Health

‘Real News From The Blaze:’ Massachusetts Legislature Looks to Reforms to Stop Skyrocketing Health Costs

Romneycare in Massachusetts is frequently citied in national policy debates for the influence it has had on the national health care reform package pushed and passed by President Obama in 2010. Considering the implications that the progress of health care in Bay State could have on national debates regarding the future of Obamacare, two bills currently working their way through the Massachusetts legislature have come under the microscope.

Both bills aim at cutting over 10 years as much as $150 billion in health care costs, which are higher than any other state in the country. The reforms would implement the toughest cost containment laws in the country. The House bill includes penalties for excessive “luxury charges” by hospitals which would then be redistributed to financially struggling facilities, and both bills include commissions that would review health costs. The author of the proposed House bill (the stricter of the two) referred to it as the “gentle push of government.”

“Real News” opened Friday discussing the legislative debate in Massachusetts now aimed at cutting the costs of health care, and a broader examination of the successes and failures of Romneycare in Massachusetts. Will Cain made the point that in terms of extending health coverage to those who had none, Mitt Romney and his successor Deval Patrick have been successful in lowering the percent of residents without coverage from 6.4 to 1.9 percent over the last five years. But has the system been able to lowered costs? No, quite the contrary.

“Massachusetts has right now the nation’s highest health-care costs,” said Cain. “It is significantly out-paced all the other metrics for the economy in Massachusetts. Whether or not you’re talking about wages, GDP on the state level, or the consumer price index.”

Dr. Scott Atlas of Stanford University joined the panel Friday to discuss the proposals in Massachusetts and why the cost of the state’s health care continues to rise. Here’s a clip from the segment:

Comments (16)

  • RightPolitically
    Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:48pm

    RomneyCare failed in Massachusetts. Why would anyone think ObamaCare, modeled after it, could possibly succeed. We will go broke with this turkey. And Democrats don’t seem to care. Gives them more desperate citizens to put on assistance and once there, become permanent Democrat voters. Romney needs to announce that his Massachusetts “experiment” was an abject failure that needs to be repealed along with ObamaCare at the federal level.

    Report Post » RightPolitically  
  • seaamy
    Posted on May 12, 2012 at 8:24am

    . A bottle of a $200 prescription for a patient probably actually cost a few pennies to make. I would love to find out what would be if you broke it down…what is the I guess you would say.. the “wholesale price” for a liver transplant? Its all the phucking up charges in the cost of medical care from point of origin (like the manufacturing companies that made whatever instruments or tools they hospitals use or whatever company actually makes the meds) to what is the cost for patients at the other end that is severely messed up. The manufacture companies, to the hospital supplies & pharmaceutical companies to the actual hospitals themselves… all just keep getting richer as people keep dying. They are able to provide what we need to live or we die so, they are able to charge whatever they want. Thats what is truly sick!

    Report Post »  
  • Individualism
    Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:38am

    Good Job Mitt Romney for putting that stuff in place which is why you shouldn’t be president you communist bastard death panel supporting demon.

    Report Post » Individualism  
  • ALL4FREEDOM
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 10:10pm

    The more they try to tinker with it, the worse things will get. You’d have thought they would have learned their lesson in trying to control auto insurance, but NOOOOOOO! Buying insurance is no different than casino gambling, and the odds are always in favor of the house. Trying to rig the game doesn’t make things better, it makes them worse. Price fixing is not a good thing. By the way, who decided that the ONLY way health care can be paid for is through insurance? If I incur a debt, it is my responsibility to pay it. How I go about it should be my business. By choosing not to buy insurance, I’m being penalized for paying my own debts. RIDICULOUS! No matter what they try to do, Romneycare and Obamacare costs CANNOT POSSIBLY be cheaper than free market fee-for-service for one simple reason: the consumer is forced to carry the burden of the unnecessary insurance bureaucracy (which provides NO CARE) in ADDITION to the cost of both the added Federal bureaucratic regulations and reporting requirements, and the actual care itself. It’s all built into the premiums, which are obscene. Why does no one see this?

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on May 12, 2012 at 2:18am

      There is… an inability to Foresee Results & Consequences… rather people focus upon Achieving sometning Now… alike the difference between Concepts & Facts! I think it’s an Educational System Problem… because the alternative is: We live in a World populated, mainly, by Stupid People!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • mr.goodvibe
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 10:03pm

    WTH, I though Glenn was in the bag for Mitt, thats what I was told anyway.

    Report Post » mr.goodvibe  
  • 4GODUSAANDISRAEL
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 8:30pm

    What’s that you say? universal health care is unsustainable? no sh!# sherlock. and yet the messiah and his minions keep plowing ahead with obummer care. we the people need to take this governent run amock back and put common sense back in the head of our country. these people supposedly have the best educations available, yet they can’t “see” the outcome of this which is blatently obvious to a person like me with no college degree. no, i take that back, they can see it, they’re not dumb, it‘s what they want because it lines the coffers of America’s self appointed royalty, while it tatters mine and the rest of America’s “peasants”

    Report Post » 4GODUSAANDISRAEL  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 11, 2012 at 8:55pm

      i agree – these politicians should be thrown out. Lets start anew with a real constitutional conservative

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • trueamerican40
      Posted on May 11, 2012 at 9:33pm

      Don’t woory SOY…when Romney gets elected, even his healthcare plan isn’t going anywhere. The Tea Party is giving him nothing. And he will conform to the will of the people. The Tea Party is here to stay. Even the democraps are going to learn that when you mess with THE PEOPLE, you get smashed by the people.

      Report Post » trueamerican40  
  • soybomb315
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 8:21pm

    Romney was quite the revolutionary when it comes to healthcare. His MASS model has been a complete failure.

    Romney is an unrepentant mandater

    Report Post » soybomb315  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 8:09pm

    This post did load, re did it and then it appears.

    Report Post » Mutiny  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 7:57pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArF4vS1BmQM&feature=related

    Here is a great clip of Romney in what looks like him saying he wants Romneycare to be global. He even praises what Hezbollah did.

    Thank goodness we have another option and the battle isnt over.
    http://www.fox19.com/story/18305604/reality-check-why-all-rnc-delegates-are-free-agents-and-unbound#.T6yV6OCBWuQ.facebook

    Report Post » Mutiny  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 7:49pm

    Here is a clip of Romney saying basically he wants Romneycare to go global. He even praises Hezbollah. If this wasnt so sad it would be funny.

    Selling my new bumper stickers for Romney only 19.99 each.

    “Romney, well at least he isn’t a communist”

    Report Post » Mutiny  
  • lukerw
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 7:43pm

    Alike Rush upon Obama… I do want the State to Failr.. I just want Socialism to Fail and bite them in the A$$!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 7:42pm

    You mean Romney care isnt working? Didnt he say in 2009 we needed to use it as a model for the nation and he was glad the president was using it?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvwwWkzO82g

    Report Post » Mutiny  

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