HSS Denies Indiana Request for Waiver

[Crabcake Johnny]

(AP) INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana consumers who buy their own health insurance will get a bigger bang for their buck in the next few years, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday.

The federal agency rejected Indiana's bid for an exemption from federal health care overhaul rules that require insurers selling policies to individuals to essentially dedicate 80 percent of the premiums they collect to medical care. In other words, business costs and profits cannot total more than 20 percent of the premiums the insurers collect, or else they must pay rebates to policyholders the following year....Feds reject Ind. request for health care exemption - CBS News

Seems a bit arbitrary since they approved Georgia: US officials grant Georgia a waiver, initially reducing percentage that must be spent on care | The Republic

Here's where we stand on waivers: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69250.html

 

[Norwayguy]

(AP) INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana consumers who buy their own health insurance will get a bigger bang for their buck in the next few years, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday.

The federal agency rejected Indiana's bid for an exemption from federal health care overhaul rules that require insurers selling policies to individuals to essentially dedicate 80 percent of the premiums they collect to medical care. In other words, business costs and profits cannot total more than 20 percent of the premiums the insurers collect, or else they must pay rebates to policyholders the following year....Feds reject Ind. request for health care exemption - CBS News

Seems a bit arbitrary since they approved Georgia: US officials grant Georgia a waiver, initially reducing percentage that must be spent on care | The Republic

Here's where we stand on waivers: Health care waivers nixed for Indiana, Louisiana - Jason Millman - POLITICO.com

Hey John welcome back....Do you think the new release ever for a minute stopped to think about why the government would request a waiver when according to the release the MLR requirement is good for consumers.....Could it be that the Indiana state government is afraid thier citizens will be unable to get quality coverge?

 

[Guest]

Am I remembering this incorrectly, but didn't Aetna already leave Indiana? Does Anthem have the lion's share of the Indiana market?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I'd simply like to know more about the criteria used to determine which states receive a waive and which are denied.

 

[Norwayguy]

I'd simply like to know more about the criteria used to determine which states receive a waive and which are denied.

Not going to happen...It would require HHS to actually use some form of logic in this process.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

HHS granted NH a waiver after Mega Life threatened to pull out. I won't even go over the bitter irony there.

 

[Norwayguy]

HHS granted NH a waiver after Mega Life threatened to pull out. I won't even go over the bitter irony there.

Are you saying NH requested a waiver and the only reason was so not to lose Mega...

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Read here: HHS grants waiver to Maine insurers on MLR requirement | Healthcare Finance News

 

[VolAgent]

Not going to happen...It would require HHS to actually use some form of logic in this process.

Simple, would granting a waiver help or hurt Obama's campaign in 2012?

 

[Norwayguy]

Read here: HHS grants waiver to Maine insurers on MLR requirement | Healthcare Finance News

Ah that was Maine....37 percent sounds big doesn't it....But we are talking about Maines almost nonexistent Individual Market of which Mega does have 37 percent of the market but the market has a total of 35,486 people and the Mega issue covers 17,000 people total or 1.2 percent of the total population of Maine. Also Maine's Dirigo program isn't listed unless its the 4K people listed under Harvard Pilgram which further sickens me that all the Dirigo money is spent on such a small group.