Mlr

[VolAgent]

"Frank, you're going from $80K a year down to $24K starting January 1st. Now, don't worry because we've formed a subgroup that's going to help you relocate from your house to an apartment complex. The committee will also help in state assistance programs including food stamps. We're here to help you with the transition."

Who knows, that 24k job might be working at the DOI, "helping" consumers choose a health plan and handling claims issues.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Well at least I have something to tell my cable company after Jan. 1st: "No, I can't pay the bill this month but there's a subgroup in HHS working on helping me. I'll keep you informed."

 

[ABC]

Don't you know its a 100 if you live in a trailer?

My bad

Its the governors races that will impact the IC's. I was thinking of elections.

One, we don't have 100 states, just 56. Ask Obama. Two, most insurance commissioners are appointed, not elected.

Finally, that some of the commissioners see how bad it will be without agents is a good thing. I think you can expect them to continue to fight for agents, just to keep their offices from being flooded with calls. Their budgets will be under extreme pressure if licensing fees and premium taxes decrease, while call volume increases. State budgets are under extreme pressure, try selling the state legislature on doubling your budget when your revenue just got cut in half, and you put thousands of tax paying agents out of work.

 

[houcoogster]

I think the only viable business model going forward is for insurers to pay $0 commission and $8.00 hour to call center phone reps.

If this goes through, and it looks like it will.. the days of an agent coming to your home or business are over.

Someone needs to ask a big health lead company what they think of this MLR ruling. They might not even know what is about to happen their business.

 

[VolAgent]

Someone needs to ask a big health lead company what they think of this MLR ruling. They might not even know what is about to happen their business.

They'll just turn to selling home, auto, and/or life leads. They'll find something else to do with the site. If nothing else, they'll throw up links to the carriers and get $50 an app.

 

[houcoogster]

They'll just turn to selling home, auto, and/or life leads. They'll find something else to do with the site. If nothing else, they'll throw up links to the carriers and get $50 an app.

That might be true, but it doesn't change the fact that a huge section of the pie has been removed. For example if all lead companies sold 100 million dollars worth of health leads per year.
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Well at least I have something to tell my cable company after Jan. 1st: "No, I can't pay the bill this month but there's a subgroup in HHS working on helping me. I'll keep you informed."

Can someone give me clarification on this MLR rule, does it apply to Medicare related products or not?

 

[VolAgent]

That might be true, but it doesn't change the fact that a huge section of the pie has been removed. For example if all lead companies sold 100 million dollars worth of health leads per year.

Now, I don't buy leads, so maybe this colors my view...

There is one thing I am utterly confused by. Why does everyone care what is going to happen to the leads business? Who cares, it is not your business. And don't try to tell me that it is because everyone cares about them, because I know its not. People repeatedly trash the business. So why, is it just the desire to know that someone has it worse off than you?

I mean honestly, do you think everyone at the home office of the health insurers is sitting around thinking, "Boy, I wonder what all the agents are going to do?" No, everyone with half a brain over there is thinking, "Ok, how do we adjust to this, what impact will this have, how do we stay in business next year?"

 

[houcoogster]

PPACA: Commissions Stay in MLR Blank

Looks like it will be phased in over the next 3 years. Chop chop chop

 

[ksigmtsu]

Just goes to show, our lobbyists apparently aren't very good.

 

[mmike160]

Sucks pretty bad...