Health care debate has begun for real

[Winter_123]

The insurance industry is up against internet- raised funds and bigtime funding from lib organizations such as MoveOn and the obama campaign. The industry is not necessarily the one with all the dollars this time around. Gonna be interesting.

Progressives fire back at insurers - Chris Frates - Politico.com


Winter

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

 

[Winter_123]

...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

You snooze you lose this time around.


Winter

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

You snooze you lose this time around.

I agree.

There's gonna be change - there's just too much energy for it.

There should be change - the system is seriously broken.

What form it takes, and how that effects agents is still to be determined.

Some agents will prepare and adapt to changes. Some will stick their head in the sand, argue why it shouldn't, or won't happen - and be left in the dust.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Sometimes it is what it is - I'm not going to spend my days worrying about it. My personal feeling is any real change - even a change negatively effecting agents, would not be implemented for some time - took years and years for MA to put their program in place....and right now it's imploding - horribly underfunded and not sustainable.

"If" at some point down the road this all goes south, the last time I checked I have an insurance license and have a lot of options.

A lot of ideas sound great...but they are all sound bites:

"Affordable GI coverage for all."

It's a nice tag line. We can pull up rates for states like WA and NY to see the true cost of GI. We can look at the MA model and see why "affordable GI'" cannot be funded without jacking taxes.

The ugly truth is you cannot compare us to Canada. We are a horribly unhealthy nation and do not have the issues Canada has. Our obesity rate is the worst in the world. Pull up stats on the percentage of Americans with HBP and cholesterol. Do some research.

We cannot seriously address affordable GI coverage until we address the health of our nation. GI coverage doesn't work when every spoiled bored housewife wants to be on depression medication.

 

[Winter_123]

Sometimes it is what it is - I'm not going to spend my days worrying about it. My personal feeling is any real change - even a change negatively effecting agents, would not be implemented for some time - took years and years for MA to put their program in place....and right now it's imploding - horribly underfunded and not sustainable.

There will be changes for years to come but some of it could happen almost overnight. When you are designing and implementing programs or plans such as universal health care or MA plans etc, it goes on for years and you are right it can take a long, long time. However, Congress can and will take lesser steps by passing a law federalizing health insurance and requiring guaranteed issue in just one vote. For those who raise issues about the cost, it will be dovetailed with tax credits and subsidy for the lower income. That, by the way, is a highly probably outcome of all of this and it is a long way off if you think two years is a long way off. Otherwise, it is right in your face. It is the guaranteed issue requirement that is the nuclear bomb on the landscape as agents know it now and that is coming soon regardless of McCain or Obama- very soon.

You are correct though. Guaranteed issue is riddled with problems but the politicians have a mandate to do something and it is the lesser of two evils when compared to a single payer system. The train has already left the station on some of this.

I see it as a great time to get involved in the individual and family health insurance market and intend to do so. I am planning on diversifying into the market rather than out.

Winter

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

"For example, Kirsch said, from 2000 to 2006, family health insurance premiums rose more than eight times faster than Ohioans’ pay."

Huh? Ohio health insurance premiums are very low right now. Maybe their pay isn't going up???

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Huh? Ohio health insurance premiums are very low right now. Maybe their pay isn't going up???

Are there an jobs left in Ohio?

 

[The Rabbi]

"For example, Kirsch said, from 2000 to 2006, family health insurance premiums rose more than eight times faster than Ohioans’ pay."

Huh? Ohio health insurance premiums are very low right now. Maybe their pay isn't going up???

Did you notice EVERYTHING is rising much faster than pay. Pay barely moves. Any companies announce they would add $ to paychecks to offset gas to get to work?