New Health Care Reform Position

[taterpeeler]

Since the death of the current ObamaCare proposal I have watched and considered what actualy happened. I have come to a very different conclusion about the entire matter and will write about it within the next few days on my blog, but here is a snapshot:

Insurance companies are the most pissed that ObamaCare failed. Yep, thats what I said. Heres why I say that.

After 17+ years hawking health insurance I notice every year most, not all but most companies present new products for their portfolio. We have seen nothing new from the big boys and based on limited research i have done there will be no new products in the near future. new products are critical to the control of premiums.

Also, based on the actions of Wellpoint and their massive rt increase in Ca (39%) and their statement today on the AP wire they are all but begging for ObamaCare.

Insurance companies have/are doing everything in their power to take control away from the agents and their ability to sell with the elimination or cutting back of the agent services divisions of their companies. Web sites are getting more and more difficult to work with from the agent side.

Bottom line... Insurance Companies WANT ObamaCare and will do everything in their power to get it... Stay Tuned!!!

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I couldn't agree more. I posted back in the summer that while most agents where worried about reform and its effect on our industry, I was concerned about the effects of lack of reform.

If anyone thinks we're out of the woods as agents, I assure you that without reform our job is going to get more and more difficult over the next few years.

 

[Winter_123]

As discussed (and we are on track with those discussions) it is erroneous to believe that socialist governments and big business are incompatible. The opposite is true. In socialist systems there are always a few big businesses/corporations that develop a sweetheart relationship with the government and do very, very well.

So it is true that those carriers are begging for Obamacare, but it will not play out quite so well for the second and third tier carriers. If you review the history of government regulation in this country at either the fed or state level you will see that on the surface it is one of the private sector bitching about government regulations. Pull back the curtain though and you will see that it is a history of the big boys supporting regulations that will lock out their competitors once they are in a sweetheard position with the government. So yes, some are begging for Obamacare but some wont. Both of those are true.

Just studied a little and got your insurance license last month? Two years from now you will be arguing that everyone should have a college degree and take a six month course to be licensed. This is how it works at all levels. Then when the government adopts those requirements we will bitch about government regulations.

The carriers do have a whole bunch of new products/plans coming. It is just that those will be developed and driven by the government and its requirements. That is what it looks like in a socialist system when the line between private and public health care becomes dotted rather than solid. The center of new product/plan development in health care has not gone away, it simply is in DC now. Similarly, Washington, D.C. not Wall Street is now the center of finance in the United States.

My view anyway. Most lkely it is all wrong.

 

[HealthGuy]

I agree with John - to a point. Seriously, those who purchase individual health insurance are finding out that in many many instances and in many areas the rates ARE unaffordable and the deductibles are ridiculous. Who can afford these premiums and deductibles anymore? Hell, I am selling so many 10K deductibles for couples (shared deductibles mind you) with rates with people in their late 50s and 60s of 600-800 per month with a 10K or higher deductible....Yes, individuals who purchase their own insurnace are getting screwed while those with government jobs are have the best insurance. There is something wrong with this system. Gawd, do I sound a bit like AL3 today, heaven forbid. But seriously, God forbid as well if you buy your own insurance if you get really sick, and then you can't jump companies. Maybe its better to be poor or a government worker in this current system. At least if I were poor or a gov't. worker I would get very reasonably priced and good health insurance. The current system isn't fair for people like us who buy our own insurance and for those clients of ours who buy their own and PAY for everybody else's insurance with thier TAXES. We are getting bent over and paying for free and great health insurance for the poor and the government workers. I for one am pissed and the inequality. Anybody else? Most of us don't have health insurance. We have catastrophic loss insurance, that is all this high deductible health plan stuff is becoming. Its not like I don't think it works, but there are still things very wrong with what is going on here. If I were poor I could go in for unlimited Dr. visits with no copays on the state plan...but because I buy my own insurance I have to fear going to my Dr. for treatment of anything lest it go on my record. Then I get ridered to hell if I try to move to another company when my rates are jacked. This is such a freakin' shell game right now. And no I don't agree with one thing Obama is doing with this "reform"...Its all bullsh1t. But we do need changes because again those of us who buy their own insurance are being shafted. The cards are stacked against us.

 

[Winter_123]

The good news: Obamacare as a comprehensive one-shot implementation plan is deader than a doornail.

The bad news: We are well on our way to single payer or a system where the lines between the public sector and private sector are indistinquishable. As discussed, for those who think in six month increments, you are all set. For those who think in six year increments, it is gonna be a whole nuther world by then. This is true regardless of who is and who is not elected although the timetable of some things may wobble a little depending on the powers that be. We are at 50% on a public option already. That will hit 75% within the next few years. Single payer across the board is just a hop skip and a jump from there although the government may play the game of making it look like private sector by subsidizing and regulating (think Medicare Advantage).

 

[Bitnis]

Bottom line... Insurance Companies WANT ObamaCare and will do everything in their power to get it... Stay Tuned!!!

When Anthem raised their rates as they did it became glaringly obvious to me. That's okay though because the government pay and benefits are far superior to the private sector's pay and benefits for the foreseeable future. Not that it's justified but it is a fact of life.

 

[Dave020]

After 17+ years hawking health insurance I notice every year most, not all but most companies present new products for their portfolio. We have seen nothing new from the big boys and based on limited research i have done there will be no new products in the near future. new products are critical to the control of premiums.

Anthem introduced two entirely new IFP portfolios over the last two months in CA--"Core Guard" and "Clear Protection".

Core Guard offers a choice of deductible between $750 to $10,000 in 7 increments. Most services NFR under deductible first, co-insurance is 50/50. Deductible +$3500 to OOP.

Clear Protection offers deductibles (1000, 3300, 5000), 2 office visits at $40 co-pay, 40/60 plan +$3500 after deductible to OOP.

Neither has maternity. Both have preventive with co-pay at Healthy Check centers ($25 or $75 depending on level of service).

Clear Protection with 3300 or 5000 deductible has a 2-year rate guarantee.

Both plans have increased the formulary brand Rx deductible way up to $2k. Core Guard has added Tier 3 non-formulary/specialty coverage which is new for Anthem plans.

Rates are very reasonable on these plans.

 

[HealthGuy]

We now have a three tier system in our country: Government workers who get extreme health insurance benefits. "Poor" people who get extreme health insurance benefits. And the middle class with extremely high deductible health plans, with extremely high monthly premiums. The middle class pays through the a$$ for our health insurance. On top of this, we support through our taxes the extreme health insurance plans and benefits for the the government workers and the poor. There is something wrong with the system. Its going to implode.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Without reform, if you don't think you'll be selling plans with 15K OOPs within 5 years, guess again. And Healthguy, yes- this is all set to implode. It's been building since its inception - a system designed to eventually fail.

Without cost controls nothing will work.

 

[HealthGuy]

Dave 020: I get your point: but how is a 10K really health insurance? Its catastrophic loss insurance, that is all. I'm not saying its wrong either, I believe it works. I have a high deductible health plan myself. However, I'm just pissed the government and "poor" can get health insurance 100 times better than me. And I pay for it. I'm sick of it.