How would universal health care affect agents?

[GreenSky]

I think alot more people are libertarians than we realize they are just branded as "politically incorrect"

The interesting thing is if you ask people what they believe, a great number will be socially liberal (or at least tolerant) and fiscally conservative. Along with private property ownership (including our bodies) that is the basis for libertarianism.

Rick

 

[HomeService]

mccain wants reform of some sort as well. I picture it being like the state of mass. - where the client is compelled to buy, and the company is compelled to accept the client.

 

[Winter_123]

Ask your doctor if he's ready to take on about 300 more patients.

And Al - if it all goes GI - why would any healthy person have coverage? Wouldn't it make better sense to have nothing then simply pick up coverage when you need it - use it then cancel?

Guaranteed issue does not imply that there are no pre X exclusions for a specified period. Some states may have that. I dont know -but it is not a core requirement of guaranteed issue.
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so there is no reason to believe we will all the sudden not be a part of the picture when the 'new' universal healthcare comes along.

It all hinges on the guaranteed issue question. If that occurs, then it is a gamechanger unless you know agents in guaranteed issue states doing well. I sure dont and I am in a guaranteed issue state.

 

[HomeService]

I used to live in NY and they became an early adopter of the guaranteed issue deal, and I remember certain health ins. companies jumping ship back then, and pulling out of NY.

 

[ABC]

It will never happen.

1st. the doctors will not take the additional network discounts. If any of you saw the medicare bill that almost got passed it would have decreased medicare payment to the Docs. They freaked out and said they will not be able to treat any new medicare patients

2nd. The only way to pay for something like this would be to tax everyone and I mean everyone.

3rd. If you give something away then people will view it as having no value.


What we will see happen is SCHIP being pushed to socialized medicine on a larger scale. The Pres. Vetoed it but the bill said families that have house hold income under $84,000 could put their children on the state plan until the kids are 24. I predict this will happen.
The children on these plans will have a hard time see doctors because the docs will not take that deep of discount.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

We have MCHIP in MD - free if you're under 300% of FLP and let me tell you a nasty fact - when I talk to prospects who's kids qualify for FREE MCHIP most couldn't care less.

They STILL don't have time to go over the benefits or show them how to apply. They cannot be bothered. They have "healthy" kids and simply don't even want "free" coverage.

1/3rd of all Mass. residents who qualify for free health insurance also have not applied. They also don't care.

Listen to the truth police. The only people who give a c*ap about "free" healthcare are sick people who don't have group. No one else really cares.

Don't believe me? Come to my office for a day and let me spend the day contacting people who qualify for free MCHIP and listen to the utter apathy in their voice.

With those facts in mind, if you hand out "free" health insurance the only people who will apply will be the sick. The healthy will not leaving a pool of only sick people.

You need healthy people mixed in to offset the costs. Healthy people, however, have affordable underwritten plans and don't want their rates increased for the sick.

Oh....you're gonna make it mandatory - like car insurance? yeah, tell me how that's going. In some states almost 20% of all drivers have no insurance.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

It will never happen.

A very dangerous assumption, indeed.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Never gonna happen? I'd say it's more like an inevitability.

 

[seadevil]

If it does happen, it won't take long for people to realize that it is a bad thing. I have witnessed socialized medicine and spoken to people who live with socialized medicine. They hate it!

When people have to start waiting months to see a doctor or dentist, the bitching will start that the government is screwing them over with health care. Then we will have to see what the next great creation will be.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Client: "I think my daughter has a sinus infection."

Doctor's office: "Is it life threatening? If not, we can see her in about 6 weeks."

Client: "It's not life threatening but she needs medication today."

Doctor's office: "Oh, then you go to one of your "state health centers" for that. Let me give you the directions to their satellite parking since there's a few hundred people ahead of you. Also, bring a pillow - you'll likely be there for around 8 hours."

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