Rick
@rickv43.bsky.social
Good public policy enthusiast | Healthcare advocate
which may be closer to the truth since even if they can afford private care if you destroy the health infrastructure in this country eventually no amount of money is going to get you good care.
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 PM
which may be closer to the truth since even if they can afford private care if you destroy the health infrastructure in this country eventually no amount of money is going to get you good care.
I am guessing they don't care since the vast majority of senior officials in the Trump administration are millionaires or better and can afford private care for themselves and their family if needed. Alternative theory is they are just incapable of understanding or implementing effective policy
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I am guessing they don't care since the vast majority of senior officials in the Trump administration are millionaires or better and can afford private care for themselves and their family if needed. Alternative theory is they are just incapable of understanding or implementing effective policy
with her and use pejoratives when interacting with her when then feel like it.
November 20, 2025 at 7:36 PM
with her and use pejoratives when interacting with her when then feel like it.
Yeah, it is great we have an unfiltered president that undermines the ideal of civility and comity in our political discourse, and by the way, rarely answers questions and just uses them as a springboard to go off on whatever tangent he wants to. I guess Leavitt won't mind if the reporters are frank
November 20, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Yeah, it is great we have an unfiltered president that undermines the ideal of civility and comity in our political discourse, and by the way, rarely answers questions and just uses them as a springboard to go off on whatever tangent he wants to. I guess Leavitt won't mind if the reporters are frank
Another good reason to avoid Medicare Advantage which weakens the original Medicare risk pools and introduces all of the problems of for profit private insurance companies managing your care.
November 20, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Another good reason to avoid Medicare Advantage which weakens the original Medicare risk pools and introduces all of the problems of for profit private insurance companies managing your care.
Not a great headline on this NPR. He did sign a bill ostensibly to make them public they have not been made public yet and it is pretty clear they have a plan to continue to stall, obfuscate and otherwise do everything within their power to keep the parts damaging to Trump from every seeing light
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Not a great headline on this NPR. He did sign a bill ostensibly to make them public they have not been made public yet and it is pretty clear they have a plan to continue to stall, obfuscate and otherwise do everything within their power to keep the parts damaging to Trump from every seeing light
individual irresponsibility and for profit companies administering and delivering benefits will undermine any efforts to lower cost, at least, not if you are committed to quality, affordable and accessible care.
November 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM
individual irresponsibility and for profit companies administering and delivering benefits will undermine any efforts to lower cost, at least, not if you are committed to quality, affordable and accessible care.
The Republicans will never come up with a good plan on healthcare because they don't believe in shared participation as part of the social contract which is the basis of risk pools and how you could spread costs evenly over large populations. Also, their worship of unbridled capitalism,
November 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The Republicans will never come up with a good plan on healthcare because they don't believe in shared participation as part of the social contract which is the basis of risk pools and how you could spread costs evenly over large populations. Also, their worship of unbridled capitalism,
I have a bad feeling that SCOTUS will figure out some convoluted way to bail them out.
November 19, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I have a bad feeling that SCOTUS will figure out some convoluted way to bail them out.
certainly be something that could be changed. Anyway, the Republicans mantra of individual freedom (at least with healthcare and not a lot else) and unbridled capitalism is antithetical to providing affordable care and overall public health.
November 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
certainly be something that could be changed. Anyway, the Republicans mantra of individual freedom (at least with healthcare and not a lot else) and unbridled capitalism is antithetical to providing affordable care and overall public health.
of interest and the patients access and quality of care is not the guiding principle for them. Making money is. We also pay providers a lot more than many other countries and there are probably some unique reasons in the US where that might be more arguably required but fee for service could
November 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
of interest and the patients access and quality of care is not the guiding principle for them. Making money is. We also pay providers a lot more than many other countries and there are probably some unique reasons in the US where that might be more arguably required but fee for service could
Lowering administrative costs by eliminating middlemen like PBMs and really the best solution would be to go to a single payer system more similar to Medicare which is very popular and has lower administrative overhead. Relying on for profit companies to provide insurance is a fundamental conflict
November 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Lowering administrative costs by eliminating middlemen like PBMs and really the best solution would be to go to a single payer system more similar to Medicare which is very popular and has lower administrative overhead. Relying on for profit companies to provide insurance is a fundamental conflict
The Republicans will never have an answer to providing quality affordable, accessible healthcare because they would never do the things that would be required to achieve that. Insuring more people to increase the diversity in the risk pools that would spread the costs more evenly across the members.
November 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The Republicans will never have an answer to providing quality affordable, accessible healthcare because they would never do the things that would be required to achieve that. Insuring more people to increase the diversity in the risk pools that would spread the costs more evenly across the members.
Really ask him anything that is salient or relevant that challenges his statements.
November 16, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Really ask him anything that is salient or relevant that challenges his statements.
for everyone because of their core beliefs and misunderstanding of insurance. The only plan they would come up with would make things worse. Obviously, there are many other areas to also address that drive up costs in this country but by balkanizing and privatizing you will never get to the other
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
for everyone because of their core beliefs and misunderstanding of insurance. The only plan they would come up with would make things worse. Obviously, there are many other areas to also address that drive up costs in this country but by balkanizing and privatizing you will never get to the other
at this point the Republicans never liked and if they thought they could get away with it would probably eliminate it or completely privatize with some sort scheme similar to Medicare Advantage. Anyway, the Republicans will never come up with a better plan that will actually improve the situation
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
at this point the Republicans never liked and if they thought they could get away with it would probably eliminate it or completely privatize with some sort scheme similar to Medicare Advantage. Anyway, the Republicans will never come up with a better plan that will actually improve the situation
also eliminating pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps. The only way to really do this is to have very large risk pools that everyone has to participate in to spread the costs out over a large population along with the regulatory controls similar to original Medicare, which, although, entrenched
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
also eliminating pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps. The only way to really do this is to have very large risk pools that everyone has to participate in to spread the costs out over a large population along with the regulatory controls similar to original Medicare, which, although, entrenched
on lifetime spending, denials based on pre-existing conditions, limits on certain kinds of care or networks, etc.. This is antithetical to actually providing broad access with the lowest prices for everyone and uniform regulations that makes the plans provide a base line level of coverage while
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
on lifetime spending, denials based on pre-existing conditions, limits on certain kinds of care or networks, etc.. This is antithetical to actually providing broad access with the lowest prices for everyone and uniform regulations that makes the plans provide a base line level of coverage while
The Republicans starting premise on healthcare, that it should be driven solely by the free market and the for profit private insurance companies and that individuals should be able to shop around and pick plans with little or no regulation if that is their personal choice. Plans that may have caps
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The Republicans starting premise on healthcare, that it should be driven solely by the free market and the for profit private insurance companies and that individuals should be able to shop around and pick plans with little or no regulation if that is their personal choice. Plans that may have caps