Howard Dean / Guaranteed Issue

[TXINSURANCE]

And what are the rates in VT?

 

[Winter_123]

Governor Howard Dean, MD got Vermont to adopt the first state health care reform in the early '90s. All but 12 carriers left the state. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, loved it.

Back-door approach to socialism - drive all the carriers out of the market.

Yeh but when you see what the sequel to their reforms is you have to laugh so that you don't cry. As in Maine the government reforms drove all the competition out. Now they use the lack of competition as the justification for bringing in the public option.

Dr. Dean's cure has created a disease. In medicine, that is called an iatrogenic condition. ie. an illness caused by medical care.

 

[ins.dave]

Yeh but when you see what the sequel to their reforms is you have to laugh so that you don't cry. As in Maine the government reforms drove all the competition out. Now they use the lack of competition as the justification for bringing in the public option.

Dr. Dean's cure has created a disease. In medicine, that is called an iatrogenic condition. ie. an illness caused by medical care.

They ain't gett'n squat accomplished from what I can see.
They know they are not going to suceed in their 5 year phase out but they will keep that carrot dangling in the face of the fat, lazy AND stupid American public right up until 2012 if they can.
They are just trying to keep that ball in the air long enough to get re elected. Barry is already under 50% in the polls ... the cracks are starting to show.
Noticed that Kid Kenyan is sending another 30,000 troups to the Afghans ... Nice "change."

No, you can't.

Ron Paul. 2012.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So, how's the insurance business?

Moving along swimmingly.
How's your job at the post office going?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IF it is financially possible to have a one-payor system if the "politics" were "right."
Al

I will try and explain this to you and other "single payer advocates" on a level that you can understand.
I can see where someone, usually someone outside of this industry, might think to themselves, "Hmm. If there were no insurance companies, that would lower costs because there would be one less party involved.
WRONG, you simplistic fat head.
You lose leverage. You lose those volume purchase based agreements and also the real "competition" that exists between Aetna, Humana, United, Blue Cross, etc.
Everything is so one dimensional for you wealth distributing socialists isn't it?
We take his money and give it to our friends ... then we can all flounder together in mediocrity ... weeeee.

No, you can't.

Ron Paul. 2012.

 

[JMO Fan]

When Vermont reform hit, the remaining carriers raised rates dramatically to cover guaranteed issue. When Vermonters didn't sign up (mainly because they didn't know issue was guaranteed), low claims forced carriers to cut rates. So Vermont announced they had solved the health care cost crisis.

I was there, got coverage at decent rates. As I was leaving Vermont a few years later, I got a notice from my health insurer of a 50% rate hike. Pay close attention to the actuarial forecasts on Federal legislation.

 

[Googly Moogly]

Winter, et. al. Between federal and state tax receipts is there currently enough money "in the system" to pay for FREE (Hey, I'm a liberal... free is good!) health care for everyone... IF WE REALLOCATE our budget... meaning end both wars, close all military bases, cut every other department by 50% and end all pork and agri-subs?

Some of you guys have a good handle on budgetary matters. I don't. I'd be interested in knowing IF it is financially possible to have a one-payor system if the "politics" were "right."

No argument here. No set up. I have no dog in this fight. Just curious on what your analysis is.

Thanks.

Al

Closing all military bases? Than we wouldn't have a military and would become 3rd World overnight.

 

[taterpeeler]

Closing all military bases? Than we wouldn't have a military and would become 3rd World overnight.

The skippie libbies think we are third world already... if we aint flying under the EU flag we are third world... trust me... i married a socilaist... i know better than anyone

However I still market Texas Health Insurance

 

[TXINSURANCE]

trust me... i married a socilaist... i know better than anyone

LOL

You crack me up man...

 

[Winter_123]

When Vermont reform hit, the remaining carriers raised rates dramatically to cover guaranteed issue. When Vermonters didn't sign up (mainly because they didn't know issue was guaranteed), low claims forced carriers to cut rates. So Vermont announced they had solved the health care cost crisis.

I was there, got coverage at decent rates. As I was leaving Vermont a few years later, I got a notice from my health insurer of a 50% rate hike. Pay close attention to the actuarial forecasts on Federal legislation.

That is actually a cycle that will repeat itself nationally. Carriers are interested in getting market share. Once they people under the tent they can always fiddle with the rates.

We only have Anthem and a touch of Aetna in my state. Once everyone is saddled with GI, there is no reason why the other carriers will not flood into the state and they will be looking for market share (so will I , but I digress). Trust me, the rates that will be floated to get market share in the first year will be different than when reality sets in.

Interesting little development this year. The state denied Anthem a rate increase even though it was able to show cost increases from the providers. The state said that Anthem had made enough money in the past and did not need an increase this year, and that oh by the way, much of the profit was made by the parent company out of state (I think it is Wellpoint, you guys would know better than I) but no matter. Socialism 101.......or as both Hillary and Obama said "we will lower premiums simply by telling the insurance companies what the rates are going to be."

Change you can believe in.

 

[JMO Fan]

I've seen that vicious cycle - and some resulting death spirals - in several states.

Speaking of actuarial projections:
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]New Actuarial Analysis Shows Senate Bill Would Significantly Raise Premiums[/FONT]

Recent CBO analysis understates key factors contributing to increases WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new actuarial analysis by Oliver Wyman, Inc. finds that average annual medical claims in the new individual market will be 54 percent higher than they are today five years after implementation of healthcare reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), excluding the impact of medical inflation. ... The significant increases in costs for individuals are in part attributed to the inclusion of new guarantee issue rules without the support of a strong mechanism to ensure that everyone obtains and maintains coverage. This means that many people are likely to wait to purchase coverage until they need it, raising premiums for everyone. Without a stronger coverage mechanism, and other changes to improve affordability, coverage levels are unlikely to reach more than 91 percent of the population.
...
INN: New Actuarial Analysis Shows Senate Bill Would Significantly Raise Premiums (12/03/2009)