Mitch McConnell unveiled new modificationsto the GOP health care bill today in his latest attempt to sway 50 Republican senators to get behind repealing and replacing Obamacare. The new bill adds $45 billion to help
states deal with the opioid crisis a nod to previous holdouts Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. It also allows barebones plans to be sold
to the Obamacare exchanges a pet policy of Senator Ted Cruz. I think were making serious progress towards coming together and unifying our conference, and getting a bill that can command the support
of at least 50 senators and pass it along.
This version of the bill also has a provision
giving members of Congress and their staffs a wider array of benefits than other Americans
who actually purchase their own coverage. McConnell says the Senate will vote next week. One group thats been consistently
opposed to Obamacare repeal of any kind, is the American Medical Association the countrys largest organization of doctors. Michael Moynihan went to see some
specialists to find out whats going on whats going on with the future of American health care, and himself.
Um okay. Im just gonna put those on the floor. Im, like, legitimately nervous. I think I have cancer.
I always think I have cancer. You know what the major problem
with American health care is? Its paperwork. Are you kidding me? 10 Or 12 pages? V, O, H, C Do I need glasses? Were going to check right now. Shit.
Excellent. Okay, lets talk about Obamacare. We will. You sure?
Yep.
Alright, let me just take a look here. A typical insurance, on an initial visit like this, which takes me about one hour, pays about $100 or $95. The cost of that hour, for me to just keep the office open and operating, is about $300. So when insurance is actually paying for it, theyre not paying you enough.
They pay me a lot less than the visit is worth. So thats why you dont take commercial insurance. Right, because I couldnt afford to do it. This is gonna be your glasses.
Are you kidding me? Youre fucking with Im sorry, do I need glasses? So far yes, a little bit. If Im self-paying with you, how much does it cost? Thats a really good question. You dont know? I think its $350. But, um, the front desk actually
knows that price better than I do.
Can I ask you a question,
is it odd for you not to know? I dont want anything about my care to be influenced
in any way by the type of insurance you have. Oh, shit.
Yeah, sorry. Be looking straight ahead for me. I dont like this part, by the way.
Yeah, no. No one likes it. Everyone gets mad at me for this. Really?
Mhmm.
You seem quite nice, though. In terms of the impact the ACA
specifically has on the practice, it has increased the level of administration that
we need to do in order to get through the day. So, we used to be about 10 percent
administration and 90 percent clinical, and were now, like, 40 percent
administration 60 percent clinical. There is the insurance company thats
trying to pay out as little as possible, even though the patient is paying them.
So theres just a huge layer of administration
on top of the actual medicine. So I think that were spending a whole lot of money administering a system that
actually doesnt work very well. There is a deep corn in here. Ow! Its all good, Im sorry if theres any discomfort.
But I think its more fear than discomfort. Yeah. In the realm of health care, and the mess and the morass of health care, how do you see that affecting your practice? It affects it everyday.
How so? After the Affordable Care Act, people got insurance that had not had insurance. We spend more per patient than
any other industrialized country and our care isnt as good.
Why is the American health care
such an outlier in that sense? What I see is that theres a tremendous amount of greed on the part of the insurance companies. Why is that? Insurance companies manage care. Instead of a doctor getting $250 easily, they get $12. $40.
$60. Good afternoon, Mr. Moynihan. Doctor.
Are most people this uncomfortable,
like, the first time they come? Not really, to be honest with you. Really? Oh, he snaps it on its like Okay, Ill take it easy. You support the ACA, but its made your life more difficult? In a lot of ways. I think a lot of us support it, because of the altruistic aspect of it to cover as many to provide coverage
to as many people as possible rather than having them go
to the emergency room for care.
Ill check you for a hernia, okay? Okay, okay. Okay? So a little pressure, okay? Dont tighten up, dont tighten up No, but youre pushing my balls! I know, I know, I know. So you can sit up for me now. Tell me what you think of
the Republican replacement plan.
So, there is no way I felt like
I could palate, you know, what it is and thats really taking away
a lot of the coverage over time. I would not want Obamacare as my insurance. And, as a physician, I dont want Obamacare as my insurance. Nor do I want even whats in the Congress now.
Thats even worse. Is it in your vested interest to have a single-payer? Yes. Were a wealthy country, and we should have universal health care. I think I lean towards universal health care.
I think its the obvious,
appropriate solution for the country. I think those who disagree with you are in Congress. Well, yes, and the people who
put them into Congress, I think. Well, yeah, thats right, too
Its not a small group.
Thank you, doctor. It was lovely meeting you. I appreciate it. Thank you for taking the blade to my foot.
I feel, um I feel better. I dunno if I do..