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"washington journal" live at 7:00 eastern tuesday morning. join the discussion. >> next from today's washington journal. host: good morning. we have r having a discussion in on a widegton journal variety of health care issues including starting last friday by lower court. explain what happened friday. one ofen tk kiss is several states that wants to require people on medicaid in the expansion group under the affordable care act. for the first time people who mcbut not also elderly or children or pregnant women were allowed to get on medicaid.

a number of states want to make for their work medicaid and would have to work in a difference by state but roughly 80 hours a month at an actual job or training or education. 5,000 people would lose. not so much because they don't work but theabled body medicaid expansion groups do work. but because jobs they were not going to be able to properly fill out the paperwork requirements and advocates sued and it went to a judge here in washington and fridaydge ruled late afternoon that requiring people part ofrk is not medicaid's purpose. and so pe basically put the regulation that than thee things other

work rim and puts the whole thing on ice for now obviously to go to higher courts and we it will. purioned several states are seeing that path on medicaid. did kentucky got the furthest or theirs more extensive. did kentucky. >> i think kentucky was the first. in effect.ready it is not clear this doesn't apply to anything except kentucky at this point. so we will see. the question is will people turn around and sue and you know statesme of the other that are doing it? arc air, doing it. north dakota it dict. it.nsas is doing you say approved. yes. it is part of the department of human services. >> yes. the question is whether the trump administration oversteps

the authority. you have to get permission to make these kinds of experiments basically what they are in hed caid and it is the administration who is making decision that cha they were asking to do is consistent with statute.aid >> host: as i pull up the map decision just sort of walk us through the latest who recently did not.nsion and who we're at 34 states now that have expanded their medicaid in the affordable care ac. >> well virginia was the most recent state. that was something. a republican legislature last democrats didn't quite change but they came close and ended uply virginia doing a compromise where the republicans voted forential only because they were going to ask for work require ams and we have to see what becomes of these work requirements. but virginia sort of added to and expand states

medicaid and states complained about how much it will cost but beginning the the federal government paid 100% of major population. phasing down when it is all the way phased down which is another couple of years the federal government will pay 90% of the costs nor population and where sort of the traditional medicaid population but in a lotstates of states it is. >> % so a good deal for the state to debtget the people covered that have to pay 10% ef costs. a well, explain what is going on idaho, utah and nebraska. >> idaho, utah, nebraska will vote this fall. the republican governor there refused to implement it. that is also under some court review about and the governor was actually ordered to expand believe, it was this

week he was supposed to have done it. up theve to follow were main sega is. this has been going in a stots mostlyntioned including not across the south and sort of more conservative part of the midwest, but even many republican states have done it again because the federal government is offering such a good deal to do it. >> host: the place where joy will be following up. news! org on tweets there with the extensive washington chief core car ant with us until variety weg a wide can cover. we broke up the phone lines differently this morning. if you are insured through the affordable care ac.

give us a call, , (202) 748-8000 (202) 748-8001, independents, (202) 748-8002. you can also catch up with us on social media at facebook at facebook.com/cspan. pretty wildly about case last month the justice department longer it would no defend some key provisions of us whatjust explain to they were choosing not to defend and why. >> so back in the winter in february. attorney's general, republican torn's general sued and said gotten ridgress had of the tax penalty for not having insurance. it didn't take away the mandate insurance because it couldn't in the way they passed pen toyhey did drop the zero so they eliminated any penalty for that attached that mandate and these republican attorney's general argued that linchpin that

uphold the constitutionallality care akin 2012le when chief justice roberts said congress has attacked. well, no tax. the rest of the law is unconstationle. thats the argument. it raises eyebrows on both sides i might add. is not just democrats who think that is a reach but republicans who also think it is a reach. so make the connection there, too. the concerns it may eliminate preexisting coming. >> so there was deadline a couple of weeks ago ner administration to weigh in on this case. the administration weighed in they said we don't agree the republican attorney's that it invalidates the entire rest the law that is other thingsnt of but we a i aye degree with the thatlican torn's general without the mandate and actually is should invalidate two part and one that said you have to preexistingple with

conditions and the other that said you have to sell at the everybody else so those are the heart of carections then affordable ac and what the justice department said we think that maybe those might could go to there was big, you know, several career lawyers dropped out of the case before this was filed and actually asked to get is whath am told unprecidented that there was, career justice department justices and the department is supposed to defend exist lawings. that is it. they disagree the move and that is why they left that yes. yeah. part of not want to be this argument basically that was that they felt was not legally. more politically than he legally. >> host: who does gene in fourth is sayinge department they don't want to gene these key provisions? interestingly, a mum before he democratic attorney's general have step in. is 166 them.

now the republican attorney's general versus the democratic attorney's general and allowed to intercede as it is called. they will basically be defending defacto.e the you are right. thethe prall government and federal government says we are not sure that we want to defend this. >> host: what's the practical impact? are people's insurance premiums movingp with this case through court and insurers concerned about what it will mean at the mean? yeah. what it willerned mean at the end there is no direct impact yet. just before the first judge at the lowest federal level. there is a concern that sort of supreme court fight about what might happen when this case gets to the would beurt that very far off and in he mean in time, though, we're seeing deciding companies what the premium aring to be for next year and adds another uncertainty to the mix and they don't like uncertainty and tend to raise cover shelves

when they see uncertain that i was part of what happened last ifr when it was not clear the republicans are going to be able to repeal and replace the care act we saw them spike and we are seeing premiums as i pension they got rid of the requirements for foam have health insurance so that healthyied people may not sign up. that will leave them with cirk people that will make more extensive product million we're seeing rate increases and not interestingly seeing rate increases everywhere. a lot of have now raised rates they can make money and they don't wish to raise more because people will to go other product or not buy insurance so we're rates in some places but seeing big increase in others. the phoneet me give numbers again to join the conversation. give us a call, , (202) 748-8000 (202) 748-8001, (202) 748-8002.

202-748-8003.s at with julie kaiser health news. >> caller: yes. yes. the coverageto ask juste health care and i am afraid as to come because they medicare andbout messing with it. please don't. >> well, the medicare fight is a separate track if you will. the house is working on budget isht now that no one thinks sort of going to have any impact again. once airman the how house is

changes to the mid care. there is a concern about being able to sustain medicare boomers for the baby who are starting to retire and ann medicare but medicare is extra nardly popular program. in fact in all of the change republicans wanted to make last year medicare was very largely not part of that. >> host: chris. michigan.in detroit, unshorned? albert, go ahead. >> caller: yeah. what is sotion is: to -- gain to increase the taxable range of people hin tax everybody who has $200,000 limit of taxes on the social security. just making sure ebb pays for that fund. these't that cover all of

problems as far as the medicaid, hed care, social security? there is still a cap on social security taxes. argument.ctually an people who don't really and potential part of money for than social security and and possibly medicare and in order to have caller is probably talking about some kind of single pair health insurance that would than thatlot more tax. >> host: chris is in tulsa, oklahoma. ensured through the affordable care ac. chris, good morning. >> caller: yes. affordable when i first got it $200 now i am up to $1,250 a month. i had to raise a bunch of grandkid is so get the subsidy to come up we need withsome ways to for some cost saving on those medications and the procedures we used to have a and i hi wehoma

need look at that maybe for some of the company on some of the that they are making off of this insurance. i am with blue cross-blue shield oklahoma. i have preexisting. there is no way i can get insurance except through the affordable care ac. >> yeah there is a real problem. the biggest problem now. the people who get the somebody to held harmless lie by the premiums because the percentaged on the of the income you don't have to pay more than that no mat are high the premiums go. the problem is they earn touch. it is 400 percent. of poverty and you make, you blower $60,000 looking at these multi thousand a month policies completelyally unaffordable. they razz people talking about raising the threshold for

premium health because they have gotten expensive and also detectables in a lot of plans in collars.ands of i mean everybody agrees, it is a problem. including the insurance ispanies and health care just really, really expensive. cal. brought up the concern over the cost of procedures. take us to this story. it is by jenny at thes coulder health news and var clip the headlineox to a baby was treated with a bott receivedn the parents and $18,000 bill. explain what is going on there. of tryingarger issues to bring down the cost of some of these preeddures. first both kaiser health news along with nba is doing bill of the month. can send it to us. var cliff is doing ter other at emergency room bill sous can send emergency room bills to sarah. this was joint story between sarah and jenny and basically about something called a trauma fee.

that when you, you know, basically you go to a hospital level one trauma center. there is many hops not all of simplyarged a fee for assembly a flam fee and it is often in the thousands of dollars and often not covered by insurance. i mean, it is really, you know, and, the family in the story were actually here from out hef country and they had bought travel insurance but only had $5,000 in travel insurance was $18,000. >> $18,000. >> yeah. you know, it is definitely, we another -- we have known this for awhile. we had another crept study that is of the trans health care so much more pensionive the u.s. than other countries is not because we use more of it. we don't. we charge more for it. it is one famous people said. that is stupid. >> host: the link can found through cares health news website. kaiser health news! org on twitter they at kh news to find.

>> is the chief washington correspondent with us for the next 40 minutes this morning take your calls on a wide variety of health care topics we that. do we appreciate. jerries in pennsylvania. insured under hed care. good morning. >> caller: toll me, think it is expensive. what do you think? >> well, the price of drugs and know, a number of different issues this the trump toinistration is trying

encourage generic. they got other ideas for limiting drug prices but now in to drug markers themselves you have speck paters coming in and filing up on drugs and raising the prices and all wereese middle men who passing on theirs it is a huge problem and one of the pop problem force the public when you ask them what are you most youred about in health care. of good news there are a lot drugs that treat a lot of things that never used to be able to do drugs aroundold forever that are thousands of times more ebbs pes than they used to be. it is a big large continuing issue. pellst: what are ex able of drug speculation that vicar may remember were the news? course martin shkreli who end up being charged for something else, actually, he is not a drug maker. he is a not a recertain. know, a wall street guy. drug that andld

raised the price many thousands of times, and actually i read recently, even though, you know, he is now off, he is now off, has come down but only marginal. it is many times more expensive than it used to be. don'tw prices go up and seem to come down. >> host: is that the whim of the market? who dy buy up the companies? >> well, loves things. are beenhem -- they trying for years. you know? one real quick one they have not the finisho get over line is when gen age ir drugs come on the market and tends to ofng done the prices everything. it is the first gen age ir ready to come on the market and the maker pays off to delay the introduction of that which so the gen ache ir kips getting money from the brand name and the brand maim. it.ust sit on >> just sit on. i the brand name company gets monopoly basically

on the drug and the only people who suffer are the people who have to pay for the drugs? is something that congress has been cach talking about for 15 years now. , thet is just, it is very drug industry is powerful. there is a lot of different it.es to there are other different drug issues, but, yeah, congress is at.ing they have been having hearings and talking about it. some idea rucks bag and they have been talking about since the 1680's. >> host: well, good morning. slurred through medicaid. i have medicaid and medicare through the president and everyone else, do f with our medicare. good day. hast. >> host: all right. east dublin georgia. good morning. morning.: good how are you? well.t: doing >> caller: this is through the own polling at the family

foundation that americans are for universal health care even if it means raising taxes for them and the read it was at 50% through the polling so throughly what we found healthson that universal care is cheaper for not only the country but individuals within the country as comparison a mum before he countries and the united states and purchasing power of the government to buy health care, sorry, parm suit callings in bulk. pharmaceuticals in bulk. it that for everyone else who will call in with their is onms, understand, it you and it is on, it is you change theto political equation to get lower lower drug costs and

costs can because it is not a problem of um ber, it is a problem of politics. can control the politics. thanks. >> host: thanks for the call. >> yeah. would say there is more support for single than there has been. i have been watching this for a long time. however the keyser poll found when you ask pope. they say generally do you idea of hed care for all and government run health. they say yes then you ask them you be willing to pay more taxes to pay for it. that support goes down quite a lot. have not had debate. we had it on the fridges when congress was passing the affordable care ac that was as far as they could get with a major up theic house and then, 60 votes in the senate, the affordable care ac as far as they could get so the country clearly was not ready at this point. to move to a single pair as they now? a kemdem cratve ek house than the senate and democratic president and i guess you could detate.

>> host: was this cares family foundation if. >> y. was. >> host: can you explain the differens. >> yes. editoriallth news is pent program of the kaiser family foundation. with the associated insurance company. >> host: speaking of polls. you wrote about one of the polls the came out last week on public opinion on overturning and i run wade through the funnings there. >> well, basically the public wade.ts row versus it goes up and down. one of the things interesting to opinion onat public abortion that is it is just has not changed think at. public icyy the descried. you got a small hard corp that should bebortion illegal. got a slightly larger but still believes ishat should be local and the vast majority in between believing are some limits whether they should be on time or reason a woman

wants an abortion they are over the kind of all map so most americans sort of hold at the same time the views abortion is bad perhaps it should be restricted but roe v. overturned not be and basically up to the woman her doctor these are thensistent beliefs but majority of the american public holds them and has for long time. >> as june 11th through the 20th i believe. they would not like to see roe v. wade overturned saying they would like site overturned and 81% saying sitewould not like to overturned among pents and 73% say they would not like to see it is justed and 43 percent who say they would andlike to site overturned 53% say they would like to site overturned. it forcers halt news the polling coming out last week. texas.s waiting in

ellen, go ahead. .> caller: well, >> host: while we're he weight up.ellen thrown pick we'll go to powers, orimune, on the lines for those insured medicare? >> caller: yes. thecare already is preexisting conditions that is called chronic. you still with us? i am sorry i think we lost landa. if not we goon to charlie. gepping that the medicare covers people regardless of whether they have thenisting conditions and charns hem the same amount which is true bay the time are people have some preexpectisting condition that's the bass says that say we should have medicare for all. one issues though that most understand.

medicares not that generous. we have to some kind of supplemental inshore ands unless you are beat think and most people, some people get it for work. people buy their own supplemental insurance. some people like to call earlier medicaided to hey the things that medicare dup. popularare and referred program. and single pair and and it is close. i think most of the senators who about running for president next time are calling for some sort of universal coverage. think the general widespread agreement for something called universal coverage and not, defending on how you get that and not provided by the through extra taxes which is a single payer idea. also confused

medicare is also run by the government that the care is provide privately. go to private doctors and private hospitals and the government pays the bill that canada has and a true sort of national health insurance that is government provided would be we have in the va and what they have in england where the government actually owns the health facility and pays a salary to the health care don't that i what is people are talking about. most people are talking about a medicare canadian type system the government pays the bills and the cares still provide privately s. we are cog midterm election. compare to issue in the democratic party right now to in last midterm election 2014 and then how prominent it was then versus now. that prominent in 2014 which which is interesting because the affordable care ac know, the first year of the aca. that was still republicans and campaigning against it. but democrats have not. we're still in sort of full

defense mode of the health care law. they are still i would say in defense mode. have republicans back on their heels a little bit there and this, the effort by the administration to this val dade preexisting conditions i think those are by the the most popular part of the affordable care act and democrats are running a little bit more on offense against the republicans where as in 2014 it was republicans still running on against democrats so parts that are not working very well. >> 25 minutes left this morning on the washington journal taking your health care questions and a top ticks.y of charlie, go ahead. thanks for waiting. >> caller: hi. doing? you hi. the insurance companies have no right to making a profit of the suffering and the deaths of the american people. the profitis is motive in house. think that in itself is sick. a single payer and the

single payer when they say single payer that is a difference of when you are saying universal health care. because it means keeping the in but having to get everybody involved. single payer means we get companies out and doing what needs to be done. you may pe taxes. you inxes go back to heal care. all, there is of a lot of nonprofit in shunnance companies. in suree for profit andses can, though. that is the argument that insurance companies make a they hold medical costs down. that is part. incentive. be their it doesn't always work that way. the idea is sort of the less, the more they can drive down the cost of health care and negotiate that down them then, know, get as, better dell and get more profit because they have drivep down out inh they have to pay the health bills as i say, it is mostly genes on who has more power.ing

sometimes the insurance company has the bar gaping power. sometimes the hospitals have the bargaining power. it is reg mall. it is very local. popular hospital that basically insurance company has to have in the network they shots.l the if there is lots of hospitals insurance companies can say, well, we're only going to take that give us the best deal. yes. this is a continuing argument about it. insurance.ust there is a lot of profit in health care right you mo. you know, as we tacked about drugmakers already. and you know, there are many, think there are more for profits than there used to be. moneys costing is a loft as a society and its something we are just starting to crap pell with. host host to the wolverine state. jack is in warren. shall, go ahead. >> caller: how are you doing? thanks for taking my call. think the insurance that i will give you a couple of quick , first, i didn't

have answer insurance. the prescription was $55. got prescription from affordable health care act. $150 premium. my prescriptions doubled. so i got them that month then i payingapp and no i am cash $35 for my prescription. another thing is that i was, i the emergency room back in 2012 and public didn't pay any the bills. i am still paying for them. colonoscopy.get a so i am paying the premiums. this is before. this is before. colonoscopy.sh for $815 cash. insurancei had to get so i got my insurance so premium.

did get the colonoscopy for $600. hospital charged the insurance company over $4,500. for the same colonoscopy and i and ma seesrom the local gist for $900. i called them. said gist give me insurance. that was for the nurse. and i told them. i already paid them $600. and then, another thing is, that an aneurysm sond i got get ultrasound. the insurance, i am paying $450 a month they want to me 00 for that. $900 that ultrasound. i just got one done last month doctors.he

i paid cash. in the office. $180. >> host: cane ask you, do you children? >> caller: yeah. they are all grown. >> host: do they approach health way you do?e do they take a different route? >> caller: well, i am trying to health care savings account stuff, you know, pretax, so i am checking into that. i am trying to educate people without the insurance. >> host: did you have insurance when your children were young? dy.aller: yes >> host: thank for describing the situation. >> way, it is a big issue. even people with insurance are being hit with enormous bills sometimes in cases thickeologist ofause it they are out network than does not count for or out-of-pocket limits all of these sort of put affordable care ac the

deductible can be so high and out-of-pocket limit can so low and outside. who is in and out. that is a big problem and you with drugcaller said, prices sometimes the insurance covered price is more than if pay cash price. its all over the place. >> good morning. thanks for making my call. >> caller: the rain am calling i retirement benefit that was ended on the job. i want from job to job so dy not prepare for retirement so one of in biggest issues i had terms of the affordable care

ien affordable care came in already had estimate to get tom dental work done. and after the affordable care the obama care call in the price same row seed dure i had a printout with the estimate and so i didn't understand it. what was affordable when the deregulated and just raised the price of these extremely like that. -- verys i pinted disappointed i wished i had prepared the retirement so i jobs andy arug nursing job. the years i of worked in psychiatry and i had to leave there because i was on job because i thought you were supposed to listen to what patients say documented.

something that could be trouble for the people the had behavior and patients say that my doctor took me on the step and let me smoke and i did. i really end up giving my life threatened. well it did not affect the anyway. in the only coverage is for children. one of the many gaps but medicaid does and i am surprise the caller has departmental care should have been covered. yes. there is a lot of costs going up. the cost of premmials going up of theributed but most other costs going up. was not because. >> host: what did the association health zan.

>> the association health plan that is something that has been around quite a long time for and allows small businesses to band together and insurance with more negotiating power so if you are electrician you can ban together others and if you are a restaurant small restaurant owner you can ban together with others and in theory, it seem like it would be a good idea and practice there has been a lot of problems with the plans and they have gonemany of them broke and ended up not being trumppay the claims the administration recently put out a regulation encouraging them veil k of expand the the health plans as a way for people to buy insurance outside affordable care ac. there are people who are concerned that once again, you businesses with healthy map is big these health plans because they will be won't cover as much necessarily and one of the reasons they will be cheaper but leave people behind

big in own insurance and you thatprotection to make that much more expensive. >> host: president trump talking thet the health prans and haas rule you described. association that buy across state lines. host: when he was talking about buying off state lines, that is the individual. when this india was first around in the it was coming around in theory thatade some sense but now most have much more tightly regulated networks and living in florida and bought a plan in illinois. the doctors would be in illinois in florida. so it is hard to see how that would work in practice sort of what the insurance industry has become. >> to deb in houston, texas, the lane for those on medicaid.

good morning. >> caller: yes, good morning. am in houston. am a 55-year-old and a cancer person. i am calling because in my every combination of uninsured and insured. dad is 84 medicaid with on ssi. and i am my 32-year-old son was born with ofabilities and the march dimes call his care and information. graduated at my kitchen table at and home bound the school districts and extracted everything i could get for him. is thrown out of the health carve and then anderson cancer monitored him gave him the blood and dna for the mockout and they treat rare illnesses when the affordable and taxes came in turned against any form of health care, al the rich people that go down there and the

from the foreign countries and the medical tourisms my son was basically the door. he is on his own ssy and a grad student. he is an artists. but he needs dental care. he has teeth falling out. how can he be a professional man have falling out teeth and pain? i don't understand why that childrennt to have that are disabled and i raised one, i love him, but what do we with the people when there is takene and then i have him to the appointments. dropped andis just taken to a norm medi ready or doctor on medicare they don't know what it is. ac. know what a mall formation. i had to explain it to the judge got his ssi. i wanted to tell you, the other

that chip has helped tremendously with my grandchildren. an adult chipd where people could pay in and project, the pilot for universal could the an adultt not make instead of chip. i would like to hear the then engon that and you coon tell me where the son can get the care. thank you. for sharingnk you the family's story. >> well, i am sorry for your family and their woes. one of the states that has not expand medicare, which is part of the pron, although, the south has emphasized governmental security income which does provide medicaid coverage. it is hard. is kindth care system of a mess and people do fall lulling the cracks and really difficult chip and the children's health insurance program.

renew it for another five years. chip is bass day there lies on top of medicare so the state to providingmoney for health in sure toons the children who br r not poor not in families that don't have enough. so it is filled in that gap and it is pretty substantial coverage again. providing coverage. yeah. if you extend it to everybody. it would be national health be ex tenthat would up as opposed to extending down tore would have to be a way find the money. >> again that map expansion 34 states three seats considering adopting the expansion of medicare and the orange states on that map and those states not adopting at this time 14 states.

in d.c., good morning. >> caller: good morning. will make a couple of points here, you know, you are trying solve a problem. with a study out that showed there is no theelation between what american voter wants and what the law of concompress passes. there is a strong correlation with corporations. the is just the root of problem. who we got, we have doctors are in business for themselves i mean they own part of the x ray and mri and you get kickback interests drugs. i had lawyer and was showing somebody and i found ut he was the person i was suing. there is a conflict of interests but somehow we cannot have that. but sitting on the airplane and flying across the country and he sitting down bea sides an executive from where the

insurance company. and said all we do is 20% off the top. know, the whole system is screwed up and so insidious it goes. they tried to pass law that said ae amount of sugar we got huge die beastie problem which is going to double and break our backs and just trying food andsugar in our teaspoons instead of grams and grams are something the drug and doctors though, the average american doesn't know they could even get that bill congress. you know, we got some real problems and it is not just, you what this program and that program. wwe have a government that does not represent the united states people. >> well, congress is actually taking small steps for these things. they don't always do that. there are a series of laws

passed in the 1680's that stopped doctors who invested in therapy companies from referring patients to companies in. had financial stake there is loopholes and lots of terming and some kind of ofnowledgment of a problem profiting industry off of, you know, basically backshing each other's not that it has been dealt with but addressed. >> there is are limits to how profit can come from the insurance coverage, the health care insurance coverage? care ac thereble is. actually. that is one of the things that act said in the group market and the individual market insurance companies can amount ina certain profits and administrative costs and basically it is called a rat how much each must vote to heal care and how for all then retain other business operations plus profits and in fact if the

goes over that and then that ratio it has to rebate the the next year 1:00 that exists but that is basically and for insurance companies it is still pretty small and still pretty much stuff about too. host thost jay in fayetteville, north carolina. uninsured a. morning. >> caller: yes, good morning. all.to be able to talk to thank you, miss julia, for standing in and answering the questions. everyonented to let know out there that if people they evendown before think about and do some research medicare and see what the laws are and i believe would be able to do more. america. is with

people think you got to do is ask and you get. but i believe that we have a the system is of the sos we must abide by and many that don't want to abide by those laws they think you are to do everything they want. need to sitcans, we it over like they would tell you. if you got something to talk it down so you don't forget it. then, that is the way the american people should do. before they go and ask about thations and things of mature, i believe they should sit down and think about it along with their juvenile and their parents i believe all of them should sit together. >> host: advice on make health care decisions? anything you want to pick up on.

pretty good advice. he is always useful to write down what you want to ask acause you can forget to ask question. >> host: five minutes left this morning. a conversation. i wanted to get your thoughts on amazon getting to the drug market recently and agreement to require the boston based on-line pharmacy. what does that mean. ofmeans the rest year and

everybody got very excited about this. i have no idea what amazon is a two. amazon is part and berkshire hathaway. and prominent author and surgeon , a researcher trying to figure out ways to hold down health care costs. definitely interested in this area. not sure what they will do. that there is lots of speculation. host: we have lots of colors. to clarksburg, virginia. go ahead. i am on medicare. cost is ridiculous. i would like to give you an example. here problems with wax

and stuff. doctor and he told me that they could no longer do that. that i had to go to a specialist. somewhere, ito costs me a fortune. takee to pay somebody to me and bring me back. they curb the curb. so -- [indiscernible] 83 years old. me very much.p room two the emergency months ago. $4000. me almost

the emergency room was over $1000. guest: emergency room costs are astounding. coverage 24,000 -- 24 hours a day and sometimes they have trouble finding specialists. i hospital could be in the network and they finally get a huge bill from a doctor. firm --a private coverage -- m

host: so this isn't a way for them to make an extra buck? it is expensive to maintain a 24/7 emergency room. it is expensive to assemble an emergency team. hard to say. are charging everything they think they can. host: on the line for all others, good morning. caller: i have had type one for years. they are making so much profit. the companies and device makers. recently i read that the three are beinglin makers

investigated for price collusion. , from what ilike read, that is exactly what happened. because the price in recent years has gone up 300%. i have insurance through our business that i know diabetics who don't. and they suffer. do you know anything about this price collusion investigation? guest: i don't know anything investigation but my boss has written extensively about the cost of insulin and the shenanigans that go on in the diabetes industry. i recommend her work. wanda.ast call, caller: i can think of a couple of reasons it might be -- a gentleman called an earlier saying his prescription went

from $60 up to $600. theou watch television, high price could be a result of the television ads, which are cheap. and of drug representatives that hospitals. sometimes they get benefits and a good car for being a salesperson. that could be a result of the higher prices as well. not so much for price but for induced demand. what to dos has been "washington journal" continues. host: