Mitch McConnell unveiled new modifications to 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 we’re 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 that’s been consistently opposed to Obamacare repeal of any kind,
is the American Medical Association—
the country’s largest organization of doctors.
Michael Moynihan went to see some specialists to find out what’s going on
what’s going on with the future of American health care,
and himself.
— Um… okay.
I’m just gonna put those on the floor.
I’m, 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?
It’s paperwork.
Are you kidding me?
10 or 12 pages?
V, O, H, C…
Do I need glasses?
— We’re going to check right now.
— Shit.
— Excellent.
— Okay, let’s 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,
they’re not paying you enough.
— They pay me a lot less than the visit is worth.
— So that’s why you don’t take commercial insurance.
— Right, because I couldn’t afford to do it.
— This is gonna be your glasses.
— Are you kidding me?
You’re fucking with—
I’m sorry, do I need glasses?
— So far yes, a little bit.
— If I’m self-paying with you, how much does it cost?
— That’s a really good question.
— You don’t know?
— I think it’s $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 don’t 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 don’t 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 we’re now, like, 40 percent administration 60 percent clinical.
There is the insurance company that’s trying to pay out as little as possible,
even though the patient is paying them.
So there’s just a huge layer of administration on top of the actual medicine.
So I think that we’re spending a whole lot of money
administering a system that actually doesn’t work very well.
— There is a deep corn in here.
— Ow!
— It’s all good, I’m sorry if there’s any discomfort.
But I think it’s 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… isn’t as good.
Why is the American health care such an outlier in that sense?
— What I see is that there’s 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… it’s like…
— Okay, I’ll take it easy.
— You support the ACA,
but it’s 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.
I’ll check you for a hernia, okay?
— Okay, okay.
— Okay? So a little pressure, okay?
Don’t tighten up, don’t tighten up—
— No, but you’re 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 that’s really taking away a lot of the coverage over time.
— I would not want Obamacare as my insurance.
And, as a physician,
I don’t want Obamacare as my insurance.
Nor do I want even what’s in the Congress now.
That’s even worse.
— Is it in your vested interest to have a single-payer…?
— Yes.
— We’re a wealthy country,
and we should have universal health care.
— I think I lean towards universal health care.
I think it’s 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, that’s right, too… — It’s 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.