You're watching...
Berenzweig Leonard’s Seth Berenzweig and FNC’s Dr. Marc Siegel on the impact of rising health-care costs on insurance companies and consumers.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
And the ripple effects of and in doing.
The health -- lot could be tremendous not the least of all.
Who would be responsible for many the extra cost is when things we're talking -- the taxes let's bring an attorney Seth Aaron's mark.
To partner parents -- letter thanks so much for joining us what do you -- of the conversation that we were just having you great.
Well.
I agree to a large degree I agree that UnitedHealth care is doing this because it's good business.
And I understand that it'll shift some of the costs but frankly I don't really have a big problem with that I think this is a demonstration of how congress is assumption.
That they need to jumped on the throes of the carriers was fundamentally wrong.
-- made a decision that it makes sense for them to do this it's true they'll be re allocation in a rebalancing of costs.
That's the way the private markets post operate I think other -- -- may follow suit.
So I agree with a lot that was just stated.
But I don't think there's a huge problem with this in terms of re allocating cost.
That's what it's all about when congress made the decision that they were going to have this compelled purchase which is really historic.
And in probably will be overturned -- we'll talk about a moment to a large degree this demonstrates that may have been completely unnecessary to begin -- Do you think this means that markets are working -- you disagree with that but what I -- -- because in the trenches in the medical -- I question whether some of these procedures are really been necessary.
I mean I don't I also wonder what what about -- or whatever -- health savings account why can't patients pay out of pocket.
And then have a tax -- why can't there be an incentive for weight loss -- using a treadmill yeah so that you don't need.
All of the preventive services in the first place that's what about back.
Well I agree with that in and there should be other avenues as well.
But but I think that really just goes back and supports the point that congress didn't have to force this down the throats of the carriers to begin -- That's not going to.
Provide a shared balance cost mechanism -- private marketplace is going to be the best place this.
I think we all agree that health care in America's broken but if congress has to fix it than they need to do in a way that's constitutional.
They have to be able to use the enumerated powers -- they don't use the constitution appropriately it's gonna get thrown out anyway.
-- don't know I think I would add to this level is I don't agree with sense that it was -- Down the throats of insurance carriers they said at the table and they made a deal -- they thought.
They were gonna get healthy people that we're young that we're gonna be forced it to play ball that would -- may be more customers.
And that will lead to more profit that's what the deal they made and it's a faustian deal at this point.
-- what about that.
Well I I don't agree entirely with that I think that they saw the political winds changing and they were trying to navigate through it and in navigate through the storm as best as possible.
At the end of the day I think that they realized that there was some pluses and minuses.
But I think a lot of this is -- -- be -- because I think obamacare legally -- on life support so I think it a couple of days we're gonna have a huge ruling this really gonna just -- the whole thing upside down anyway.
Sex -- -- -- she think the whole thing's gonna get thrown out that's what's gonna end up happening.
I think that the bulk of -- if not all that won't get thrown out if you take a look at what happened over the historic three day hearing in front of the Supreme Court.
They had basically three days and three issues day one whether it was up for a premature attack on attacks.
The justices were completely unimpressed and slam the government attorney for that.
And and I'm not surprised this not a tax it's a penalty.
The big day where the pedal hit the metal was on day two for the individual mandate and I predicted that will probably get thrown out in a close vote on because it violates the commerce clause of the constitution.
You can't say that there's a spillover effect on interstate commerce -- people to buy a product or service that's like saying that we have to buy hybrid cars.
Because that has a spillover effects and interstate commerce for the environment.
Or you'll get slammed with -- penalty when you have to pay your taxes next year real quick before we got doctor -- think it's gonna -- ago I think the -- that individual mandate will be struck down.
But at that point you have an insurance death spiral because if you cover preexisting conditions people will wait until there -- an ambulance heading to the hospital.
Before they sign up with the insurance companies yeah absolutely all right guys thank you so much discussion.
