12 Standardized Plans

[jamesflou]

Here is the text that was supposed to be in this thread! Somehow it didn't load.

Today Clark Howard suggested that he thinks that 12 standardized plans is whats needed for health care reform to work. These plans would not be subsidized by the government. The poor would receive vouchers to pay for the premiums. The plans like the Medicare Supplement plans would be A- L or whatever. The lower costs plan would of course start at A. This goes to show you Clark Howard doesn't have a clue to what's going on. While the concept is okay the cost without it being subsidized by government or the employer leaves it in the same state the Obama group is trying change. Each person would be responsible for purchasing their own coverage just like auto insurance. Obama want's a massive group pool so that taxpayers money can buy everyone the same exact coverage. The richer funding the poorer. Clarks proposal would make premiums higher just to maintain liquidity! Any more thoughts on this?

 

[Newby]

From the sound of that I could somewhat agree with it. I don't believe that employerers should have ANYthing to do with healthcare.

It will NEVER be portable and people will NEVER have freedom of choice if we stay with an employer-based system. ALL health plans should be individual.

 

[Rivers1]

From the sound of that I could somewhat agree with it. I don't believe that employerers should have ANYthing to do with healthcare.

It will NEVER be portable and people will NEVER have freedom of choice if we stay with an employer-based system. ALL health plans should be individual.

5 star post, I totally agree.

 

[GreenSky]

Great idea but of course agents wouldn't be needed.

Rick

 

[ins.dave]

Here is the text that was supposed to be in this thread! Somehow it didn't load.

Today Clark Howard suggested that he thinks that 12 standardized plans is whats needed for health care reform to work. These plans would not be subsidized by the government. The poor would receive vouchers to pay for the premiums. The plans like the Medicare Supplement plans would be A- L or whatever. The lower costs plan would of course start at A. This goes to show you Clark Howard doesn't have a clue to what's going on. While the concept is okay the cost without it being subsidized by government or the employer leaves it in the same state the Obama group is trying change. Each person would be responsible for purchasing their own coverage just like auto insurance. Obama want's a massive group pool so that taxpayers money can buy everyone the same exact coverage. The richer funding the poorer. Clarks proposal would make premiums higher just to maintain liquidity! Any more thoughts on this?

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Forget standardize, leave everything as it is, but why not just "voucherize" the poor and the gimps?
Then they could decide how much coverage they want to pay for above and beyond the voucher amount. A VOUCHER with the head of household's name on it usable with any insurance company. Not a tax break or a check that will NOT be used for this purpose.
Any body with assets who doesn't want to be a responsible citizen will have that third car / flat screen TV, etc. seized on the spot, auctioned off and the money used to bring down the debt. This will put an end to the 10,000,000 people in this country who live in families that bring in $70,000 per year with no major medical. Time to stick it to these gamers.
Yeah, that's it … think of it … Daveo, medical bills repo man.Yeeeeeeeah.
One more thing. No more "ask your doc." This Pharma saturation of the tube is wrong. Let them pedal their goods to doc's directly. The inference is "ask your doc. (dealer)" and if he / she doesn't comply find another one who will.
Back to the topic at hand. It would be great to eliminate employer provided plans this way. The only thing is that there would be a bit of a dog fight as employers and employees figure out what the increase in salary should be in lieu of the former group coverage, but hey, this is where the law of the jungle or competition keeps the standards up. If you think you are not getting a fair shake, head on over to company B. Now we have portability and accountability.
Oh yeah, not to mention a MASSIVE windfall for us indie specialists ...

 

[somarco]

Vouchers aren't needed. Allow a buy-in on a sliding scale. No need to send out checks.

As for the standardized plans, we have that already and seniors still can't figure out what they need.

Clark is a retired travel agent. Most of the insurance related advice he gives out is terribly misinformed and naive.

 

[ABC]

I like the voucher idea.

I agree this would increase the rates for everyone unless they set up some type of carrier pool.

A small regional carrier would have a tough time offsetting the high claims unless they pick a huge chunk of business.


These are the kinds of ideas that should be looked at.

This is better than the Gov Option because they would need agents to explain the plans to simple folks.

 

[ins.dave]

Vouchers aren't needed. Allow a buy-in on a sliding scale. No need to send out checks.

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Vouchers are not checks. Checks can be used for non insurance purchases.
Call them what ever you like just as long as they can't be sold like food stamps …
Sliding scale is fine. Next question is what do we do if they say only use a fraction of that year's coverage?
We should have it where they can transfer that to another company where in effect it is "pro rated" but not transferable to cash. They just have got to make it incorruptible. Also, they've got to make sure that healthy people aren't trying to game the system. They have to do this where an applicant has to show that they were declined? Maybe have them send in a copy of their declination letter? We want, I think, to help the gimps, but not to the point where there is no incentive to try and be healthy. I know Al, I know. Some people can't help that. I realize that, but all in all, doing this will lower costs. We shouldn't remove accountability for one's behavior entirely.

 

[stormtracker]

ins-dave, what's a gimp?

 

[Mac1958]

From the sound of that I could somewhat agree with it. I don't believe that employerers should have ANYthing to do with healthcare.

It will NEVER be portable and people will NEVER have freedom of choice if we stay with an employer-based system. ALL health plans should be individual.

+1

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