to the vet for a minor ear infection as a wake-up call about protecting ourselves financially.

Dr. Ed Jordan, a vet at Melrose-La Brea Animal Hospital, told me that far too few pet owners plan ahead for major medical problems. “Your dog gets hit by a car. He needs $7,000 worth of work. It’s that simple,” he said.

There are about 1 million pet-insurance policies in the United States and Canada, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Assn.”

(then he goes on to explain in detail, how much easier is pet insurance, than obamascare). ha.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140530-column.html
- gary leibowitz June 1, 2014, 6:05 pm
  
  Forgot to mention the huge profits for the insurance companies. How much care is given at the extreme case for a dog? Money and time? Not even close. Imagine a Dog on ICU. How long do we keep them alive, and at what cost? The news agencies make money on the bad things that happen. Take the VA situation. Did anyone bother to look up the government cost of such an agency? Did anyone bother to look up how well the care is once they do get care? How much money does it take to start and finish wars? Bottom line, it’s all about money. We complain about the excessive costs of government yet the ONLY solution to the enormous waiting list at the Phoenix VA is to spend more money. With most of you I suspect you think this should be a private business, with charities only. No? Making an exception? Yes this is another tangent I went on.
gary leibowitz May 31, 2014, 5:50 pm

“I love the personal attacks on the ONLY person that doesn’t use hate and retribution as my theme for everything. I guess rational and calm demeanor disqualifies me as someone that is smart enough to understand how life works.”

My rambling is no different than all others. I will gladly encapsulate every single argument you had and will have with these simple sentences.
1 – Our freedoms are taken away from us thru government intrusions.
2 – Our government should be disbanded because every single agency is corrupt and line the pockets of the connected few.
3 – The stock market has been confiscated from us and there are only a few of us that understand its true worthless value.
4- We spend too much time and money coddling the poor which creates more dependencies and less moral character.

Now, I would appreciate just ONE article that doesn’t cycle this very tired theme of yours. Just one.
- mario Cavolo June 1, 2014, 4:23 am
  
  Again Gary, you mix up and therefore distort the issues. Lets write with realistic accuracy:
  
  1. Yes, inarguably true and frightening. Couldn’t be clearer, who DOESNT know this is what has happened in America over the past ten plus years with a mountain of evidence including changes to the law allowing more and more intrusion of our privacy.
  2. How about “obviously many core parts of our govt system are more corrupt than ever with the pockets of the,connected few being lined and their interests favored to a degree more than ever in recent history.” starting perhaps with the bankers who in their greed caused a meltdown of the US financial system resulting in bailout support of trillions on the backs of the lowly citizens who now can’t retire on 1% interest income, who have lost $700 billion in interest income. Instead, Jamie Dimon and the like get it, eh? And meanwhile, who said the govt should “disbanded”? Replaced though, would be a blessing…
  3. 1st part inarguably true, known and documented. Books have been written on exactly how, who and why. Bone up on it. 2nd part is rhetorical nonsense, obviously we all know shares have “value” as an asset, while it is very true many people so not understand how deeply corrupt the system is, you have said you also know its true, so the contradiction is weird.
  4. Again, huge built in assumptions, distortions and generalizations here. Its impossible to respond without first clarifying each word and phrase of your statement.
  …too much time and money; how, where, which parts of the system? Coddling the poor…who? The deadbeat poor, the hardworking poor, the handicapped poor? The feeble, old poor? Coddling is what? How specifically? Creating dependency and decline of character….well, in some situations it sure as heck does, in others its helpful support. A book is required to respond here…speaking of, you then ask for ONE article on a “tired” theme…..but there are already tens of thousands of writings which clearly identify these issues , often by highly credible authors, with a pile of documented evidence to the moon, so what exactly are you asking for here?
  You acknowledge the corruption then you say “oh its just capitalism” . It has nothing to do with “capitalism”! It has to do with corrupt, greedy people inside a system of govt whether democracy, capitalism, socialism, monarchy, central govt, dictatorship. Capitalism nor democracy are “the” “best” models.
  
  Then you for and insist we provide “solutions”? A “solution” to self serving built in corruption within a system? That would entail a sudden ethical accountability and choices, wouldn’t it? Justice is supposed to serve the country, but when that very system doesn’t, then the politicians must make choices they know will do nothing more than cause themselves to be voted out and worse. And so the great stalemate continues while the corruption deepens. That is clearly what we have witnessed. You keep rooting for a system that is beyond fixing. In the same way getting rid of guns would be wonderful for the entire country, but it is too late for that to happen. I love,living on a gun free country, but even I see that in America, that’s not ever going to be possible.
  
  In short, at this point in the unfoldment of Ametica, there are few “solutions” which are anything other than mutinous, radical choices for which you immediately get ostracized, ruined, voted out, set aside like for example, Ron Paul. No one dares step too far out of line anymore, its all locked up, spitting into the wind, Even likely, you may be treated like a terrorist under Homeland Security for your ideas threatening national security and stability. Tell me it ain’t so…chinese are freer citizens in many ways in todays world, I can easily document that comparison, I’m not being rhetorical nor radical when I state it.
  
  Cheers, Mario
  - gary leibowitz June 1, 2014, 5:45 pm
    
    Mario, funny how you seem to dismiss our government when the anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre 25 years ago has been effectively wiped out of Chinese history. Lets talk about denial. You defend a government with such total control and yet rail on a free unmonitored website with views so extreme and incendiary that in the country you now live in they would be executed and no one would be allowed to morn for them openly.
    
    To compare what we have today, with all its faults and corruption, to other nations, or even past history, is laughable. We cry about things that 3/4 of the world population would eagerly swap for.
    
    But you do reinforce my argument with your quick response. You systematically verified all my points in such a biased manner that it is indeed impossible to see anything this country does as beneficial.
    
    I can imagine the results of a survey on this very issue. A survey taken also in time. Go back to any time and place of your choosing and honestly tell me the results will verify your position. Ask Rick what place or era he thinks he would be more comfortable with. If this is the era of the 4 horseman, I wonder why history is full of era’s that proclaimed the same thing. I guess they were just whiners and never realized that today we have it so much worse than at any point in our past. Be sure to shut off the stove, lights, dishwasher, and air conditioner when you leave your home. You wouldn’t want to burden yourself with excess costs. Most importantly take your portable internet device wherever you go. You can choose to use it as a world wide library of information with instant access to world events, or you can just keep in contact with a loved one on the go. Don’t forget the fun and games we can enjoy for distraction anywhere and anytime we choose. But I digress. I forgot that this bunch doesn’t have the time or inclination for such nonsense. We must all make ourselves aware of the impending doom. You live and breath in a time of such freedoms and luxuries in our human history, especially for the mass population, that you have an inordinate amount of time complaining about it.
  - mario cavolo June 2, 2014, 3:47 am
    
    Gary, your first paragraph is the dumbest, stupidest most ignorant, misguided set of words I have EVER read from you. I’ll read the rest later….
  - mario June 2, 2014, 11:00 am
    
    Ah now I have time. What’s your problem, man?
    
    Stay on topic. 4 points. 4 replies, which you diverted from, ignored rather than tripled to. I asked you a specific question in #1 ” who DOESNT know this is what has happened in America over the past ten plus years with a mountain of evidence including changes to the law allowing more and more intrusion of our privacy.?”
    
    Instead you come back by stupidly and incorrectly attacking the history of the country I live in. That’s worse than a wife saying “nothing honey” when you ask her what’s wrong.
    
    “A govt with such total control” can’t possibly be the govt of China you are referring to. Separately, it is far too easy to make a clear cut case by case point that in comparison, you would far more clearly be referring to the U.S. govt with that statement, a place where, I assure you, FAR more fear of the govt, police and crime, exists in the daily minds of U.S. citizens compared to Chinese citizens. I can’t concern myself whether or not somebody “likes” this reality or not, I certainly don’t! But that doesn’t change it.
    
    Second of all I NEVER defend the Chinese govt. I only describe what they are actually doing, sensibly and reasonably with out rhetoric. They have done enormous good for their country and citizens while they do plenty of bad stuff too, pointless to type another word about it as the same could be said for dozens of govt entities.
    
    Thirdly, we do not need you to explain us the benefits provided by modern day inventions such as sewers, flushing toilets, hot, clean water, antibiotics, electricity and smartphones and tablets and computers as compared to our wooden teethed ancestors who died at an avg age of 49 before 1900.
    
    NONE of which has anything to do with the other underlying issues which exist and are outlined often here. I couldn’t give a sh@t whether it’s a happy day because a welfare recipient has a smartphone and an LCD tv and hot water.
    
    The system loves a guy like you, a blathering idealist who is absolutely right about everything you say and can do virtually nothing about.
    
    Cheers, Mario
Rich May 30, 2014, 5:57 pm

Sterling found incompetent and (estranged) wife as Family Trust Trustee negotiated the Ballmer deal.

Shinseki resigned and Uncle still has $147 T in debt obligations, with $710 T in BIS derivatives that fueled markets.

When/if i rates climb, game over except for precious in possession. All US war games grabbed as much drugs, food, oil and precious as possible before the Big Default. China and Russia just stepped outside the PetroDollar with their Big Trade Deal.

Accordingly, this minor off topic trade:

QQQ JUN 06 2014 91.00 P – 09:30:00
Bought to Open @ $0.52
- Craig May 30, 2014, 6:41 pm
  
  Final notes on this topic:
  
  Rick,
  
  The time article was spot on as far as I remember.
  When I say non-profit hospitals I include county hospitals which are horribly run money pits.
  Foundation nonprofits get to run smooth, not pay taxes, get donations and hide behind we are nonprofit…we have nothing to gain.
  
  Insurance has also led to dr. scarcity by saying oh mr ob/gyn if you deliver up to 149 babies your insurance is $100k a year if you deliver 150 babies your insurance will be $180k a year.
  
  I tell doctors all the time how bad the future is for them, higher taxes off of less income, and more expenses through more staff due to increased paperwork…under Obamacare better healthcare starts with more paperwork. They laugh it off and say they will just retire or move to new Zealand and practice….most don’t invest but their 401ks will be destroyed if they have them and the are delusional about how they will make money in the future they are like an athlete that thinks people will just give them 100s of thousands forever because of who they are. They also do not understand that no country even comes close to paying doctors what they get paid here. As the dollar crashes reimbursement will go down and stay the same and soon the average Joe will start to bridge the gap.
  
  Navin,
  
  You have 1 out of every 6 posts in this topic, you have at least got 33% of all typed words and have contributed zero and just try to change topics and bring up arguments from the past which you over posted. Navin, less is more, especially for you. You cry that Mario and I have posted a bunch, but we have contributed and we stayed in topic and we don’t do it every week nonstop…get a job or a hobby, if you have job…spend more time doing it….if this is your job….go away!
  - Jason S May 30, 2014, 7:11 pm
    
    Well I’m gonna to go then! And I don’t need any of this. I don’t need this stuff, and I don’t need *you*. I don’t need anything. Except this.
    
    [picks up an ashtray]
    
    I don’t need this or this. Just this ashtray… And this paddle game. – The ashtray and the paddle game and that’s all I need… And this remote control. – The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that’s all I need… And these matches. – The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control, and the paddle ball… And this lamp. – The ashtray, this paddle game, and the remote control, and the lamp, and that’s all *I* need. And that’s *all* I need too. I don’t need one other thing, not one… I need this. – The paddle game and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches for sure. Well what are you looking at? What do you think I’m some kind of a jerk or something! – And this. That’s all I need.
  - Jason S May 30, 2014, 7:13 pm
    
    Sorry, Craig, I couldn’t help myself. Your set up was too perfect for that “Navin” monologue.
  - Craig May 30, 2014, 7:23 pm
    
    I love it.
    
    Just stay away from the cans. He hates these cans.
    
    Navin go see the world, me you have already seen.
Chuck May 30, 2014, 3:58 pm

does anyone else think that the sale of the LA Clippers was a set up? in other words, with a price of $2 billion, Sterling can afford the taxes…..perhaps his comments were all a ploy to build the price up before a sale…..??
gary leibowitz May 30, 2014, 6:18 am

Calling me an idiot or just lucky is dismissing the ONLY person that publically stated he sees a long period of low wage, low cost, high productivity and profits for corporate America, followed by another crash. Rick and others not so politely told me that was impossible. Now that the impossible is happening you all pretend you never stated this as fact. You have to find ways to back track your argument with conspiracies and hidden losses. The really interesting point is that I have also called for a very steep drop, another crash of perhaps 50 percent or more. I have stated and will repeat, since no one seems to remember, that I call for a actual acceleration in economic activity that will cause rates to rise above the critical point where debt can’t be serviced. Where creditors panic. I readily admit that scenario hasn’t played out yet, and might not. I am still betting it does. I know that according to everyone here that future scenario is also impossible. That’s why I see only a run of the mill bear correction till October, followed by a big long term run up till 2016 elections.

All this from the Pollyanna liberal that oozes too much empathy for the poor and weak minded. Sorry I don’t hate everyone and everything like you folks. Has anyone ever posted something positive? I find it impossible, statistically speaking, that every single function of government is wrong. A perfect government where evil permeates thru every pore of the system. Yet I am always called out for stating the obvious, such as corporations have enjoyed the governments loose policy. I wonder some times if I am a Twilight Zone episode where I live my life in a hidden bubble where all my senses are controlled and manipulated, only to find 50 years later the key that takes away that façade. Could this fake bull run actually last till end of 2016? Never mind, just making foolish conversation.

Bottom Line: My Macro prediction, so far, has already come true. Has yours?
- Oregon May 30, 2014, 5:29 pm
  
  Navin,
  There is a huge difference between successfully predicting the market and successfully running a gov’t.
  
  I, for one, have given you credit for your view of the market in the past. I have no doubt of your skill, masturbating with stats and financial statements.
  
  That is very different from understanding human nature well enough to tend the flock.
  
  Your obvious, yet shamelessly self described proficiency in the former, is totally overshadowed by complete naivete’ in the latter.
  
  You should stick to the market, and stay out of politics.
  
  “Sorry I don’t hate everyone and everything like you folks.”
  
  That is the kind of broad naivete’ that makes up about 3/4 of your soliloquies. You are an ass.
  
  I give at least 12 hours of my time, per week, to VOLUNTEER with kids in my community.
  
  What do you do?
VILE VLAD May 30, 2014, 1:20 am

more proof obamascare totally stinks for almost all amerikain. both are today’s articles.

“MANY EMPLOYEES HIT WITH HIGHER HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/05/28/health-care-costs-increasing/9631923/

“7 IN 10 PEOPLE SAY OBAMACARE HAD BAD OR ZERO IMPACT ON U.S.”
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101707786?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cheadline%7Cheadline%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=101707786%7C7%20in%2010%20say%20Obamacare%20had

what can I say. typical “white man’s burden.”
and only question is: when will “atlas shrug?”

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

even more solid proof,
via great, rare charts ‘prechter’s people,’ that the ussa market holocaust, is very near.

and myself, I continue to say, that even if you time the mother of all tops, on the button,
odds are high, your broker will be broke, even before you are, and won’t pay you a penny;
not of your massive profits, nor even of your capital. broke. default. kaput. doors closed.

because what is surely coming, is greatest financial crash, in history of man. so prepare.
from one day (or one week), to the next. everything we knew, gone. it’s history. the past.
just like in a classic s.f. movie. only that, this time, it will be real, and not science fiction.
and, if you do not see this, the evidence of this unavoidable event, then–disregard it.

http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/27/A-Hallmark-of-5th-Waves-Hits-a-Precarious-Extreme.aspx#axzz337VEQDiV

the above is an up-to-date study of current alltime high margin debt, a $1/2 tril, just in nyse.
and nasdaq plus other exchanges, are probably even higher, in margin debt size.

but what I found extraordinary in the 3 charts enclosed on this elliottwave link above,
is what the one chart showed re current situation, relating to,
‘cash, PLUS credit available,’ held in ussa brokerage accounts,
is that brokerages are currently running at a $180 bil deficit,
which, as a comparison, nearly matches BOTH 2000 and 2007 tops, COMBINED.

and what this says to me, is that the COMPLACENCY in today’s market is so HUGE,
that brokerages are going BEYOND, their legal credit limits to lend, to the tune of–
180 billion ussa fiats.

so, my question is, how MANY brokerages will go under, and NOT pay you at all,
EVEN if you timed the top puts or shorts of the century, when the liquidity music ends?

and it will end, be assured of that. and not just 2008 will seem like a picnic, but even 30’s.

$$$$$$$$$$

added info—
this goes counter to what you are told daily via ussa press, about a so-called ‘recovery’–
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-economy-shrank-1-percent-rate-q1-123534222–finance.html

now this, is the future–china, and it’s allies. and NOT the doomed ussa.
for china is now officially, the top consumer of cellphones.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-economy-shrank-1-percent-rate-q1-123534222–finance.html
conceptually, that has an enormous inference, of the future to come.
- mario cavolo May 30, 2014, 5:49 am
  
  Hi V. Yes a bleak picture in many, many ways.
  I am curious to know your vision of how the collapse might unfold in the first couple of weeks of it?…what might be the first trigger and then what series of events, announcements, reactions, banks, stock markets, bonds, countries…
  
  Mine might be “China reports massive, sudden collapse of real estate market” or “a new world currency in cahoots with Russia” or “China backlash at U.S. blah blah, liquidates 500 billion in U.S. treasuries” or whatever. I’m not saying I believe those things will happen, just examples. What happens next, etc.
  
  Another might be. Fed announces immediate purchase of $2 trillion to cover bank losses as brokers go broke due to excess stock market leverage at the top, USD plunges to 65.” Then what….? Bonds? Oil? Other currencies? Gold
  
  Cheers, Mario
  
  &&&&&&
  
  Mario, I’m trying to nudge Vlad back on-topic — Obamacare, mainly — so I would ask that you not throw him the kind of raw meat that is more likely to elicit from him the rant that has become all too familiar in this forum. Vlad: Please take note…and save your breath. RA
  - VILE VLAD May 31, 2014, 3:32 am
    
    1st, farmer, don’t go, your posts are damn good, I read them slow. interesting life.
    
    2nd, mario, if you are a serious thinker, I suggest a subscription, to elliottwave.
    because prechter and his people, will take your ever rosy views, to world’s doomsday.
    and trust me, he’s right. however, warning–his timing is not short, but longterm.
    
    3rd, craig, it’s obvious your expertise is ussa doctors and hospitals, so disregard gary.
    
    4th, gary, listen. what you have never understood, from all told you here, is this—
    that, despite you being ‘right,’ over last five years, in this incredible ‘bull’ market,
    that, even if this ‘bull’ market, lasts five more years, it’s still– a fraudulent market,
    based on huge debt, piled upon huge debt, as there is no growth, without more debt,
    and this is everywhere, in the world, not just in ussa. so you see, the model is corrupt,
    to core; and all you do, repeatedly, is take corp. improved earnings, via firings,
    via big corps. going offshore to minimize taxes (designed that way purposefully),
    via primarily free gifts to big banks of BILLIONS of newly FED minted free paper fiats,
    etc, etc.
    and you just DON’T WANT to get, that you WASTE the VALUABLE TIME of all here,
    you want to just ramble endlessly, on your nonsense diatribes, that no one cares about.
    why? don’t know. but I know, you NEED to do it. maybe you consider it, redemption.
    but you are WASTING TIME of serious INDIVIDUALS here, with IDIOCIES.
    is that what your socialist life is about? wasting TIME of serious senior INDIVIDUALS?
    inquiring minds want to know. what the hell is wrong with you, garry ‘navin’ boy.
    
    5th and last, to host, I got nothing else on obamascare, except to say,
    it is a hoax. just another ussa hoax. to further enslave, the ussa people.
    nothing more to be said.
- Jason S May 30, 2014, 5:35 pm
  
  I am still awed by the fact that in the face of economic contraction the stock market grinds higher. Even if we look at the growth over the last several years it has been anemic at best at 2.2% for the last 12 quarters. And somehow the investing public at large doesn’t scoff at the 5% growth projections over the next five years.
  
  The best part is listening to the brokerage analysts speak and use words that make it sound like we are just coming out of recession and that recovery is beginning to get underway. They didn’t get the memo that the recession ended five years ago and no one calls them on this, it is just accepted.
  
  Never thought I would live in a world where lies are not just accepted, they are expected and coveted. “Tell me I’m pretty.”
gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 9:53 pm

Now I have the facts and the gist of all your complaints and personal attacks on me. It’s not enough that I agree that this debt saturation will kill his economy and put us thru a possible 20’s style depression. I must acknowledge that the system is evil and should be destroyed. I should also acknowledge the elite posters on this site that have such a remarkable talent that the sheeple don’t. You know with certainly that the last 5 years is faked. no need to discuss any details since they are faked also. You also know with certainly that we are living in the worse era of them all. it is so bad that we must destroy our system in order to purge ourselves and have a chance to survive in the future. I get stupid ideological nonsense about our glorious past, and how it has been snatched from us. Yes the golden era of the 50’s. Ask Rick how that turned out for the Jew. Great times none the less. Segregation, white men dominated every aspect of government and daily life.

I could cast most here as just shallow angry white men that wants to take back an era that was very favorable to them. I could point out that when you do grudgingly mention any inequality it is a trite deference with no bite.

I have been very fair and balanced in my approach. I never ever look at an issue by piling up arguments to favor my position, and ignore or declare any opposing views as faked. I acknowledge the big government problems. I acknowledge that it can create a lifetime of dependencies. I also acknowledge it can become costly, more so than they allowed the private sector to take over. What I will not change is my understanding that changes from bigotry and hate can only come from the government. It was forced on us and I am thankful it was. We were also forced to accept what we fear. We were forced to change our ways. The ways of the “haves” NEVER would voluntarily make such change. Listening to this bunch and there never was a history of change for the good FORCED upon us by our own government. I do hear, load and clear, the complaints that big government also allows for greed and corruption to take place. I say its cyclical yet most here think its the final culmination of a failed capitalist system. I point out the evil in the world that was done decades or centuries before, yet that is dismissed as not worth of discussion.

Have I missed anything? Did this NAVIN get this point correct? Every single argument you make is from YOUR OWN perspective. A great way to run a government. If I am living well without assistance so should everyone. If I find that determination, schooling, and hard work gets me where I deserve to be, so should everyone. No excuses, no free pass. I must be a government loving socialist because I don’t want to overthrow the system. How foolish are you people. As foolish as the last 5 year magic trick. I can just as easily say the crash was a magic trick since it lasted so short. How’s the “real” jobs numbers? It has to be a lot worse than right after the crash since the average Joe has economically declined since then. All was lost right after the crash and anything that states otherwise is an illusion. We have had cyclical boom/busts since the capitalist/socialist system was invented yet for some spooky reason we are NOW living in the worse of all times past and future. This is it boys! Batten down the hatch!

My favorite argument was that we should go back to the 50’s for our golden era of small government, and good times. Just one question. On who’s backs.

&&&&&&

Claiming the moral high ground again, Gary? In plain fact, the political economy is so dysfunctional, corrupt and putrid with lies that, yes, it is best that it all be wiped away, lest the lingering stench overpower those charged with rebuilding it. RA
- gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 11:14 pm
  
  Moral high ground? Not if you believe its immoral to coddle the weak minded. The strict nunneries in Ireland in the 40’s and 50’s took in wayward pregnant girls, had them sign away their parental rights, and made money placing them to rich Americans. In their mind they did no wrong.
  
  I hate government privacy intrusion since 9/11. I agree with Snowden that fear should never dictate government policy. This president, like the one before, was more worried that another attack would end their political career, than to do what’s best for the country. The spying is so absurd and intrusive that an argument can be made that in order to guarantee there will be no more violence we should all be watched 24/7.
  
  I can live with the social excesses by government even if it means costing me more money. These things can and do change with the times. I can even live with greed and corruption since I believe that too works its way to both extremes in a normal capitalist cycle. When our freedoms are taken away due to “national security”, another word for fear, I question at what cost will we uphold our freedoms? When its convenient to do?
  
  &&&&&
  
  Stop it, Gary, dammit! Don’t you have better things to do than blather on at the rate of 5,000 words per topic?? You have a serious problem. RA
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 11:56 pm
    
    Navin,
    
    Once again you miss the point and go on another 4,000 word rampage. Have you hit the 100,000 word cut and paste limit this week? Anyway, I don’t wish for the 50s again, but healthcare was affordable and dr.s made housecalls before Gov stuck it’s nose in it….only Navin could turn that into white supremacy race bating statement. That’s why you are a lost cause and are only hurting your own cause around here. Go post on the Huffingtonpost or tell bill Mahr how intelligent he is.
  - gary leibowitz May 30, 2014, 1:26 am
    
    Craig and Mario seem to hog the pages if my eyes don’t deceive me. But they can as long as its music to your ears. Sorry for the interrupt. Stop worrying about my blabber. It’s the market that’s been blabbering for 5 years now without stop. Guess the world just doesn’t get it.
  - mario cavolo May 30, 2014, 5:52 am
    
    Twinkies and Ring Ding’s Please!! How I long for the good ‘ol days…sort of.
  - mario cavolo May 30, 2014, 6:04 am
    
    And by the way, as my professional journalist friend reminded me, “A book is an argument”, in the academic and journalistic sense.
  - Oregon May 30, 2014, 6:59 am
    
    “Johnson… Navin R.”
    “Sounds like a typical bastard”
    
    Navin,
    Your relentless claim of “the last 5 years… blah, blah blah”, which you raise as a beacon of righteousness, is due in large part to capital fleeing from failing socialist countries – those that you present as models we should emulate; not so much from the strength and resiliency of the USeconomy. Don’t worry, we are on our way down the same dark path as Europe, and Obamacare will expedite the process.
    
    Frankly, after being 100% correct for “5 plus years” I am surprised we are still suffering your bunkum and balderdash. Shouldn’t you be retired, volunteering at the food bank, and opening the ‘leibowitz wing’ at the local shelter? One of these days you will become the man you tell everyone else to be.
  - allen42 June 1, 2014, 3:35 am
    
    He’s a total mental cripple.
- mario cavolo May 30, 2014, 6:02 am
  
  Oh come on Gary, self-awareness is a beautiful thing. You do make some good points but you gotta admit you’re wordy about it and mix them up quite a bit.
  
  Truly, I suggest you write a book and in the process of doing that you will be forced to discipline your thoughts and writing, otherwise the publisher won’t touch it. Its a valuable process.
  
  In fact, I will admit that my book is exactly that. My book was spawned by the collection of articles which Rick had published here. After two years, it was pushing 30,000 words and then I began the process of re-organizing to write the book. I even included a Section II which is simply a compilation of those original articles to create a separate reference point for the readers.
  
  You certainly have a lot to say, publish a Kindle book, it ain’t difficult and you’ll learn to stop blathering on so much.
  
  Cheers, Mario
Redwilldanaher May 29, 2014, 4:37 am

Traveled back to the northeast over the weekend. Bought my sons tastykake pies for a snack in the car. $1.69 for 4 oz. Stocked them as a grocery clerk in my dad’s market as a teen, they we’re 19c then. Price is up 7 fold in about 3 decades. Gubmint tells us there isn’t nor has there been any inflation.

See Garo, when reality doesn’t jive with the BS, we discard the BS not the reality. You on the other hand multiply and amplify the BS and come off sounding as credible as Tokyo Rose. It’s impossible to miss anything even if I can’t read Rick’s forum for a few days because you’re consistently absurd like no one else.
- Stephen G May 29, 2014, 5:33 am
  
  Inflation in the price of gas alone will kill several car companies over the next 10 years. Young people are rejecting car ownership en masse while older people are switching the hybrids and electrics in record numbers. Obama should have left GM to perish as it will happen anyway, with or without more government welfare.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 6:38 am
    
    The GM deal was to destroy the unions. I know that sounds crazy, but he paid back his backers and put a time bomb in their back pocket all at the same time, genius! Obama hates unions and woman…he destroys them every chance he gets, at the same time the useful idiots want to build statues of him and name their children after him. That’s why Ron Paul has given up and says it’s too late to save the country, let them wreck it and just stand tall and rebuild it when they are done and not let them make it into soviet Russia, I think we will go there as well with idiots like Gary screaming it’s the only way! To quote Madam Defarge in History of the World part I “dumb scum”.
- mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 7:45 am
  
  Man RWD, do I miss Twinkies and those hockey puck shaped chocolate cakes coated with chocolate and filled with peanut butter cream filling, can’t remember their brand name….Ding Dongs?
  
  🙂 Mario
  
  &&&&&
  
  Those were Ring-Dings, Mario — as close as you could come to a ‘food’ made entirely from transfats RA
Jason S May 29, 2014, 2:04 am

I want to know what will happen once Obamacare is fully implemented and there is no longer much profit motive to discover new drugs and invent new procedures and devices? Because of government regulatory costs and legal expense, the costs to develop these things is high. With profits being legislated down (more accurately, confiscated by Uncle Sam) under Obamacare, odds are good we no longer innovate.
- mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 3:13 am
  
  Hi Jason, I assume (as a question) that in the lovely, complicated system they created, somehow plenty of fund are being funneled to support such interests, all manners of grants, dispensations, credits will be placed; and that meanwhile, the Pharm companies have billions in the til. All they have to do is keep deciding that a symptom is now a “disease” or “syndrome” and whammo, more prescription drugs in the pipeline to hook the populace on through their system.
  
  Cheers, Mario
John Jay May 28, 2014, 9:33 pm

Craig,

My point was it has been my experience in life to witness endless scams, cons, and outright theft at every job I have ever had.
My first job out of college in the early 70s was as an office manager for a branch of a very large computer mainframe company.
The first thing the office manager who I was replacing showed me was a folder labelled “billed and undelivered”.
“If the auditors ever show up, hide this right away” he told me.
After the quarters numbers were met, I learned all about “Credit Memos”.
At every job I have ever had there was the “Presentation” about how things were run, and then there was the “Reality” of how things were actually run.
Sort of like the glossy “Annual Report” for a big corporation, with all the “Footnotes” in illegible tiny font in the back pages.

And it has only gotten worse over time.
Just google “Top billing Medicare doctor paid 21 million dollars in 2012 “, and see all the results along those lines.

Anyway, I think “What manner of theft/scams/cons have you witnessed in your work career” would be a great topic for Rick to post, I am sure there are some great stories out there!
I know I have witnessed plenty in my day!
- Craig May 29, 2014, 12:03 am
  
  And my point is that the hospitals and doctors are not scamming anyone (collectively). The insurance companies like to point to the high charge vs reimbursement to make the hospitals to be the bad guy…but they created that system!! Most of the coat is from labor and the high cost of most medical drugs/etc is from regulation. Insurance companies know where every penny goes and how to stretch it. Hospitals have no clue on a patient by patient basis. I am sure there are some hospitals doing some scams bit it’s not worth it and it is so many millions going in and out it would take a huge scam to make it worth it and they would catch it quick if it was that big. Independent doctors scamming insurance and Medicare, yes that happens plenty I am sure. Not so much under hospital corps and county hospitals. Just inflated costs for too much labor at publicly funded places because people put in 8 hours but not 8 hours of work. They have armies to do small tasks just like the military or state, city, county no difference.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 12:06 am
    
    Now how and why medical care is delivered is a rip off but that goes back the Rockefeller control over medical schools, journals and pharmaceuticals for 100 years and their religion of population reduction…and profit off it, but that’s another story.
  - mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 7:38 am
    
    Craig you bring up interesting twists on this tale.
    
    Seems then two things: that the healthcare professionals are way overpaid and that the price of the services is way out of line.
    
    That points me to the insurance companies who are according to this view, having to charge high premiums to cover their high reimbursement levels to the providers.
    
    Why wouldn’t they go back to the providers and say, “hey, we’re not reimbursing you $15000 just because you set that price, its egregious.” and “Hey, we’re not reimbursing you to pay an anesthesiologist $10k when $3k would be quite reasonable.” But it seems the insurance companies are not doing that.
    
    Note that I didn’t fit the “govt” in that picture above.
    
    Cheers, Mario
- mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 3:06 am
  
  Rick, that would be a great topic, consider it!
gary leibowitz May 28, 2014, 6:08 pm

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/health-costs-how-the-us-compares-with-other-countries/

A very thorough examination of US medical care VS rest of world. Looks at possible solutions, like using a form of the Swiss system. Make no mistake though. Costs are double most other countries because doctors and hospitals get paid more. Medical techniques and equipment are costlier. We spend twice any other nation of diagnostic tests and procedures. Partly because we pay higher salaries and because of fear of malpractice litigation.

If we break down the problems we can come up with solutions. The bottom line though is that most solutions will involve reduction of salaries and profit. That is perhaps the number one reason why we will never come to a consensus. Look at government costs for services. The easy solution is to cut Union benefits thereby reducing their costs. It will definitely work today when jobs are scarce. When private supply is once again available you can be sure the vicious cycle of increasing government benefits to entice people will be back. The bottom line is there are always winners and losers. Try fixing the medical costs without deciding on the winners and losers.
- mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 3:04 am
  
  I’ve just learned from Craig and if it is fairly accurate that people in the healthcare field often earn $200-$500k /yr for their expertise field. In addition, the cost of insurance is egregious for doctors, as I remember my doctor even 15 years complaining that the hikes in his malpractice insurance were outrageous and putting him out of business.
  
  That being the case, we’re back to uniquely American system problems…1. the scam known as the insurance industry, which creates outrageous premiums for fat cat insurance companies, creates absurd rules and regulations and then in cahoots with the law firms, pays out relatively absurd damages to plaintiffs and to the law firms under the reasonable “judgment” of the judicial court system. So tackle all of that? NOT gonna happen Gary. Secondly, pay cuts would be the solution for our rich healthcare experts, that’s not gonna happen either. Fix those two things and the cost of healthcare in the U.S. would perhaps be chopped in half.
  
  Well, once again we witness a system and society that mostly serves to make the rich richer at everyone else’s expense.
  
  Cheers, Mario
  - mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 3:32 am
    
    I have to add to my last line, “Well, once again we witness a system and society that mostly serves to make the rich richer at everyone else’s expense.”
    
    I think Gary that what people here are trying to say to that you aren’t agreeing with is that in today’s situation, the govt is clearly and egregiously in cahoots with all the fat cats in supporting that agenda. The political system has sold itself out to money, money, money (indeed we know they’re broker than broke!), and they all sell their souls to the highest bidder, lobbyist, special interest group, oligarch corporation. The govt in todays state of affairs is part of the problem, not helping to solve the underlying problems, you don’t see that or at least part of it?
    
    Note that I will argue both sides here, if govt was completely absent, it might even be worse as the greedy capitalist f*ckheads continue pillaging the people of the society into servitude. On the other hand, as here in Shanghai and across the world, I see all manner of high level political/diplomatic/corporate “forums, conferences, roundtables” at 5 star venues, of course, what do these people actually DO? They sit around and talk a to each other alot, that’s what. Then they take a break, drink $10 cups of coffee, champagne, eat smoked salmon, and sit down and talk some more and finally, they make deals, they make compromises that don’t solve anything, they put an agenda “on the table” to be discussed by a newly formed committee who reports back next year that the matter requires more research and so a subcommittee, and three years later, nothing has been done; but oh those lovely 5 star venues and smoked salmon on tea breaks and fancy dinners and entertainment. This is todays world’s version of the royal courts while the slaves starve. It took London 9 years and 19 billion dollars to build a new, fancy airport. Here in big bad nasty enemy of the west, China, they did it in 4 years with 8 billion. Hmm?
    
    Cheers, Mario
    
    Cheers, Mario
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 6:47 am
    
    Mario,
    
    In Texas it takes 1-2 years to build a hospital and about $1M per bed to build it….in California it takes 4-6 years to build the same cookie cutter hospital but costs $3M per bed to build it. That example alone proves how stupid and wasteful all the regulations are and how government intervention slows down progress, who would build a new hospital in California with so much start up and low reimbursement and high regulations? You guessed it, no one, and no one will buy a hospital in California, the companies that own them are stuck till they lose money and the will close them. California costs so much because all the earthquake studies and spotted owl and desert tortoise studies that go on. To add a large voltage outlet to a wall in an existing building “legally” would cost you $250k, same outlet would cost less than $15k in Texas to put in.
  - John Jay May 29, 2014, 2:45 pm
    
    Mario,
    “That being the case, we’re back to uniquely American system problems”
    
    Great point.
    The WWII vets are fading away rapidly.
    The VA should be in the process of shrinking dramatically.
    
    However.
    The US/MIC foreign policy demands endless undeclared wars with the consequence of endless maimed canon fodder.
    Uh huh, yet another, “That being the case, we’re back to uniquely American system problems “
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 6:00 pm
    
    Mario, all government run into the same problems. Believe me when I say China is no different. Wait till they really start growing internally. Same problems we had early on will start to plague them. Just look at history here in the good old USA. Our surge since the turn of the 20th Century looked similar to yours. Low pay, low costs, small government. China has another 90 percent of its citizens to come on board. Lets see how they deal with it. There is never a “right” solution when it comes to large populations under a capitalist system. While China has some cloudy notions of Communist and Capitalism, their decision to go “free enterprise” means they will experience similar growth pains, and animosity towards outside companies profiting from their domestic life.
    
    I disagree on the notion that large governments result in corruption and greed. It’s not the size but the lack of citizen participation. A long duration of complacent people result in apathy. It’s during those times that people in power, everywhere, gravitate to wanting ever more. We have a system that is complex and tried to deal with these issues with many checks and balances. I personally think it was ingenious the way our founding fathers put it together. Human intentions never meet up with human frailties of the emotion. Regulations and rules should be set in concrete whether its in good times or bad, whether we enjoy high standards of living or low. If the original system is kept intact corruption will be put to a minimum. It’s always the subversion of these rules that gets us in trouble. We always get in trouble when prosperity for the upper citizenry hits its peak. That my friend is capitalism. Ugly and messy, with many bouts of human disparity, but in the end it works. We ARE better off in the 21st century than the 20th. Better off in the 20th than the 19th. Two steps forward, one back.
    
    Craig, what is the name NAVIN you keep referring to?
  - Rick Ackerman May 29, 2014, 8:12 pm
    
    Doctors? They’re pikers compared to non-profit hospital CEOs and administrators. $500k is where they start. Hell, even Michelle was pulling down $400k plus for her part-time, community-outreach sinecure with a Chicago hospital.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 8:18 pm
    
    Navin (Gary),
    
    49% of americans on government assistance of some sort, that’s not improvement nit wit.
    
    All the stats on everything are BS because of the 990% inflation over the last 99 years (the fed), bottom line one working male could easily support a family of five with a normal job 60 years ago.
    
    Navin, you are Navin Johnson (The Jerk) especially the pool scene when everyone is giving Navin financial advise, and he just parrots what they are saying because he doesn’t know what’s going on and doesn’t want to look stupid. All you do is parrot the white house, DNC, Chriss Matthews etc because you are so “invested” in the system for it’s bread and circuses that you will defend it till the death…and it will kill you, that’s the plan, you Marxist idiols will have no use for you or anyone else that helped them gain power. You will starve clutching your Hillary/Feinstein 2016 button but still blame everyone except the ones you helped take power that did it to you by being a dependent useful idiot.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 8:25 pm
    
    Rick,
    
    Snappin Turtle, (Michelle Os) position was an obvious political favor payback…notice they never refilled it after she left. And no one would pay that position that much. Maybe $200k for full-time and a huge system.
    
    The $500k salaries are for 700- 1,000 bed huge systems, with Net revenues in the $500-$800M and 5,000+ employees. Your average small town med hospital generates $50-100 million in revenues per year. What would the pay be for a CEO of a wall street executive with $100m in net rev and 700 employees, much more than a hospital that size makes.
    
    &&&&&
    
    Non-profit hospitals are money machines, and the only way for them to maintain non-profit status is to plow their outsized cash surpluses into endless expansion projects and executive pay. RA
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 9:05 pm
    
    Rick, yes its true that CEO’s and high paying administrators take the top prize, but how much money is involved? It is very easy to pay a few people exorbitant amounts of money if the rest of the system is paid much less. Just like the macro view of this economy. Top 5 percent’s ownership is obscene.
    
    That really doesn’t explain why costs are so high. In any event I though you want free enterprise to dictate pay scale. In both public and private companies we have this disparity with high paying white collar jobs.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 9:22 pm
    
    Navin,
    
    Please cut and paste my answer maybe you will think it’s your own idea:
    
    Why costs are high,
    
    #1 labor, regulations and paperwork required and staffing standards along with not enough nurses cause high salary demands. Which also has recruitment costs, relocation, recruiters cost 20%+ of annual salary. The hospitals are at the mercy of the number of nurses available, bottle neck at the schools, more retire than graduate. Subsidizing physicians also costs. The turn over of admin staff at for profit hospitals is ridiculous. CEOs 3-4 years, CFOs 2-3 years. The joke is you get a gold watch after three years but no one every gets a gold watch. salaries and wages can make up to 60% of total costs not including doctors or doctor subsidies.
    
    #2. Supply cost, while only 10% of total costs, “medical” supplies can cost 5-10x what something industrial can cost because it’s sterile. Steel screw $0.02, titanium sterile screw $200. Drug costs. Te masters of the universe own these companies make the doctors prescribe for no reason or they are not practicing correctly and can lose their license.
    
    #3. Equipment costs, every little machine cost $50-100k every big machine costs $1-3m.
    
    #4. Repairs and maintenance everything has to work and work 24 hours a day, a tiny 50 bed hospital costs $50M without land.
    
    All those ER clinics you see lose $1M a year…why? because they have to staff 5 drs for 24 hour coverage which cost a million, the rest of the staff for 24 hours and all the urge expenses cost a million and their receive $1m in reimbursement which is a million dollar lose per year which they hope they will get back on the surgeries that the ER clinic feeds the hospital.
  - Craig May 30, 2014, 12:06 am
    
    Rick,
    
    Nonprofits that are supported by taxes are not money machines, they are black holes of loses with high salaries, huge benefits, 150% more people doing the same work as a for profit.
    
    Nonprofits with foundations are money machines that vampire sick old people and take the families inheritance before the patient dies and gets the insurance payment too. They have people who’s only job is to visit dieing people and get them to donate when they are at their weakest mentally.
    
    &&&&&&
    
    See Steve Brill’s world-shaking article, which ran full-length in Time magazine. Non-profits are money machines — far more profitable than for-profit hospitals. RA
  - mario cavolo May 30, 2014, 4:22 pm
    
    Hi Gary,
    
    Yea China is surely importing and will experience all the good and bad that goes along with its expansion. Only one big difference and it is a big one…they are absolutely loaded with cash, both at the govt and private sector levels.
    
    And I can also agree with you that we can’t generalize that “large govt” results in corruption and greed. My clarification would be: The people running it result in corruption and greed, regardless of how big it is and in the U.S. that reality is egregrious with the current govt and so any expansion of the current govt there is certainly not something to look forward to.
    There is what portion of the current U.S. govt that is run fairly, reasonably and judiciously for the good of the country? I wish there were, can’t find it…
    
    Cheers, Mario
Rich May 28, 2014, 4:48 pm

Monopoly multinational media propaganda also part of the problem, which Rick alleviated with honest journalism.
Rich May 28, 2014, 4:43 pm

Re the IRS agents and Taxes called 0Care, as someone who lived, sailed and worked with doctors, hospitals and helped fund a medical device company, observe that nowhere could free markets be more beneficial than US healthcare, taken over by a petroleum dynasty a century ago.

Example: Brother’s family lost healthcare when GM bought him out after a long illustrious career tilting with GM management practices. He tried to pay cash for services at the same healthcare prices as his former insurance company and was told that was illegal.

Last year, under 65, he and his wife tried for months to sign up on Healthcare.gov and the 800 number, both of which asked numerous invasive irrelevant questions and proved incompetent.

Finally, he met with the state 0Care coordinator to sign up at a much higher rate, despite 0 promises. They lost their doctors.

501 (c) 3’s, Lobbyists, PACs, Parties and Politicians are the problem, why we declared as Libertarian Las Vegas candidate to be a citizen US representative accepting $100 maximum donations from individuals to earn the vote from 75% of people currently not voting because they are so turned off.

It is adversarial, disillusioning, hostile, lonely, tough, wearying.

But someone has to do it.
mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 1:56 am

And why the heck is LNKD going up?…I’m short a small chunk and that thing should be on a steady course toward $80…

&&&&&&

LinkedIn is a viral scam, so embarrassingly desperate for the attention of its subscribers that the company actually sent me an email today with the insipid subject header “Congratulate Murray Fradin…[who] is having a work anniversary.”

I have no clue who Murray Fradin is. However, I do know that LinkedIn burglarized my Outlook address book a while back in order to get in my face with potential contacts who actually had been dead for five or more years. (I never delete names from my Contacts list.) Bottom line, however, is that LNKD has at least some value, for some users, as a networking tool. Or at least, that’s what I hear. RA
- Troll May 28, 2014, 2:20 am
  
  You forgot to say the magic word, Mario 🙂
- mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 9:42 am
  
  I have to agree that for many, many people I can’t see any benefit to linkedin and of course none for facebook and twitter. I mean, in my case, I have certain agendas and developments to push along, as an entrepreneur, as an author, etc, perhaps a specific hobby or topic of interest to share info with others too. And so LinkedIn works well as a place to advance those affairs.
  
  I do actually think for example that you Rick should do a linkedin update every single day linking to your daily article. They are well worth reading and it creates awareness of your site. Simple. I do that with my author site articles I publish and I get a rising average of at least 150 views to just about every update I post. In other words I use LinkedIn as a PR center and for that its good. Yet I do speak of linkedin use here as an international expat, not an American living in America where it seems much more just like a job recruiting place rather than a place for white collar professionals to link up in a meaningful way, has obviously become way too commercialized in America.
  
  Overall, if I had a steady “job” and straightforward life, why would I even put a profile in any of those sites?…a waste of life’s time and energy…
  
  Cheers, Mario
  - Farmer May 28, 2014, 4:18 pm
    
    Just curious Mario, but how much time does Linkedin take out of your day? Twenty minutes? Half hour? More than that perhaps….
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 4:32 pm
    
    max half hour and well worth it….but that’s for a very important reason…I am a man on a mission, very focused on my priorities and agendas, I don’t want to WASTE a moment of my time, I stopped allowing myself to get caught surfing for nothing on the web and its social sites.
    
    In linked in’s case, for example, I publish a fresh article at my website, or perhaps other media publications, I have an announcement of an event coming up, anything I think of interest, I write an article and then it just takes me 5 minutes to write up a catchy linked in update, add the url link and hit share. Then I briefly peruse other updates I might want to comment on or find of interest and then I’m outta there, like scanning the newspaper to catch the key news and be done.
    
    Cheers, Mario
  - gary leibowitz May 28, 2014, 6:18 pm
    
    Must be a generational thing when it comes to bashing the internet. There has never been an endorsement of any of the internet players yet it is crystal clear they have huge worldwide audiences and profits that are growing exponentially.
    
    Facebook was trashed from day one yet they managed to find ways to make profits, and will continue to do so at a very large multiple. It’s all about valuations. Once the future growth gets tapped out they either reinvent themselves, merge, or die. We are not in a mature market yet. There is room to grow. In web based businesses however the pitfalls can occur very quickly with new technology or new ways of using that technology.
  - Stephen G May 29, 2014, 5:26 am
    
    Gosh Gary, is there any company on the planet that isn’t doing great, according to you? I have a hunch you were praising the virtues of Pets.com, Lycos, and WorldCom 15 years ago.
  - Rick Ackerman May 29, 2014, 7:39 pm
    
    Thanks for the suggestion, Mario.
- Rich May 28, 2014, 4:49 pm
  
  FB did the same.
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 6:05 pm
    
    yea and nuts Rich….these companies don’t have a hope and prayer let alone a sound and well laid out business model to actually monetize and make profits at a level that will ever justify their valuations. Good grief, its so obvious I shouldn’t even waste the typing time.
    
    Cheers, Mario
    
    &&&&&
    
    Absolutely correct, Mario. Most of these social networking sites are not making any money at all, and the ones that are, such as Facebook, are grotesquely, insanely overvalued. Facebook shares, in case you didn’t know, carry a much richer PE multiple than even Google. This feeds the perpetual motion machine, since Zuckerberg is able to pay ridiculous prices for acquisitions because he is paying for them with stock that has been pumped to absurd heights.
    
    Zuckerberg is as clueless about the future of social networking as you and I, but he justifies paying $19B for fad-of-the-month companies like WhatsApp because he’s afraid a competitor will buy the company and figure out how to make money with it.
    
    In Gary’s warped view, these social networking companies are big success stories. In reality, they contribute zero to the real economy — other than lining the pockets of the thieves and grifters at Goldman et al, who arrange the deals and hype the stocks. RA
  - mario cavolo May 29, 2014, 3:42 am
    
    Who’s bashing the internet? Its an amazing invention that has connected the world, eh? In the case of private companies who utilize the internet in providing their services, it certainly is all about valuations and those companies are earning jack, they are nothing more than famous “darlings” propped up by the Wall Street IPO banks to make millions for themselves/insiders, foist a ridiculously bad and impossible business model on the public, it has nothing to do with shareholder value. Think of all the idiot private citizens who bought lnkd at $300 per share valuing the company in billions while it has never even reported a profit from day one, unlikely they ever will. In this sense, Wall Street is no better than a Macau gambling den, its a fantasy land of desperate dreams and a few winners while the casino alwaysssssss makes money.
    
    Cheers, Mario
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 9:16 pm
    
    Rick, I am NOT a stock analyst and there are quite a lot that agree with me. I am clueless on how any internet company makes the kind of money they do. I only see the fact sheet. They are making profits despite your insistence they wont. They are delivering on their promise, even in a tough global environment. All web based stocks are worthless according to you, yet the facts seem to go against your position. Are they overvalued? I personally think so, but that means squat when the street decided to place valuations on them. There were tons of naysayers on Google’s launch. Are you saying they are way overvalued? Netflix? Like Buffett I don’t understand the model and I will let others determine its valuation.
    
    I love the personal attacks on the ONLY person that doesn’t use hate and retribution as my theme for everything. I guess rational and calm demeanor disqualifies me as someone that is smart enough to understand how life works.
- Rich May 28, 2014, 5:46 pm
  
  CEO of LNKD said today at CODE Conference sopme interesting things are happening in Boulder.
  
  Met former SUN coder starting his own company in Carbondale.
  
  What if Wharton Siegel is right and high tech and market have much further to go?
  
  Meanwhile @hiddencash sparking SF treasure hunt
  - Jason S May 29, 2014, 1:59 am
    
    Rich, if Siegel is right then on the other side of that mountainous climb upwards we will face the 2.5+ decades of debacle that is Japan. And they haven’t reached their implosion point yet.
  - Farmer May 29, 2014, 10:37 am
    
    Should take about that long for all the Boomers to exit the stage and to burn off the past five decades of inventory consumption everyone has stacked to the rafters in their basements and sheds.
  - Rick Ackerman May 29, 2014, 8:00 pm
    
    We are much closer to The Top than these bozos think. For evidence, check out Wednesday’s WSJ, which had separate stories on 1) the insatiable demand for junk bonds (four of America’s top 10 fund managers these days are junk impresarios: “New Fund Stars Ride Junk Bonds to the Top”); and 2) “Advisers, Firms Spar Over New Fund Class”, a “debate” over whether the hottest new class of mutual funds — “liquid alternative funds” — represents a risky fad or a better way to diversify a portfolio and boost returns. Need we even ask?
    
    A torrent of investment money has been pouring into…shit, setting up a collapse that will make 2007-09 look like a picnic.
L fry May 28, 2014, 12:23 am

Rick, The Jim Article was great . Has to be true as Hairdressers in north suburban Atlanta are offering hair cuts for women at $5.00 We are clearly in a depression as far as employment + GDP are concerned . Next shoe to drop ?
- Farmer May 28, 2014, 5:34 am
  
  Five dollar haircuts? Jesus, what ever happened to “the service economy will save our sorry arses” theme. But that’s the problem with pinning your countries economic future and hopes on the back of discretionary spending, isn’t it. Once taxes rise and essential costs like health care get added up the discretionary spending thing flies out the window as our incomes get taxed into oblivion. And as our ability to save declines so goes that part of the economy that relies on the free cash we keep in our pockets. Anybody can do his own haircut in a downturn. I used to say it was the banks that were eating the economy back when real estate consumed almost all our monthly nut. These days it is government cannibalizing the body and leaving nothing for the remains of the enterprising folks still trying to make a buck the old way. In short we cannot achieve a breakout and see much economic growth as long as the share of the pie being diverted to government, taxes, fines, regulation and whatnot keeps growing while depriving the real economy of blood. Debt servicing will surely drive us into the poor house and it can only get worse as employment numbers refuse to get buoyant again and small business keeps getting eroded by the demands of a bureaucracy that does not understand why it has become impossible to start a business in America anymore. Taken to its natural conclusion it is clear that bankruptcy lies ahead. A sovereign default. I have a theory that that what is behind the shift of gold from the West to East is in fact a cover for the sneakiest and most devious default devised to date. In that scenario we both openly and surreptitiously transfer the bulk of freely available gold to our major trading partners who park it in their Central Banks permanently. As it comes off the market, supply is diminished to the extent that once a genuine sovereign debt crisis erupts somewhere on the planet that gold abruptly rockets up in price and overnight devalues the dollar and evaporates much of the past debt. The dollar is the primary beneficiary though as gold is priced in dollars. Preposterous maybe but worse has been done. How else do we pay the tab?
EVIL VLAD May 28, 2014, 12:08 am

here are 3 links re obamascare,
1st one is today’s, re a middle class couple, that chose to choose birthing via midwifery,
and dump their utterly useless obamascare (they dropped out of the ‘legal mandate),’
in order to survive, as many millions will soon do, for obamascare is just a worthless TAX.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/05/27/311094576/frustrated-by-the-affordable-care-act-one-family-opts-out

$$$$$$$$$$$

and from 3 weeks ago, here are 2 more—

‘OBAMACARE: YOU STILL CAN’T FIX STUPID… OR MAKE IT PAY.’
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101636761

and here is a truthful headline, for a change—
‘THE ONE CHART OBAMACARE IS WORKING EXACTLY AS INTENDED’
(yeah, that’s right, you are being TAXED via obamascare, to pay for
those with no insurance, yes, the bums from the ghetto, ride your coat tails now, free).
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/one-chart-shows-obamacare-working-133918815.html
(and here is the ending quote from the article—
“Despite the steep drop in the uninsured rate, the health-care law remains unpopular heading into the midterm elections. A Pew Research survey found disapproval of the law is tied for its highest level ever.”
(that’s right. for it’s the ussa bum 47% that don’t pay taxes, yet now also get free healthcare).
- mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 4:26 am
  
  After having been F8cked over by the fat cat corporate and govt oligarchs who created their difficult situation in the first place V…. What?…just going ahead with a genocide party for the poor masses is a fine idea? Where is the morality and ethics in our choices of how what we choose affects the people, community, society around us?…Obviously not amongst our leaders…profits trumps society and THAT is why the world needs a degree of socialism and democracy in its govts, otherwise its the same old story of the oligarchs enslaving everyone else…
  - EVIL VLAD May 28, 2014, 5:14 am
    
    mario, you still don’t get it. for ‘us’ is over, worldwide. so it’s ‘you’ and chosen few.
    old rules are gone. gone. and when I read what you write, I say, that you state too much,
    for your own good. since you are outside the ussa, like myself, and still have a chance.
    because I think, everybody in ussa, is already totally skrewed. for at least 1 generation.
    minimum. or maybe 2. or worse.
    you are pissing against wind, with your ancient passé commentary. old world is gone.
    for all that’s awaiting, is the killer shot to the head, of the already stabled, trapped cow.
    and that’s— 99% of ussa. the most indoctrinated, easiest people to fool, of all time.
    and as such, obamascare, is just a prelude, of what is righteously awaiting, ussa fools.
    don’t believe me? ok. so just wait for it to hit. since all signs point for it to occur soon.
    and it starts like all avalanches do. they start slow. then topple. further. then, havoc.
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 5:52 pm
    
    actually we’re not so far apart on this V, no matter what other points I have made, I can’t say I disagree with you regarding the overall state of America, much of it in serious, irreversible decline, much of it as you say, already a disaster for a huge swath of the population. I still say its right and accurate to call it a truly divided country now.
    
    We all know that the have’s and have not’s have never been so far apart in that country’s history, with the have nots less and less in the way of what they can do to make it any better for themselves…
    
    Cheers, Mario
Farmer May 27, 2014, 10:58 pm

Found it……Man, it was a long time back. I must be getting old. Did not realize I had been following this site so many years. The article was from January 20 2009 – five long years in the distant past. The title was “Which Stores Will Survive?” and there follows a extended list of mall favorites. But the comments don’t show up anymore. Too bad, I kind of recall it was a lively thread.

Which Stores Will Survive?
http://www.rickackerman.com/2009/01/which-stores-will-survive/

&&&&&&

Best Buy is the saddest story of the lot, since they’ve been doing nearly everything imaginable, and doing it well, in a futile effort to survive competition from Amazon. RA
- gary leibowitz May 27, 2014, 11:21 pm
  
  Given the fact that there was always very badly run companies, combined with internet craze, the weak have fallen. The ones left are doing fine. Adapt or die. In fact I wonder how any of these brick and mortar companies have survives these long 5 years after the article was presented. Most here don’t believe people have enough money to keep these establishments afloat. The big conspiracy must now include these big chains. I suppose Uncle Sam must be bailing them out as well. Anyone want to give us the smoking gun?
  
  BTW, everyone, bull and bear alike, is anxiously awaiting the [bull] trap. Can it be so obvious that the market is about to fall? When everyone anticipates it I wonder just how the market will behave. My bet is that we have a sharp drop followed by an equally sharp rally. Who knows.
  - Craig May 28, 2014, 4:25 pm
    
    Adapt or die will apply to you when everything collapses, uncle suger will not need or let you suck off the teet at some point, Navin (Gary).
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 10:05 pm
    
    There goes the SPX 1917. S/B a nice size rally from this, or do I have it wrong? If you can declare the last 5 years as illusion I can declare all past and future history, no matter how short or long, an illusion. It should have never happened, therefor it really didn’t. Me, had I been smarter I would have let the last 5 years ride on 3X ETF of the SPX all the way. Common sense to assume corporations would get their balance sheet in order fast, no matter how slow the economic recovery. Stupid me. I only rode it part way. I suppose throughout history when the economy does badly against the backdrop of decent stock market earnings, its just another case of faking the data. Really? Hey Rick am I correct in assuming all past stock advances against a bad economy means they faked those too?
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 10:26 pm
    
    Corporate profits just came out today and boy is it impressive. That is if you believe it. Stay a skeptic as to why the market ignored YOUR logic for an imminent drop and miraculously got it right when it came to earnings. Over stretched future expectations though. We are due for some rough months ahead.
    
    http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/economic-calendar/ under corporate profits. The green line on the chart says it all. Lean and mean.
    
    Call me anything under and above the Sun if it makes you feel better. The chart is definitely misleading. I am sure you can find a hundred reasons why this too is a manipulated chart. Perhaps you can run it against all the other favorable growth assets and see it is underperforming? No? How about against real inflation? Well even if that was so, wouldn’t the idea that the best return on your worthless paper money is still stocks? I know, lets just discard anything that reverts back to the worthless devalued dollar. Hmmm. Gold? Real Estate? Commodities? Farm Land? Well some did do very well. Where YOU in them?
Rick Ackerman May 27, 2014, 8:27 pm

Jim Quinn has written the best exposé of the economic-recovery hoax that I have seen to date. The article, entitled “Retail Death Rattle Grows Louder”, is a must-read for anyone who believes the hoax is sustainable.
- Farmer May 27, 2014, 10:48 pm
  
  Pretty disturbing article. I just saw it yesterday and the numbers he put up are appalling. He is saying what we have been discussing for several years already. Demographics, low savings rates, falling incomes and excess credit have permanently damaged the so-called consumption economy. The unfortunate coincidence of a massive expansion in retail space during the past decade can only lead to dark conclusions. Actually I recall you had also written a piece some years back speculating on which store chains were destined for failure. I tried a search just for the heck of it to see how accurate everyone was back then but could not locate the original article.
- EVIL VLAD May 27, 2014, 11:36 pm
  
  great link, ackerman.
  the ‘hoax-market’ data therein provided, in quinn’s exposé, matches prechter’s best.
  
  I read your ussa stockmarket tout today, and your reference to diminished ‘up volume.’
  however, there’s a more pernicious old-timer stat, and that is smell of market’s ‘breath.’
  
  and I can tell you this, current market ‘breath’ is not only bad, but it totally stinks.
  the entire ussa market is being driven up, by an ever narrower stock daily new highs.
  
  near record narrow new highs, daily. in just 1 year, gone from 100 to 25 new day highs.
  
  http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/talking-numbers/this-is-a-huge-sign-the-markets-aren-t-healthy-195810008.html
  
  ergo–massive destruction, is just around corner. but hey, maybe intraday, top 17622 is ok.
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  and like I said 2 yrs ago, that when this fully fake market fully deservedly destroys,
  not only obamascare will go, but it’s creator as well. impeached. precedents say so.
  
  however,
  ‘beware of what you want, for you might get it.’ since whomever rules next, might be worse.
  also much historical precedent, for that ‘desperation’ possibility. hitler, was one example.
  - Rich May 28, 2014, 4:21 pm
    
    Welcome back Vlad
    
    After last week demonstrating the wisdom of not adding to losing positions, would be remiss if this was not posted:
    
    Opening long undervalued Index Puts 10.5 times Calls suggests ST market top:
    
    http://www.ise.com/market-data/isee-index/
- mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 12:52 am
  
  Interesting comparison. So in both the U.S. and China we had excess growth of retail space. The difference is that in the U.S. during that period the lower/middle income folks were screwed financially with rising budget costs and flat wages while in China that group has been experiencing increasing wages, business expansion, etc.
  
  The state of affairs in the U.S. is appalling for the lower 40% of the pop., a disgrace to the nation but I will still argue that for the upper 60% of the pop., life is quite good. Cursed be the self-serving leaders!
  
  Cheers, Mario
  
  Cheers, Mario
- mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 1:51 am
  
  Don’t get me wrong, easy to see the deterioration of a big chunk of America, and the demographic/societal shift is a big part of the equation. John Thompson at madhedgefundtrader has written it up nicely too.
  
  Some points:
  His “horrifying” retail list shows traffic declines of 1 to 3%. In the face of the rising use of smartphones/online purchases, this seems perfectly understandable and I would more expect to see much sharper traffic declines than that. At the root is the demographic and technology driven shift in the way people in the U.S behave and make their purchase choices.
  
  Its the shift in lifestyle and employment that is most disturbing. Instead of buying family sundries from a small retailer each morning, Americans went to buying at big box retailers and malls. Malls were ok because they were sort of a cool place to go and hang out for a few hours. Now that’s being set aside in the face of online/tablet/smartphone purchases. The same folks don’t go to either the little or big retailer. The little retailers were obliterated by the big retailers and now the big retailers are also screwed, obliterated by the online/device world. Shifts in behavior. So, indeed, the death rattle of retail is rather obvious but leads to two very important questions.
  
  1. Where will all those umemployed retail employees get work. Answer, in the customer service/warehouses of the online shopping companies. They are being moved downward into the manufacturing sector, no more face to face happy “Good morning how can I help you?” jobs. The servitude of the masses for the big companies continues in that direction, not a pretty picture for your average American.
  
  2. While the retail sector of America is toast, what about other sectors of the society and economy? Where are the opportunities in the demographic shift that is rocking the mainstream of the country?
  
  1. There is an oil/oil services boom. Not a fun job, but pays well. Time to relocate.
  2. Mfg is on the rise, thankfully. But for the worker, this again is a lousy job in terms of lifestyle.
  3. Exports are on the rise, thankfully. But same story.
  4. You tell me?…what sectors bring opportunity and employment in today’s U.S.?
  
  On Mr. Quinn’s point about the employed/unemployed. Let me add. There are 9 million “self-employed” No no folks, There are about 25 million “self employed” , 9 million officially and 16 million or so who have exited the system and live in the U.S. shadow economy off the books economy of $2 trillion earning cash. That number of rising in the U.S..
  
  We’ve known for years that the coming decade in the U.S. will be rough due much to demographics and it’s happening as expected. The egregiously greedy choices of the self-serving corporate, banking and govt oligarchs isn’t helping, eh? They keep piling one more corruption on top of another, killing the system they are pillaging. Good grief. From it all will arise the “new” system leaving millions of ruined , social program dependent people in the wake all across that country. Very disturbing stuff.
  
  Man, if China wasn’t expanding on planet earth these years as strongly as it has, we would already be plunged into the horrifying global recession and depression Rick speaks of. We already know Europe is enjoying their lazy, lifestyle driven recession. That’s a given. So yep, all eyes on China and the U.S. to understand the fate of the global economy and related impacts.
  
  The thing is today’s average American has become so incredibly stupid when it comes to their own lives. They don’t do much at all to protect their own household against a nasty future. In China, private households accumulate cash, cash, cash, living frugally because they know that if the sh*t hits the fan, nobody is going to help them. Hence, they are VERY entrepreneurial and often scruple free in doing so. Yet Americans have been dumbed down and beaten down into submission. They see using their credit card to pay for stuff as normal, while in fact it is a crisis. That lower middle class of the U.S. is really in a lot of trouble, more and more becoming a group of “just surviving” and needing more and more govt subsistence to do so, ie Obamacare subsidies. Govt and corporate policy has absolutely ruined and marginalized this mass of the pop. Pfft, now I’m rambling…
  
  Cheers, Mario
  
  Cheers, Mario
  - richard nielsen May 28, 2014, 8:37 am
    
    pretty good for rambling.
- EVIL VLAD May 29, 2014, 3:46 am
  
  ackerman, here are some of prechter’s current free links, to match quinn’s, or better.
  (smiley prechter’s people, provide the most unusual crosslinked charts, I’ve seen).
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  supposed money controllers—when they are loved, it’s the sign of a top.
  when they are hated, it is the sign of a bottom. historically proven.
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/19/Why-People-Love-the-Fed-(It%e2%80%99s-Not-Why-You-Think).aspx#axzz32ds8WZaL
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  when top uber 10%er wealth, is equal to approx. 50% of top wealth, it’s party’s end.
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/19/Why-People-Love-the-Fed-(It%e2%80%99s-Not-Why-You-Think).aspx#axzz32ds8WZaL
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  from the truly scary
  ‘Me? I’m not worried’ dept.–
  europe just made greatest junk bond sale ever.
  by nearly double, the largest ever.
  HUH?
  MAJOR sign of a MASSIVE top.
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/23/Why-Europe-s-Junk-Bond-Boom-is-EVERYONE-S-Business.aspx#axzz32drfgtFr
  
  and the ussa’s current junk bond market, is no better (and maybe even worse)—
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/05/Credit-Crisis-II-The-Setup-Appears-in-Place.aspx#axzz32BV9Lwtt
  may 5—“…senior debt levels are actually higher than they were in 2007.”
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$
  
  and all this while ussa municipalities, fall further in the hole, at state and city levels–
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/14/Downgrades-and-Defaults-Financial-Disaster-Looms-for-States-and-Municipalities.aspx#axzz32BVHUmeS
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  and this is just the tip of the ussa titanic’s massive killer iceberg, dead ahead.
  
  http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/05/07/THE-HIDDEN-EROSION-OF-CORPORATE-WORTH-SINCE-THE-GOVERNMENT-ABANDONED-MONEY.aspx#axzz32BUuVeLg
  
  99% of dollar’s buying power is gone, since the fed took over, ussa paper printing.
  and written by prechter. with charts as always.
  
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  
  but let’s not leave out obamascare, to pander to the topic-locked-minded host.
  
  “Big Increases in Obamacare Premiums and Deductibles Coming in November”
  may 15, 2014, a.d.
  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-increases-obamacare-premiums-deductibles-100000679.html
  how surprising. yawn. you are all skrewed. yet you keep believing in the system. ha.
Jason S May 27, 2014, 6:50 pm

The writer of the article must assume that his target audience has a lot of disposable income. It is hard to afford the alternative options (concierge service, medical vacations, additional policies) when you are mandated to pay over $1000 a month for your ObamaCare policy (assuming a family). Yes, it is cheaper for those who are subsidized but if you qualify for the subsidy then you don’t make enough money to afford the alternative options either.

Back to the good ol’ days, just rub some dirt on it. Probably better for you then getting stuck on the super-secret “gonna have to die so I get my bonus” list pioneered by our (desperately sought) single payer VA system.
- Jason S May 27, 2014, 6:59 pm
  
  Oh, and where is the press with their rhyming litany of “Obama lied, people died”? Or is “Bush” still in the driver’s seat?
  
  I $&%@ing hate politicians and the press!
D.B. May 27, 2014, 1:44 pm

My old doctor was considering leaving the field years ago due to huge malpractice insurance. Major problem. I believe Congress consists of a high percentage of lawyers?
John Jay May 27, 2014, 6:41 am

I heard an MD on a talk show once, and he was explaining one reason why hospital stays/services are so wildly expensive.
He said many hospitals are “Non Profit” and charge 10 times more for the uninsured than they do for patients with insurance.
This way it is easy for them to cook the books by writing off the 1000% over-charges to remain “Non Profit”.

Just one more piece to the complex jigsaw puzzle that is the American Health Care Business.
A few more are:
The Medicare policy of not negotiating rates.

The Big Pharma financial influence on medicine.

The California policy of providing a free HMO plan to the world, which has forced many hospitals out here to close.

The Big Ag/DOA/Big Food sugar poisoning of our food supply, so now everyone has diabetes and is grossly overweight.

The ever widening “Disability” scam.

Add your own pieces to mine, lots of pieces to this puzzzle!
- Craig May 27, 2014, 7:38 pm
  
  WRONG!
  
  I have explained this before in this forum:
  
  There is no cookin the books or other BS that doctors that know zero about finance is doing.
  
  Hospitals charge anywhere from 5x to 10x what Medicare pays. Medicare pays what the procedure should cost to do, all inclusive with no room for error. That means no wasted supplies, no contract labor (which costs 3x what a staffed nurse costs) etc. If you had all Medicare and ran perfect you might break even. Medicaid generally pays 90% of Medicare so you lose money on every patient, 10%. Selfpays receive zero nothing and you can’t turn them away unless it is elective…you lose 100%. You can call it 10% off charges on every single one. Next is insurance they pay for everyone else, you have enough people with insurance you make a profit, not enough to supplement the leeches you lose money, lots of money. Insurance pays 30-70% of charges to make up the difference for the people that pay zero and the ones (the majority) that pay cost or less. A great running hospital with enough good paying insurance patients will make 10% margin or less, most lose money. There is no big scam or cooking books as people think because they don’t understand it. Put it simply, if you are able to pay (most states make it mediatory 50% of charges) or you have insurance you pay for the uninsured and supplement the Medicare crowd. Good thing your taxes pay for Medicare and Medicaid too, so you pay on both ends. The last company I would invest in is a stand alone hospital, when things go goo the margin is razor thin when it goes bad they bleed money.
  
  Most nonprofits lose money for one of 3 reasons and not to cook the books. 1) not enough insurance patients, 2) too much staff 3) staff is too highly paid.
  Salaries wages and contract labor can make up to 45-65% of total costs. Supplementing doctor incomes because of high Medicaid/selfpays can make up 5%-10% of total expenses. Nonprofits pay too much and have to much staff, hence lose money because there is no incentive to make money because the county, state or foundation makes up the difference and they don’t want to make hard decisions on lowering pay or laying off staff.
  - John Jay May 27, 2014, 10:26 pm
    
    Craig,
    “Insurance pays 30-70% of charges to make up the difference for the people that pay zero and the ones”
    
    I had a major medical bill a few years ago, covered by my health insurance.
    The insurance company sent me a statement showing the hospital charges and their “negotiated rate”.
    The “Negotiated Rate” was exactly 10% of the hospital charges.
    I will argue that the negotiated rate covers the hospital costs as well as a profit.
    The “Hospital Charge” is pure fantasy.
    I don’t need to compose a lengthy defense for the MD I heard on the talk show.
    
    Three words explain every scam in this country.
    “Follow the money”.
    Obamacare
    Banking and Real Estate.
    Open Borders and Free Trade.
    Endless American CIA/MIC foreign intervention.
    Federal Reserve, Stock and Bond Markets.
    1.5 Trillion dollar F-35.
    22 million government workers.
    Etc.
    “Follow the money”.
    I doubt if there is an honest set of books kept in this country or the world for that matter.
    Everyone is busy scamming and stealing.
    All the honest people are probably sleeping under bridges.
    “Follow the Money”.
    Or, as a second choice of three words”
    “Ubi est mea?”
  - gary leibowitz May 27, 2014, 11:06 pm
    
    Craig, you will never win this argument no matter how much evidence you have to support it. It will never fit into the notion that everything is rigged and corrupt. There are some grudgingly scant acknowledgement that Medicare works very well, at low cost margins. You will not find it here. The reports on scamming will dictate the bias. If only the wanton killing of grade school students by gun crazed individuals will put a dent in the glorification of the second amendment. I suspect there will be modifications as the new law goes along, as did Medicare. For every horror story there are dozens of individuals that are kept off poverty row because of these inclusive laws. I would shudder to think how many aging individuals that worked very hard for their family would be tossed aside had Medicare not been around. Will Obamacare hurt or help the ever increased cost of health?
    
    The real comparisons will be done as this becomes entrenched in our lives. The national craze for teacher and student “accountability” these last 15 years has shown no deviation to the downward trend in our nation. Clearly teaching to receive acceptable test scores has failed miserably. Just as clear is the notion that Unions are the cause. We have now enough private and charter schools to show that they too are failing, even when they can cherry pick their students. Has anyone yet figured out that teaching young minds start at home. I guess not.
    
    How many hospitals are doing badly, and will the new law cause both hospitals and doctors to jump ship? Will the new law cause higher unemployment and higher health burden on the employed? We shall see.
  - Craig May 27, 2014, 11:13 pm
    
    So in your case…you are the one getting screwed along with the hospital. Your insurance has a good deal (negotiated rate) which is probably Medicare or Medicare +10%. The Hospital did not make any money on your stay, in fact they probably lost money. Why are hospital charges (not net revenue or cash collected) but charges is a very long story but as usual it starts and ends with government intervention. I won’t get into it as it will take more typing than I feel like doing. All hospitals charges are higher because of clauses in contracts and reduced reimbursement (it’s a long story). So you are mos likely paying the same amount for monthly insurance or your company is to your insurance company that only pays that hospital 10% of charges as the guy whose insurance pays 60% of charges. So one your stay…you over paid your insurance company your monthly payment, while they underpaid the hospital for your stay. That hospital may still make money of they have enough of the people that the insurance pays 60% come in. I am not defending the charges or the suytem, this is just how it works and it got here through government intervention and they have destroyed it, Obamacare is not the solution, it is the final solution to finally destroy the free market system that the government already broke, it’s not for money or profit it is so the insurance comapanies and government can control it all. Mission almost accomplished. Medicare was the first strike and Obamacare is the knock out punch to freemarket doctors and hospitals. The VA system is the future of “healthcare”. I know what I have decribed is hard to understand or conceive but the system has been wrecked by the US gov and paid for congress so bad over the last 60 years incrementally that it is screwed up beyond repair but in it’s current state is better than where it is going. The shortage of nurses and family practice drs is also due to gov regulation…on purpose. Ever notice why you see more foriegn drs than American? Because foreign ones will do what they are told when it is under complete control.
  - Craig May 27, 2014, 11:33 pm
    
    Gary….I dint want a response, but how do you type so many words and not say a damn thing. I am not trying to win an argument Gary, everything is not a left side, right side, bears bs packers who is better BS. I am not mad at John I am mad at all the disinfo about how the stupid (and I mean stupid) healthcare payment system/charges works. The stupidity and complexity that has been made to be by laws incrementally is being use to destroy it. I am just trying to tell people how it really works and how some
    
    Back to you and your stupidity…this is about healthcare…and you talk about 2nd amendment, poverty, teaching, unions all in one sentence, get a life drone. John has a chance to learn and make up his own mind….Gary you are lost cause and people like you are why this nation has fallen and will fall harder and faster than even imagined…useful idiot is the term, look it up, cut and paste it even, you are good at that.
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 12:42 am
    
    Hi Craig,
    
    I don’t see where you explanation let’s me understand why the “price” of the healthcare service in the U.S. is egregiously high in the first place. That’s the root problem and indicative of how it is a closed, corrupt, greedy system…
    
    I finally did come up with one answer…many healthcare employees including doctors in the U.S. are earning high wages, as you said good ‘ol “labor costs” just like any business, so that cost certainly does not need to get built into the price.
    
    at a U.S. hospital the the “anesthesiologist” line on the bill might be $2000, how much does the anesthesiologist get I wonder? Are they on a salary of $80k and/or do they charge per service?
    
    One of the reasons healthcare is so cheap in much of the Asia Pacific region including China is because workers and doctors in healthcare earn much lower standard wages.
    
    Cheers, Mario
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 12:47 am
    
    On this Gary I find it impossible not to agree with you whole heartedly, it is more than obvious, not to mention sad and pathetic.
    
    “The national craze for teacher and student “accountability” these last 15 years has shown no deviation to the downward trend in our nation. Clearly teaching to receive acceptable test scores has failed miserably. Just as clear is the notion that Unions are the cause. We have now enough private and charter schools to show that they too are failing, even when they can cherry pick their students. Has anyone yet figured out that teaching young minds start at home. I guess not.”
    
    The deterioration of marriage and family in the U.S. and its resulting damage to the state of the society starting from the young ones up is horrifying and that surely manifests itself in one of the most obvious, daily places; school.
    
    Off my pulpit…Cheers, Mario
  - Craig May 28, 2014, 2:25 am
    
    Mario,
    
    $80k? Nurses can make that. The CRNAs make $240-$300k, anesthesiologists make between $400-500k+. Cardio $350-500. Radiologists $500k. Ortho and surgeons $300-450, OB/GYN $250-450. IM, family practice, ER docs $200-$240k. Of course some/most of these guys can’t make that on their own, the Hospitals subsidizes the difference if they don’t directly employ them to get them to come to the community, especially if rural. They can demand this because there are not enough doctors…there is not enough doctors because the medical schools in US are bottle necked to create a false scarcity. They must do what Medicare says or they lose everything. That’s why they want foriegn doctors, they are used to being told what to do. The ERs are full because there is not enough family practice AND! You must pay to see the doctor. Not the ER doctor, pill seekers also fill up ERs, ER drs just give em what they want so they don’t get complaints. That’s also increases cost. The powers that be control every aspect of health are except the hospitals and doctors..why? There is no money in it, but they can control the hospitals and doctors by just tugging with regulations and the purse strings. They control: CMS, CDC, ADA, all insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, congress, the white house, medical schools, medical text books, medical journals, JACHO everything. The doctors and nurses do not care about patient care they care about keeping their nursing or medical license. That’s why nothing is cured or prevented…race for the cure…never the cause, but if someone comes up with a cure they are destroyed by all of the above and discredited, because the “treatment” of disease is designed to bankrupt the country as the same people cause the diseases. Make everyone dependent like Gary and be a dependent useful idiot for the system.
  - mario cavolo May 28, 2014, 5:36 pm
    
    Hi Craig and thanks, that explains a big chunk of the high costs and premiums…
  - gary leibowitz May 28, 2014, 5:39 pm
    
    Craig, you really didn’t answer how to “fix” the problem, only complaining how the government system is going to kill hospitals and doctors without the private insurance compensation.
    
    You could of course just allow the people that can afford private insurance to go to these hospitals and doctors, and push aside all the rest. You could do away with Obamacare, Medicare, and Medicaid all together and see medical costs continue to rise at twice the inflation rate each year.
    
    Solutions, I want solutions. Will hospitals and doctors do much better without government intervention? How would the medical system survive? I suppose there will always be profits, but the pool of employed people in this system would shrink greatly. Do you have any idea how costly it would be for a person over 65 and unemployed to receive the care that is now supplied by our government. Survival of the fittest I suppose. In this case its survival of the wealthiest.
    
    Government intervention on a large scale always causes bureaucratic slowness, waste, and abuses. Without it where would we be? Between a rock and a hard place. Take the VA system. It is the 2nd largest government agency in cost. Spent 56 billion in 2013 on medical care, up from 40 billion in 2009. 40 percent of the total VA budget. It is truly a socialized system, much more so than any other. Lets try and fix it, instead of this knee jerk reaction. I guarantee you that to “fix it” you would have to charge more to individuals. That alone will kill any notion of privatizing the system. We want everything to work for all and benefit all. Not a capitalist system at all.
    
    If you think the complaints are loud today on all the inefficiencies of government, watch a crescendo effect develop without government intervention.
    
    Where is the constructive criticisms? Never see it. It’s so easy to bash what doesn’t work, but almost impossible to come up with a very complex solution that works. Have I missed any discussion on solutions?
  - Craig May 28, 2014, 5:51 pm
    
    Navin (Gary)…since you can’t read, the solution is go back to the way it was in the 1950s and earlier. Capitalism, not this BS quasi call it capitalism but really it is fascism system, there were no problems before governments got involved and the Rockefellers controlled the entire system for maximum profit and maximum illness. Doctors USED to do charity care now they are forced to. I am done replying to you on this because you seethe problem Navin, people like you want more gov involvement when they are the ones that broke it, and that’s why they broke it to get useful idiots like you that want more hand outs by government decree which gives them more control to break it more so idiots like you want them to get even more control. Look at the VA and Indian reservations that’s how healthcare is going nationwide. Returning to a true capitalist system that worked will never happen in this country till it is completely destroyed by nit wits like you begging for more “government” solutions. Everytime a well meaning capitalist tries to offer a real solution, the government outlaws it, because it would decrease their control.
  - Jason S May 29, 2014, 1:53 am
    
    I concur with Craig, go back to medical coverage (ie. people paid for it themselves and the poor relied on charity) prior to the implementation of Medicare. See the article and graph linked below.
    
    No solution is perfect but under that plan a few people (the poor) got shafted a little bit vs. now, the majority get shafted a lot.
    
    http://bastiat.mises.org/2013/12/how-government-regulations-made-healthcare-so-expensive/
  - gary leibowitz May 29, 2014, 5:37 pm
    
    Craig, I find it interesting that the vast majority of people here agree with you that government should step back when it comes to social concerns. Private charities and the fit fend for themselves. Nice system. The good old days of the 50’s sure was fair to everyone, wasn’t it? You work hard you move up the ladder. In that time period we had capitalism and materialism surge for the white man. Civil rights were dismal and the 60’s resulted in a huge transition. Sorry for you that transition happened. Back to the glorious 50’s. Cold War, Korean War, conservatism, and McCarthyism. But most importantly we came home from WWII as leaders in global growth. We also subjugated minorities in that time period and took advantage of cheap labor. The one fact you will not be happy with is the surge in UNIONS. Oh well, you can’t have it all. The official poverty rate was almost 23 percent, compared to 13 percent today. Conservatives say that if we reduce government spending on the poor, charity will fill the gap. The evidence shows they’re wrong. I guess the huge poverty levels of the 50’s were being taken care of by the good white citizens of this country.
    
    I do get the theme that runs thru every single article. We should take care of ourselves and stop relying on government help. that help means intrusions on our lives that we just don’t want. I will once again ask anyone here if they have changed their minds based on personal tragedy. It’s always when you think you will never need these services you complain about it’s cost. That argument quickly goes away when it becomes personal.
  - Jason S May 29, 2014, 6:35 pm
    
    Gary, once again you go way off topic. You asked for solutions, we gave you a solution. You didn’t agree with the solution so you go off on a wild tangent.
    
    On a side note, your statement about the percentage of people under poverty in the ’50s is correct but you are duped by the government you so love and uphold. According to census bureau data the average poverty rate has increased at a 3.96% annual rate since 1959, however average per capita income has increased by 5.44% since 1967 (the oldest data I could find from the census bureau) so with incomes growing 37% faster than the poverty rate, the percentage of the population falling below that line should decrease.
    
    Just another fact to be ignored for an ideology.
  - Jason S May 29, 2014, 7:02 pm
    
    After some additional thought I will partially refute myself. Since my fact is based on the mean average and I don’t have the median average, I cant tell if the rise in per capita income is due to the few at the top earning substantially more to raise the average. I would guess that the decline in per capita income has been a combination of government largesse and statistical manipulation. Either way, large government sucks.
  - Craig May 29, 2014, 8:06 pm
    
    Mario and others,
    
    I am not sure where this post will land with Navin (Garys) 6,000 word essays all over the place…but the Hopital is just a building where doctors do business. That’s why you get a bill from the Hospital, the ER dr, the radiologist, the ambulance, the anesthesiologist etc etc. But in order for the hospital to have a license as a hospital they are required to make sure certain services are provided. So hospitals must sign exclusivity agreements with some and must income guarantee others. Most states do not allow direct employment of doctors in any way. But the hospital can guarantee income in order to attract doctors to the community.
    
    &&&&&&
    
    In the last few years, hospitals co-opted nearly all of the specialist groups, promising them higher fees than the doctors could negotiate for themselves. The doctors will live to regret this, since they’re all working for the government now, and because reimbursement levels are about to be reduced from already low Medicare levels to even lower Medicaid levels. If you want to know what the healthcare system will look like in five years under Obamacare, you need only ponder the abyss that is Medicaid; then, imagine Medicaid’s efficiencies, such as they are, reduced by half. RA

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