Saum Sutaria, M.D.

Yes, that may be the case. I don't know that for a fact, but I think the concept that medical expenses lead to medical debt that lead to personal bankruptcy is another difficult topic within this area.

Yes, that may be the case. I don't know that for a fact, but I think the concept that medical expenses lead to medical debt that lead to personal bankruptcy is another difficult topic within this area.

And I think what happens as a result is that it either goes to nothing because people don't pay, or most organized healthcare systems have the equivalent of a compact with the uninsured that rapidly discounts that price, often by tenfold, in order to adjudicate that. And I think that's very appropriate. Yet you still have these unfortunate cases.

And I think what happens as a result is that it either goes to nothing because people don't pay, or most organized healthcare systems have the equivalent of a compact with the uninsured that rapidly discounts that price, often by tenfold, in order to adjudicate that. And I think that's very appropriate. Yet you still have these unfortunate cases.

The healthcare system today, the insurance system today, the cost of drugs today, and the structure that's been created works a lot better if you're in the system, not out of the system.

The healthcare system today, the insurance system today, the cost of drugs today, and the structure that's been created works a lot better if you're in the system, not out of the system.

Yeah. And the uninsured today with the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rates have come way down because it expanded Medicaid. So the people who could qualify due to whatever percentage of the federal poverty level. Employment has expanded. The job market's been good. So more people have insurance through that. We've already talked about Medicare is growing rapidly because of aging.

Yeah. And the uninsured today with the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rates have come way down because it expanded Medicaid. So the people who could qualify due to whatever percentage of the federal poverty level. Employment has expanded. The job market's been good. So more people have insurance through that. We've already talked about Medicare is growing rapidly because of aging.

Medicaid has already hit 90 million people with that expansion. And then there's this gap where people, their employers may be too small to offer insurance. They don't qualify for Medicaid because they make too much money. And we created these things called the exchanges.

Medicaid has already hit 90 million people with that expansion. And then there's this gap where people, their employers may be too small to offer insurance. They don't qualify for Medicaid because they make too much money. And we created these things called the exchanges.

And what that is, is the way to take that market and socialize the risk away from individual risk to group risk and make it more affordable. And so a lot of people have been covered through that. Now, we had a bunch of legal debate. The idea was you would do that and then you'd have this thing called the individual mandate, which meant you're going to be forced to get into something.

And what that is, is the way to take that market and socialize the risk away from individual risk to group risk and make it more affordable. And so a lot of people have been covered through that. Now, we had a bunch of legal debate. The idea was you would do that and then you'd have this thing called the individual mandate, which meant you're going to be forced to get into something.

And again, that got legally challenged.

And again, that got legally challenged.

Right. And that, again, requires an acceptance that there are many, many people who will sign up for insurance that won't need it, and they're subsidizing those that need it. The argument can be made. That's true in Medicare already.

Right. And that, again, requires an acceptance that there are many, many people who will sign up for insurance that won't need it, and they're subsidizing those that need it. The argument can be made. That's true in Medicare already.

Well, that's my point. I think that the legal challenges that occurred to individual mandate and ultimately disabled it, if you will. I'm not an expert on the legal issues, but from the perspective of what we were trying to do as a society, it didn't help the system. Nevertheless, the exchanges have grown. They've been more expensive than people thought.

Well, that's my point. I think that the legal challenges that occurred to individual mandate and ultimately disabled it, if you will. I'm not an expert on the legal issues, but from the perspective of what we were trying to do as a society, it didn't help the system. Nevertheless, the exchanges have grown. They've been more expensive than people thought.

A little bit because of the risk pool, some of it because of the pricing of those insurance products, some of it because of whether they look a little bit more like commercial insurance versus Medicaid. There's two flavors out there, a lot of complexity. But the fact is they've created coverage and access for a lot of people. And more importantly...

A little bit because of the risk pool, some of it because of the pricing of those insurance products, some of it because of whether they look a little bit more like commercial insurance versus Medicaid. There's two flavors out there, a lot of complexity. But the fact is they've created coverage and access for a lot of people. And more importantly...