Obamacare Claims 1.500 Jobs In PA

[red states rule]

Obamacare has killed off 1,500 jobs in PA as the results of Obamacare start to be felt






West Penn Allegheny Health System's decision to lay off 1,500 workers, close West Penn Hospital's emergency department and move other essential services to Allegheny General Hospital was portrayed as a matter of survival for the financially at-risk health system.

But health care experts, both local and national, say other major urban hospitals -- particularly those with high Medicare and Medicaid patient volumes -- will be facing similar difficult consolidation decisions in coming years once the full impact of national health care reform hits.

"Hospitals will be under pressure to reduce costs," said Martin Gaynor, health economist and professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College. "Exactly what form it will take, how intense it will be and how fast it will happen, I don't know."

Nor does anyone else, but the uncertainty is enough to give a hospital CEO heartburn.

"There is great trepidation among hospitals that are 'government dependent,' where the majority of their care is Medicare and Medicaid, and they see their state budget in crisis, so their Medicaid payments are scary looking to the future," said Ellen Kugler, executive director of the National Association of Urban Hospitals in Washington, D.C.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10186/1070489-28.stm

[Sweetchuck]

I don't think Obamacare had anything to do with WPAHS's layoffs. I've worked for both organizations - WPAHS and UPMC. UPMC is a predator and WPAHS is frail comparatively.

UPMC closed Braddock Hospital 6 months or so ago, it's part of the industry. Inner-city hospitals are disasters to run and that's a product of the uninsured and Medicaid, and Medicare to some degree. Add outdated, aging facilities and the politics to build new facilities and you have it. Only the largest of the large in big cities will survive and that's by acquiring "feeder" hospitals in suburbs and rural areas where affiliations will steer heavy-duty stuff to the "mothership" and the primary shit stays locally.

That's been the developing model well before BO's plan to socialize medicine.

[red states rule]

I don't think Obamacare had anything to do with WPAHS's layoffs. I've worked for both organizations - WPAHS and UPMC. UPMC is a predator and WPAHS is frail comparatively.

UPMC closed Braddock Hospital 6 months or so ago, it's part of the industry. Inner-city hospitals are disasters to run and that's a product of the uninsured and Medicaid, and Medicare to some degree. Add outdated, aging facilities and the politics to build new facilities and you have it. Only the largest of the large in big cities will survive and that's by acquiring "feeder" hospitals in suburbs and rural areas where affiliations will steer heavy-duty stuff to the "mothership" and the primary shit stays locally.

That's been the developing model well before BO's plan to socialize medicine.

The increased costs of doing business contained in Obamacare were a factor. It may have sped up the process

This is a drop in bucket - many more jobs will be lost thanks to Obamacare

[Sweetchuck]

The increased costs of doing business contained in Obamacare were a factor. It may have sped up the process

This is a drop in bucket - many more jobs will be lost thanks to Obamacare

What costs?

[red states rule]

What costs?

Tax increases and increased government regulations

Obamacre was the largest tax increse in the nations history

http://www.redcounty.com/eye-opening-a-comprehensive-list-obamacares-tax-hikes/37858

[Sweetchuck]

Tax increases and increased government regulations

Obamacre was the largest tax increse in the nations history

http://www.redcounty.com/eye-opening-a-comprehensive-list-obamacares-tax-hikes/37858

Tax increases affect all businesses and I don't see a widespread closing of businesses yet.

I don't disagree, BO's policies will likely prove disastrous, but I don't think Obamacare had anything to do with WPAHS's downsizing.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100621/MAGAZINE/306219965#

This is pretty common with health systems in urban, competitive areas. As much as I dislike BO's healthcare wreck, I have to point toward the reality of the issue. It's more of a product of competition and reimbursement.

[red states rule]

Tax increases affect all businesses and I don't see a widespread closing of businesses yet.

I don't disagree, BO's policies will likely prove disastrous, but I don't think Obamacare had anything to do with WPAHS's downsizing.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100621/MAGAZINE/306219965#

This is pretty common with health systems in urban, competitive areas. As much as I dislike BO's healthcare wreck, I have to point toward the reality of the issue.

Across the board Obamacare wil cost jobs, increase the cost f insurance, and some employers will dump their plans offerd to employees and pay the "tax"

In fact, look at what Obamacare has done to our vets






Wounded Warriors Face New Tax This Independence Day

As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day with parades and barbecues, America’s veterans face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical devices.

The health care overhaul passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama earlier this year contains a new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and wheelchairs. This tax, which its proponents claim will raise $20 billion over the next ten years, contains no exemption for the nation’s 22 million veterans. In fact, Senate Democrats specifically refused to exempt veterans from the tax.

On March 24 2010, Senate Democrats rejected an amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to the healthcare bill. This amendment (SA 3644) would have prevented the medical device tax from hitting veterans covered by the Veterans Healthcare Program or TRICARE for Life. This amendment was rejected by a vote of 44-54. All but five Democrat senators voted in favor of retaining the tax for veterans.

The medical device tax was one of over twenty new or higher taxes in President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul. This permanent new tax is being collected now.

“On March 24, Senate Democrats had the opportunity to exempt our veterans from Obamacare’s new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs. But 54 Democrats voted against the measure. They chose to side with the tax-and-spend crowd in Washington over our wounded warriors,”said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “This is one of the many reasons Harry Reid and the Democrats did not want Americans to read the 2,500 page health care bill before it was passed.”



Read more: http://www.atr.org/wounded-warriors-face-new-tax-independence-a5175##ixzz0sqHxvoou

[Sweetchuck]

I don't disagree with your opinion, Obamacare will have a negative impact on the healthcare industry, but be objective. The industry had (and has had) it's struggles before Obamacare. Simply blaming every problem in the industry on Obamacare is absurd, you have to consider the factors and not just blindly point to one source.

When the prospective payment system came into place, oh - 20 years or so ago, hospitals enjoyed cost-based reimbursement. The more they spent, the more they were reimbursed. PPS essentially put a fixed reimbursement on services paid for by the government agencies, Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid has since become a bare-bones program more often reimbursing less than the actual cost of providing the service. Medicare has become a political piggy bank, subject to raiding for other pet projects and reimbursement has tightened and will continue shrinking until the fund is repealed or it goes broke. In fact it is already broke if you consider it's unfunded liability, so guys like you and I will get the shaft when we retire. We paid into the fund our entire lives and we ain't seeing a dime of that.

Add to the fact that inner city emergency rooms often provide primary care to the uninsured with the collection of payment for those services virtually impossible. Michelle Obama was an administrator in such a hospital in Chicago where there was a sort of scandal with that hospital's program to direct ER volume to primary care docs (ie: "patient dumping"), but I don't disagree with the intent of that program. Primary docs provide primary care better and cheaper than ER docs.

I'm going off on a tangent here, but back to the original point. Obamacare had nothing to do with WPAHS's downsizing. WPAHS was in financial distress for a long time now - back to the days of AHERF.

Google that for a little history, I was indirectly there during that mess.

[red states rule]

Obamacare is putting increasing costs, taxes, and regulation on the healthcare industry

Jobs will be lost, and care will be rationed

UHC Obama style.

[PostmodernProphet]

Tax increases affect all businesses and I don't see a widespread closing of businesses yet.
come visit Michigan....

[red states rule]

come visit Michigan....

and Michigan has been run by Democrats for how long?

[Abbey Marie]

Chuck, since you are in the business and seem knowledgeable, what do you think will happen to the small local family physicians under Obama-care? They aren't exactly plentiful now- do you think they will become even more scarce?

[Sweetchuck]

come visit Michigan....

Blame unions there.

[Sweetchuck]

Chuck, since you are in the business and seem knowledgeable, what do you think will happen to the small local family physicians under Obama-care? They aren't exactly plentiful now- do you think they will become even more scarce?

The sustainable model is to have physician assistants to do the regular office visit stuff. This model was pioneered in the west where there was a lot of space between towns and PA's would see the day-to-day stuff and physicians would review their work and see patients every now and then.

I support this model, though we as a society like our healthcare. THAT is why our healthcare system is inefficient. Over-utilization. Too many tests, x-rays, CT scans - physicians want to cover their asses since there is no TORT REFORM which would limit malpractice suits and lower risks to physicians, so they test, and test. Over-utilization.

But to address your question, since there is no tort reform, no measures to curb costs or manage utilization, or increase reimbursement, I'm guessing a system of rationing will go into effect. Costs will continue to be high and we will flip to a system of under-utilization. Malpractice suits will increase and small practices will gravitate to physician groups, many of them affiliations with larger health care delivery systems. Kinda like Wal Mart, only with docs.

I'm also quality and patient satisfaction will drop - but the for-profit systems will find niches here and some opportunities which will be good for investors, but I'm not sure if it will be good for patients.

I'm holding out that this whole thing gets repealed or ratcheted back to some degree but I suspect that this legislation is only a foot in the door for socialist liberals.

[red states rule]

Obamacare waiting room

http://www.strangepolitics.com/images/content/162306.jpg