Obama Open to 'tweak' of Health Care, Not Repeal

[AllenChicago]

November 4, 2014

The new Republican Congress collectively say that "dismantling" ObamaCare is their #1 Priority. According to Senator Ted Cruz tonight, dismantling the ACA is the #1 issue Republicans campaigned on, and tonight, the party won.

Summary of Republican Congress's top ObamaCare-related priorities beginning on January 1, 2015..

REF: Republican plans for Obamacare: Device tax, Mandates, Risk Corridors | New Republic

As we've said many times in this forum, you start screwing with ObamaCare and the house of cards falls. Ironically, the President's tweaking, delays and waivers have already begun damaging much of the program. We'll see what happens when Congress starts working with the President to make additional adjustments.
ac

p.s. Insurers must be having fits tonight, and getting their lobbyists ready action again.

 

[kgmom219]

This is a great article AC. Thanks for sharing!

 

[somarco]

Repeal mandates, eliminate reinsurance (risk corridors), new copper plans ............... all nice ideas but will end up being more destructive than the current law.

Without mandates in the individual market carriers will run for the hills due to even more protracted adverse selection. Eliminating employer mandates will improve the employer situation but only if they also get rid of the stupid design flaws (metal plans, EHB, etc).

Taking away the reinsurance will further collapse the IFP market. Of course given that the coverage will sunset in a few years the IFP market will implode anyway unless the carriers can secure private reinsurance to replace the taxpayer funded plan. Even then it is all questionable.

Lower benefit copper plans sound nice but will do almost nothing to make IFP affordable. GI + community rating + age banding all had the greatest impact on rates, even more so than mandated benefits and metal plan designs.

The only way to turn it around is to kill off the govt pricing model and return to a free market with modified underwriting paired with a national risk pool.

 

[houcoogster]

Repeal mandates, eliminate reinsurance (risk corridors), new copper plans ............... all nice ideas but will end up being more destructive than the current law.

Without mandates in the individual market carriers will run for the hills due to even more protracted adverse selection. Eliminating employer mandates will improve the employer situation but only if they also get rid of the stupid design flaws (metal plans, EHB, etc).

Taking away the reinsurance will further collapse the IFP market. Of course given that the coverage will sunset in a few years the IFP market will implode anyway unless the carriers can secure private reinsurance to replace the taxpayer funded plan. Even then it is all questionable.

Lower benefit copper plans sound nice but will do almost nothing to make IFP affordable. GI + community rating + age banding all had the greatest impact on rates, even more so than mandated benefits and metal plan designs.

The only way to turn it around is to kill off the govt pricing model and return to a free market with modified underwriting paired with a national risk pool.

I agree with everything you said.

I sure hope this is not the Pubs platform going forward. Because if it is all they'll be doing is paving the way for Prez Hillary. And I don't want that. I hope they don't let this election go to their heads.

 

[AllenChicago]

Repeal mandates, eliminate reinsurance (risk corridors), new copper plans ............... all nice ideas but will end up being more destructive than the current law.

The only way to turn it around is to kill off the govt pricing model and return to a free market with modified underwriting paired with a national risk pool.

And, make MATERNITY coverage optional again. This is the one "Essential Health Benefit" that causes 90% of complaints, sick jokes, shaking of heads, etc.. at the time of purchase. Particularly from men and women in the 50 to 64 range.

Returning to a Free Market would get rid of that crazy MLR would allow commissions to begin returning to sensible levels. Right now the entire health insurance industry is being smothered to a slow death.

 

[Ann H]

Maybe they will dismantle the exchange, and simply give a certificate to the consumer. Here in AZ we have a tax credit that works like that. The consumer fills out a very simple form (1 page), sends it to the AZ Dept of Revenue, and if they qualify, they get a certificate back in a couple of days. That certificate goes to the insurance company with the app, and the insurance company collects the subsidy from the government behind the scenes, while billing the client for the net amount. It works extremely well, is very simple, and doesn't involve a multi-billion dollar headache.gov exchange. After all, the exchange is an insurance agency. Besides offering insurance, providing a comparison of plans, and controlling the process all the way from app to policy changes, it collects a commission (oops "fee") of around 4%. That's another layer of insurance agency we don't need.

 

[somarco]

dismantle the exchange, and simply give a certificate to the consumer.

We certainly would have received more bang for our buck if they had done it that way for health insurance.

Based on your last years income you a voucher for $5000. Buy whatever you want.

 

[AllenChicago]

The (about to be) new Republican leadership says that the first things to be modified with ObamaCare is to get rid of/change the unpopular budget-related items that can be affected with reconcilliation, because only 51 votes are needed.

What are these unpopular budget-related items?

I hope there's a safety net put in place to catch people when they start falling out of the ObamaCare tree after the financial roots start dying.
ac

 

[unic.consulting]

The (about to be) new Republican leadership says that the first things to be modified with ObamaCare is to get rid of/change the unpopular budget-related items that can be affected with reconcilliation, because only 51 votes are needed.

What are these unpopular budget-related items?

I hope there's a safety net put in place to catch people when they start falling out of the ObamaCare tree after the financial roots start dying.
ac

The medical device tax is all I'm aware of.

 

[VolAgent]

The medical device tax is all I'm aware of.

So who is that unpopular with except medical device manufacturers?

Personally, I'm expecting 2 years of absolute deadlock. Tom Cotton from Arkansas ran on and won on a platform of, "I won't work with Obama and I'll do anything to fight him." If that wins you a Senate seat, I don't expect a lot to be accomplished.