Interstate Purchasing of Health Ins.

[ins.dave]

I was thinking about this last night as I was falling asleep wondering if I would be in a new line of work in 6 mos …
Wanted to get others input on this interstate health insurance shopping "reformism …"
On one hand yeah, the guy who pays big dollar in Texas or Florida would love it but the guy paying minimal donero in OH, … not so much.
How the heck would they calibrate that? Not to mention NY, Mass. and Maine … with their GI rates ...?
Obama ... too much drama.

 

[somarco]

Won't work, unless states are willing to waive local mandates. If you do that, no need to sell/buy across state lines.

The folks in Washington who are promoting this are idiots.

Correction, they are all idiots, not just the ones pushing national sales of health insurance.

 

[Winter_123]

Not to mention NY, Mass. and Maine … with their GI rates ...?
Obama ... too much drama.

It would increase competition in Maine and most of the carriers who left or never came in to the state would show up. This is assuming that GI is adopted and my assumption is that it will be. Right now carriers left the state because GI is a loser. If all the other states become GI then our fate rises and falls with everyone else. There will be no state where the carriers can go to get away from it. In other words, we will have brought the rest of the country down to our level.
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Won't work, unless states are willing to waive local mandates. If you do that, no need to sell/buy across state lines.
/quote]

Unfortunately, my thoughts on how this is going to go are unpretty.

I would have little or no doubt that interstate sales will be approved by Congress and with Republican support. It is one of the areas where there is already consensus between the Dems and Repubs along with guaranteed issue. As people are overly fond of saying these days, "it is what it is."

State mandates are a consideration but not a barrier. Interstate sales is one of the best and most effective means of achieving complete and total government take over of the industry all while using the Constitution. When interstate sales are approved, then the fed government now gains jurisdiction over the industry under the provisions of the "interstate commerce clause" of the Constitution. ("Congress shall have the power to regulate commerce between the states" is how it reads I think). And once the feds have jurisdiction then the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution kicks in, which means that federal laws now supersede state laws.

There is very serious constitutional doubt as to whether the federal government has the power to mandate health insurance coverage but there is no doubt that the feds have constitutional authority to regulate commerce between the states and Repubs will line right up like litte pigs to support it because it has the appearance of supporting free trade. Yeh, it bumps up against states rights a bit but the free trade argument works with conservatives too.

A socialist's dream. So if you dont get public option or single payer you just nibble your way there over a few years.

Of course, along with interstate sales, Congress is considering lifting the Anti-Trust exemption from insurance carriers which will give the government even more levers to pull. I have no doubt that will happen too. That might even happen next month because I think Congress is reviewing it as a standalone proposal outside of any reform bill. Not sure.

Change you can believe in.

 

[somarco]

Carriers are going along with GI as long as there is no public option, there is a universal mandate to buy coverage and there are significant penalties for non-compliance.

So far the only point scored (maybe) is the lack of a public option. Without mandated coverage for everyone coupled with a strong penalty, GI won't fly and that is why the carriers are fighting back.

I attended a carrier meeting a few months ago when health (insurance) reform was discussed. They hinted that the carriers were working the lobby and as long as change you can believe in favored them, they would roll over. But if things got nasty they had some tricks up their sleeve as well.

Why should politicians be the only ones to play fast and loose?

 

[Winter_123]

Carriers are going along with GI as long as there is no public option, there is a universal mandate to buy coverage and there are significant penalties for non-compliance.

So far the only point scored (maybe) is the lack of a public option. Without mandated coverage for everyone coupled with a strong penalty, GI won't fly and that is why the carriers are fighting back.

I attended a carrier meeting a few months ago when health (insurance) reform was discussed. They hinted that the carriers were working the lobby and as long as change you can believe in favored them, they would roll over. But if things got nasty they had some tricks up their sleeve as well.

Why should politicians be the only ones to play fast and loose?

Public option is not going to happen but I will concede that there is a shift back toward it and it is not dead yet. I think it is dead if one thinks in terms of just this year or next but this is just the start of a process that will last the rest of our lives. There are lots of people and agents who just want to see what happens and get it over with so they can just get on with working with wherever it ends out. Unfortunately, it is not going to be like that. There will be things rejected but triggers enacted and also sorts of bells and whistles that say that the government can do this and that if the cost of premiums exceed XYZ or the unemployment rate or inflation reaches certain levels. There is no time in the future when that will not be goiing on.

Next in line are the docs. Insurance carriers are the villains now. Next comes the docs, . Once costs continue to rise but you have not allowed the carriers to take any profits (exactly what just happened in my state), then who you gonna blame for premium increases next year other than the docs and the hospitals given that the DOI has already certified that the carrier is not taking profits. Coming to your state soon via Obamacare. Even some of the docs have been villainizing the insurance carriers as a way to cut out the middle men and preserve their reimubursement levels. Good luck with that. We hang together or we hang separately.

Change you can believe in.

 

[ins.dave]

Public option is not going to happen but I will concede that there is a shift back toward it and it is not dead yet. I think it is dead if one thinks in terms of just this year or next but this is just the start of a process that will last the rest of our lives. There are lots of people and agents who just want to see what happens and get it over with so they can just get on with working with wherever it ends out. Unfortunately, it is not going to be like that. There will be things rejected but triggers enacted and also sorts of bells and whistles that say that the government can do this and that if the cost of premiums exceed XYZ or the unemployment rate or inflation reaches certain levels. There is no time in the future when that will not be goiing on.

Next in line are the docs. Insurance carriers are the villains now. Next comes the docs, . Once costs continue to rise but you have not allowed the carriers to take any profits (exactly what just happened in my state), then who you gonna blame for premium increases next year other than the docs and the hospitals given that the DOI has already certified that the carrier is not taking profits. Coming to your state soon via Obamacare. Even some of the docs have been villainizing the insurance carriers as a way to cut out the middle men and preserve their reimubursement levels. Good luck with that. We hang together or we hang separately.

Change you can believe in.

Yep. This is my problem with people in general.
We are ALL in it for ourselves, granted, I admit it, but we people need to look at things systemically.
The doc's besmirching ins. cos. will ultimately come back on them. All parties involved are a reed in the basket that either holds water or doesn't.

Point taken, these dems ain't gonna let it go. Hopefully they get let go. Wake me up in 2012?
Pardon the cut and paste below but I need something to look forward to right now ...



Who gets your vote in 2012?

Barack Obama (BO)

Mike Huckabee (MH)Disturbing Poll Numbers for Obama by Harris Interactive

10/18/09, by Proloy Bhatta

• Only 45% of adults approved of Obama's performance as president.
• 61% believe the country is heading on the wrong track.
• Methodology of this poll causes Obama to score an average of 17% lower in the lower two age brackets. So take it in stride.

MORE >>
Republicans Very Hopeful for 2012, Huckabee Leads in Latest Poll

10/16/09, by Proloy Bhatta

• Huckabee 29%, Romney 24%, Palin 18%.
• 81% believe the Republican nominee in 2012 is at least somewhat likely to win the presidency.

 

[ABC]

I think this will eventually happen.

I embrace as a quick fix to bring down rates.

300+ carriers all fighting for business sounds good to me.

Oh well about the state mandates. It will create a huge problem for some but then they can buy policies that based in their states and cover the mandates.

In my state Autism is covered as any other illness. Every autism case in the country would buy a policy out of my state.

Interstate health plans would force individuals to learn what mandates are covered in each state.

The cost saving would be huge. If you don't need coverage for a particular mandate then you could find a policy that does not cover it and there is a 3% reduction on your premium.

IF this goes through everyone will buy their individual policy from the web.

 

[ins.dave]

IF this goes through everyone will buy their individual policy from the web.

And what do you base THAT on?
They could do that now if they all wanted to.

Again, are not each of the aforementioned aspects or proposals contingent on the other ...?

Yes, interstate might allow for competition, and lower premiums but is that in conjunction with GI, subsidies, elimination of employer group plans, mandatory coverage, a frig'n "exchange" that has "exchange only" tax breaks / subsidies ... round and round we go.

 

[stuy119]

I think this will eventually happen.

I embrace as a quick fix to bring down rates.

300+ carriers all fighting for business sounds good to me.

Oh well about the state mandates. It will create a huge problem for some but then they can buy policies that based in their states and cover the mandates.

In my state Autism is covered as any other illness. Every autism case in the country would buy a policy out of my state.

Interstate health plans would force individuals to learn what mandates are covered in each state.

The cost saving would be huge. If you don't need coverage for a particular mandate then you could find a policy that does not cover it and there is a 3% reduction on your premium.

IF this goes through everyone will buy their individual policy from the web.

Until that insurer went out of business due to excessive claim issues.

 

[Winter_123]

I If you don't need coverage for a particular mandate then you could find a policy that does not cover it and there is a 3% reduction on your premium.

Those days are either already over or soon to be over. The feds will define what a creditable plan is and what it must cover. If you want to buy a plan somewhere that does not cover what say a creditable plan should then no tax credit or subsidy for you. Trust me, when you see where premiums are headed, you have enough problems without getting a plan that has no tax credit.

Change you can believe in.