Confused Again with Exchanges

[Ann H]

One of the New Mexico companies is Molina Healthcare. Here's what they have to say about themselves...

"Currently, Molina Healthcare arranges for the delivery of healthcare services or offers health information management solutions for nearly 4.3 million individuals and families who receive their care through Medicaid, Medicare and other government funded programs in 15 states."

Source: About Molina | Molina Healthcare

If a New Mexico consumer's income is low enough, they'll probably see Molina at the top of the list of available carriers after applying on the exchange? I suspect that every state will have at least one or two Medicaid companies included in the handful of Exchange insurers.
-ac

I think Allen may have hit on an important point. Here in Arizona, we have private carriers participating in Medicaid and CHIP. They are mostly small HMO's, and many of them were started by hospitals. The only big name carrier is United Healthcare. They run one called Arizona Physicians IPA, which comes under United Healthcare Community Plan, a separate entity under the United Healthcare Group umbrella. To consumers, there is name recognition there, but it is still a small HMO-type plan, with a narrow network. Perhaps this is what the big name carriers may do in the Exchange?

 

[Yagents]

Good article on insurers choosing whether or not to be in exchanges
Health Insurers Cautious About Joining State Health Exchanges

 

[AllenChicago]

This is not major news worthy of its own thread, but for what it's worth, these companies will be on the District of Columbia exchange/marketplace:

"The four insurers -- Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET), CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente, and a unit of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) -- have applied to sell a total of 34 policies through the district's individual exchange and 259 plans through its Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) small-group exchange, exchange officials said."

Source: D.C. exchange attracts 4 big players | LifeHealthPro

 

[RayNY]

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Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the Affordable Care Act and rising healthcare costs could cause rates to go "through the roof." He added that the law will help curb cost growth in healthcare, and that insurance commissioners will play a serious role in protecting consumers from rate hikes. "Our insurance department is empowered to protect families, and we're going to watch them like a hawk to make sure they do," Schumer said,
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No Bueno. I'm hearing it's a possibility the state powers dictate "reasonable" rates to them (as they have done every quarter for years). Reasonable of course means "cheaper than today, so Obamacare looks like it's working". This is the reason we've seen half our products drop off the market, and is the main reason carrier's cite when asked about their reduced/removed commissions.

They legitimately think that the price is a cost, not a representation of the risk. I guess we'll all just sit back for July and see where the rates end up.

 

[Yagents]

What could go wrong?

36 Hours Behind Rhode Island's Health Exchange

 

[stuy119]

Exactly what I find worrisome:

Five months from product launch, nobody can say for sure what the exchange’s opening will be like. But its leaders are already thinking ahead. They envision the exchange as more than an insurance marketplace. They have hopes of creating a base for improving Rhode Island’s overall health. They want to allow employers to track how many days their workers miss for preventable reasons. They want to help consumers find health care providers and then rate and review them. They want somebody to be able to come onto the exchange, apply for an insurance tax credit, and find out if they’re eligible for food stamps or other social programs while they're at it.

 

[RayNY]

Why is that worrysome? Five months to launch and they don't even have a working prototype of an exchange.

There is no way a doctor rating/review system will fly. They exist already and doctors are suing the pants off of them.

Plan ratings, maybe. Doctors, hell no.

 

[I_generate_lead]

todays news:

UnitedHealth ... Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp. are sitting out the first year of Covered California, the state's insurance exchange

Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California — are all expected to participate

To see complete news release search for "UnitedHealth, Aetna and Cigna opt out of California insurance exchange"