I saw a blog in Senior Housing Forum that I thought was interesting and on target. While I personally think we do not have a healthcare crisis I do believe we have a health insurance crisis. We need to put our heads together to find a way for those with no insurance and/or pre-existing conditions can purchase affordable, quality insurance. If anyone figures this out, please let me know. Enjoy.
This is part one of a three part series, that will be published today (Friday), then on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
First Things First: No matter what the other side says, life will go on!
– If you are a fan and see this as a victory, you will end up thinking it was not good enough and did not go far enough.
– If you are depressed, believing that, in one fell swoop, the Supreme Court eviscerated the constitution (an opinion I am somewhat sympathetic to); This is a great country and a few bad decisions will not crush the nation. Even the Supreme Court has reversed itself over time. Life will go on and America will continue to be a great country and a great place to live.
It will, ultimately, take years to fully understand the impact on senior housing but here is my initial analysis for whatever it’s worth.
Winners
1. Hospitals – At least in the short-term, hospitals are the first or second biggest winners. They will go from having many non paying patients to having very few indigents overnight. No one seems to be suggesting that payment rates to hospitals should be modified to reflect this new standard.
That being said, over the long term, their prospects may not be so bright. They consume lots of dollars and so will become a natural target for cuts.
2. Many Uninsured – In truth this is the one bright spot in the whole sorry mess. There are a bunch of people who did not have insurance who will have coverage. No matter how you slice it, this is a good thing for them and for society. Clearly people with no access to basic health-care can end up becoming very ill and requiring hugely expensive indigent care.
3. Government Workers – The plan will require more government workers; those who administer and regulate the system and the IRS who will enforce the plan.
4. Fraudsters – Today the government healthcare plans are a favorite playground for fraudsters. This plan will increase the size of that playground. It will increase the opportunities to steal the people’s money.
5. Some Employers – It appears the health plan will in effect provide incentives for employers to eliminate private health plans in favor the government “healthcare exchanges”.
6. Health Plans – At least in the short term they will be big winners. The current thinking seems to be that it is more efficient to hand big buckets of money to private health plans and make them responsible for the healthcare of corresponding groups of people.
Recapping the Winners
While there are, in my view, at least six groups that will see huge benefits from the health plan, this does not mean it is good for society as a whole. Still to come, the losers and how it will impact senior housing.