Republican push High Deducible self-rationing health insurance, a job killer?

It should be pointed out the unintended health care outcome of a popular Republican solution to insurance; health savings accounts/high deductible coverage.

While Republicans whine about Obamacare creating a doctor shortage (which actually creates demand for new doctors-a job creator), their beloved “more skin in the game” high deductible solution is wiping out health care jobs through self-rationing.

The Northwestern: Mercy Medical Center’s sub-acute care unit will close later this month as the Oshkosh hospital’s parent organization completes a reorganization that cut 225 to 250 jobs system-wide. Ministry Health Care announced plans to restructure its operations in late May in response to high-deductible insurance plans reducing demand for physician and outpatient services and a $10 million annual reduction in Medicare payments related to federal budget cuts. 

You could say these health plans are reducing health care costs by putting people out of work. But you can also say high-deductible plans don’t help patients get health care either, but instead force them to put off problems and self-ration, an immoral option pushed by the likes of Paul Ryan and Republicans everywhere. 

The bizarre and dangerous “skin in the game” talking point ignores how patients already have more than their skin invested in the health care “game.” Lives are on the line.