Healthcare Reform Will Not Pass

[Crabcake Johnny]

I honestly don't fear any of it - nothing written in either bill has given me any reason to worry; brokers are written in, can sell in the exchange, carriers can sell plans out of the exchange, mandate to buy (although weak) and subsidies for everyone under 400% of FPL. I think it'll be volume city.
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Joe and John: Why are you so confident something has to and is going to pass? What are the one to five things that make this entire process a 'certainty' to you? What if you are wrong? Playing devil's advocate here. The bill in ANY form doesn't have to pass.

HealthGuy I'm honestly more concerned about our future selling health insurance five years from now without reform - same for my family's plan.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

Carriers can sell outside of exhange with no subsidies and still must have guaranteed issue? Sounds dead on arrival to me.

Loss ratios should concern everyone in this business. You can play some funny math but only to a point.

Sales will be harder sine the squeeze will increase. Expanded Medicaid and Schip.
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Sorry for iPhone typos. Lol.

 

[GreenSky]

Maybe in the end you will be right and that there will be no legislation passed... this year or any other year. But if the past is prologue, I wouldn't go and bet your 6-figure commissions on it just yet

Say Al, what happens when this bill passes and your wife can no longer get a zero premium MA plan? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume your income is over $75K.

How much will you bitch when it costs you $500 or more for a policy just for her?

Rick

 

[sman]

I wouldn't go and bet your 6-figure commissions on it just yet.

Al, you seem to like to make reference to the income some make in this business as if it's a bad thing. Does it bother you that some have worked hard to build a business that rewards them for their efforts? Could there be a little jealousy on your end?

 

[TXINSURANCE]

Carriers under the current deliverysystem pay agents fir one reason and one reason only. It is a cheaper delivery system. Carrier direct production is never cheaper on a per app basis than agents pounding phones, doors, and rubbing bellies.

 

[ins.dave]

you guys should pray for a "bad" reform law so that you have a chance of taking back the Congress next year and the White House two years after that.

A given Alvin.
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How much will you bitch when it costs you $500 or more for a policy just for her?

Rick

This is the problem with people like our boy. It takes something of this sort happening to them directly before they it.

 

[HealthGuy]

Wow, Nick and Rick...Al has the gloves off - I will be interested in your replies if you decide to counter.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Round One
Al is coming out swinging with uppercuts and public option comments. Rick looks big. Al threw a right hand and followed it up with a swooping left uppercut in which he slipped. Rick is complaining about head butts already. Al is scoring and then getting out of dodge, while yelling "Neocon" along the way.

Round Two
This crowd is cheering every time Rick comes close to landing. But Al is still busier and landing the better looking punches. Al is actually the one locking Rick up so that he can't get off on the inside. Al takes his second round. Rick is touting his Association.
Round Three
Rick landed a nice uppercut and immediately complained about a butt. Rick is landing some really sharp straight rights and using FOX TV quotes. They aren't doing damage, but they look great. Awesome little slug-fest to end the round. This might be one of those fights where Al looks better because he's landing the more impressive punches and throwing in some Obama quips, but Rick is slowly but surely landing the harder punches. It might be too early to tell yet, but for three rounds, that's what it looks like. I think the jab is going to start puffing up Al's face.

Round Four
Al finally landed a good straight right. Some nice Socialist statistics that are hard to argue with. He's starting to open it up a bit more. Sly Stalone is in the stands and is shouting instructions to Rick whenever he can. This is Al's round so far, but Rick is smirking as if he's not even worried. Al is not bothered by the "Down with Obama" signs in the second row. Rick landed with a huge left hook/right hand combination that rocked Al. He landed huge power right hands and Al goes down. He got up at nine and staggered towards the ref and I've seen fights stopped in these situations. The ref let him go and the bell saved him. So much for it being Al's round. Rick is yelling that the public option is dead.
Round Five
Some of Al's corner didn't want to let him back out. Al has zero legs right now. Rick is landing at will. A few comments about the tax code are getting in. Rick had him up against the ropes and the ref stepped in about two shots too late. Al took two flush and was on his way back down again. Tremendous performance for Rick. Al was a warrior but jut ran out of gas.
Winner: Rick by 5th round TKO

 

[JustinUpright]

This is what we have making our laws......What a shame.

 

[somarco]

Bankrate offers a concise synopsis of the differences that will need to be reconciled.

No "public option." Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill does not contain plans for a health plan run by the federal government and designed to compete with private-sector insurers.

Insurance exchanges set up by states, not the federal government. Both bills contain provisions for insurance exchanges, which are regulated marketplaces where the uninsured can buy coverage. The exchanges regulate what must be covered under plans and how much insurance companies can increase premiums annually. However, the Senate bill provides for exchanges administered by individual states, while the House bill has a national exchange.

Abortion coverage restrictions. In the Senate version, states may prohibit insurance exchanges from including plans that cover abortions, and government dollars cannot be used to fund abortion coverage. (The Senate bill does allow people who receive government subsidies to pay for abortion coverage out of their own funds.) By contrast, the House version prevents anyone who receives subsidies for individual insurance from choosing a plan that covers abortion procedures.

Expanded payroll tax in place of surtax. The Senate version does not include a 5.4 percent surtax on individuals earning more than $500,000, or families earning more than $1 million -- a key source of funds for the House version of the bill. Instead, the Senate bill adds an additional 0.9 percent payroll tax (raising the tax from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent) on individuals earning more than $200,000 and families earning more than $250,000.

Excise tax on "Cadillac" plans. Employer-sponsored health insurance plans valued at more than $8,500 for an individual or $23,000 for a "family plan" would be taxed an additional 40 percent above those thresholds as part of the Senate plan. (The tax would not apply to plans in high-cost regions or plans that cover workers in professions that pose higher health risks, such as firefighters or police.) The tax would be paid by the health insurance plan or administrator rather than directly by individuals. It is designed to discourage high-cost or so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans cited by some experts as one cause of rising health care costs. The House bill doesn't contain the tax.

Additional fees and taxes. The Senate bill includes a series of fees and taxes on drug makers, medical device manufacturers, insurance companies and indoor tanning services. The House bill only includes an excise tax on medical devices sold in the U.S.