Meanwhile Back in Massachusetts & Romneycare: "Challenge of saving money expected to dominate future"

As we wait for news about the Supreme Court's ruling on The Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare), here's the latest from Massachusetts, where former Gov. Mitt Romney's signature health-care reform provided a model for President Obama's national solution and has produced the nation's highest coverage premiums:

From the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram's recent story on the matter.

Shoulda seen this coming! Watch "3 Reasons Why Health Care Reform Won't Cut the Deficit by One Thin Dime" (originally released March 23, 2010):

Comments

[Whiterun Guard]

But this only tells half the story!

The people of Taxachusetts must be MUCH MUCH healthier than the rest of the country, right?

[Mo' $parky]

Strange, I don't feel any healthier. Maybe I just haven't gone to the doctor's office enough times. Although, I did get a great CAT scan and an MRI to determine that I get migraines.

[Whiterun Guard]

Hrm...maybe if they spent more money...

[xenia onatopp]

Hey, did they find any unidentified bright objects? That's what they used to find whenever they'd MRI my brain. Supposedly they're related to my migraines, but I just love that awesome medical terminology, it makes me feel like Dana Scully with her alien cancer.

[Mo' $parky]

The only thing I got from my MRI was dizzy. Seriously, I have a pretty high blood iron count so it felt really bizarre to have a bunch of super magnets dragging the blood around in my head for 15 minutes. My whole head felt weird for the next four hours after that. But they didn't find any clots or anything.

[xenia onatopp]

Yup, any way you look at it, the MRI is a uniquely perfect torture device.

[Auric Demonocles]

I'm doing my part to bring down premium costs as a healthy, 23 year old male with a job in Massachusetts. I haven't used any medical care since I moved here except for one eye exam. You're welcome, old folks.

[xenia onatopp]

My husband hasn't used his even once in the three years he's been forced to buy it. Probably never will, either; he's just not a going-to-the-doctor kind of guy. Being self-employed, that's just wasting time that could be spent working.

[Rasilio]

You know as a 42 year old "Morbidly Obeese" person with arthritis in both his knees I use surprisingly little health care as well. Course given how many things doctors are mandated to check for in your annual physical just makes me much less likely to go to the Dr unless I am on my death bed.

[wef]

I am way too lazy at the moment to check, but have these numbers been adjusted for relative "cost of living"?

Somebody has to pay the rent. How does high-overhead MA compare to high-overhead MD, for example.

[MP]

Look, I didn't RTFA, but that's a terribly un-informative chart for two reasons:

1) It tells you nothing about the Cost of Living difference between MA and US, where MA is certainly higher than average.

2) It tells you nothing about changes in cost over time.

I'm sure that the data still comes out like crap for RomneyCare. But that chart is useless.

[Whiterun Guard]

Your face is useless.

[xenia onatopp]

Well, my husband's mandated health insurance premiums have gone up by 50% just in the last year, so there's that.

[wareagle]

but did they go up because of Romneycare or some other reason? Not a fan of govt-sponsored anything, but skepticism works both ways. The cited source here is Blue Cross though I am sure the company has no dog in the fight.

[xenia onatopp]

In this case the increase can be laid at the door of Romneycare, since my husband was doing fine with no health insurance until the state forced him to buy it-- no health insurance, no increase in cost.

[Randian]

1) It tells you nothing about the Cost of Living difference between MA and US, where MA is certainly higher than average.

That chart came from a study done by BC/BS of MA in 2012. Unless they are categorically incompetent, they controlled for that already.

[Randian]

I encourage everyone to take a look at the chartpack that accompanies the study, which does, in fact, control for cost of living.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Pwned, I wonder what reason they will come up with to ignore it next?

[MP]

THEY

Boogie boogie boogie

[Whiterun Guard]

They're onto us! Release the noxious amnesia gas!

[R C Dean]

They are 15% higher after controlling for higher wages, research, etc.

[KPres]

1) It tells you nothing about the Cost of Living difference between MA and US, where MA is certainly higher than average.

2) It tells you nothing about changes in cost over time.

I thought the same thing at first. But then I realized that those very valid criticisms aren't important, because the World Health Organization "study" which sparked the whole health care outrage among the statists in the first place never took any of those considerations into effect, either. If your opponents are constitutionally dishonest, then you have every right to be as well.

[R C Dean]

Looks like the COL in Massachusetts runs at about 120% of the national average.

http://www.missourieconomy.org...../index.stm

Their hospital care is 40% more expensive, and their physician/clinical care is about 24% more expensive.

You're welcome.

[wareagle]

but is data, from Blue Cross, a case of causation or correlation?

The clear inference is that Romneycare caused BC's costs to rise. Based on what?

[Fist of Etiquette]

NO SCOTUS DECISION ON OBAMACARE TODAY.

So there.

[xenia onatopp]

Oh, that's ok, the liberals are practicing their gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes over the Montana decision this morning, so they'll be in fine shape by the time the Obamacare decision is released.