Obama vs. McCain - Health Care Plan

azmedsupagent

Guru
100+ Post Club
As a a health and medicare insurance agent I have been very concerned about the future of our industry and the security of our careers as agents. Both candidates have very different proposals for thier solutions to the healthcare crisis. Lets discuss what we think will happen to our industry and careers if either of these candidates become our next president.
I.E. , if Obama is elected he is proposing a national healthcare plan similar to that recieved by federal employees. If this is the case do you think that those clients we have serviced for years and been paid on thier renewal premiums will leave the plan we sold them to go on this national plan therefore reducing our ability to build a residual income? Do you think we will be able to sell some type of supplimental insurance like we do for medicare? Will the role of the health insurance agent no longer be necessary if we have national health coverage?

If mcain is elected he will continue the excess capitation rates (in excess of 13-17% more than the same medicare beneficiary on traditional medicare) to private insureres selling advantage plans. This will cause the medicare trust to become insolvent much sooner than ever before. He will also reduce physician payments over reducing these capitations to private advantage plan companies. This will cause more providers to no accept medicare or medicare assingment. These over payments to advantage plans are detrimental to the stability of medicare. For those of us who focus on the 65+ markets how do you think this will effect our business in the long term?
 
It appears that even the Presidential candidates (and many of us on this forum) have forgotten that there is a huge difference between healthCARE and health INSURANCE.

The cost of insurance for health related claims is a DIRECT math calculation.... the candidates speak to it as though the health carriers dictate the costs..... when it the opposite.

If you think that the % built in to a free-market system will continue under an Obama plan... then you are sadly mistaken. Even the carriers seek ways to eliminate commissions and sell directly against you (Hello.... Blue Cross).

If you ELIMINATED, not just shrunk, but ELIMINATED the administrative cost in health insurance... you would only eliminate maybe 12%........ which in only 2 short years of medical inflation will be erased.

The Federal Gov't is the ONLY one with the resources that CAN fix the problem...... don't agree????? Name another force that could?

The AMA? Yeah, right.
The Insurance carriers....??
The HMO's? Had their chance.
The Hospitals? See AMA above.

The Free Market? (See McCain's health plan).... won't happen.

I've actually READ both Senator's health plan proposals and as hard-right-wing as I am... I will have to say that Obama's plan has the most credibility... but at a huge price.

You will not have 20% commission products, nor will you have a capitalistic-style distribution system.... it will be government run and mandated across a variety of levels.

In addition.... since the Fed's will own/run it, they will ALSO dictate how much they will pay for services (aka: RBRVS).... which will have negative trickle down affect on service and choice.

Good luck out there.
 
It appears that even the Presidential candidates (and many of us on this forum) have forgotten that there is a huge difference between healthCARE and health INSURANCE.

The cost of insurance for health related claims is a DIRECT math calculation.... the candidates speak to it as though the health carriers dictate the costs..... when it the opposite.

If you think that the % built in to a free-market system will continue under an Obama plan... then you are sadly mistaken. Even the carriers seek ways to eliminate commissions and sell directly against you (Hello.... Blue Cross).




If you ELIMINATED, not just shrunk, but ELIMINATED the administrative cost in health insurance... you would only eliminate maybe 12%........ which in only 2 short years of medical inflation will be erased.

The Federal Gov't is the ONLY one with the resources that CAN fix the problem...... don't agree????? Name another force that could?

The AMA? Yeah, right.
The Insurance carriers....??
The HMO's? Had their chance.
The Hospitals? See AMA above.

The Free Market? (See McCain's health plan).... won't happen.

I've actually READ both Senator's health plan proposals and as hard-right-wing as I am... I will have to say that Obama's plan has the most credibility... but at a huge price.

You will not have 20% commission products, nor will you have a capitalistic-style distribution system.... it will be government run and mandated across a variety of levels.

In addition.... since the Fed's will own/run it, they will ALSO dictate how much they will pay for services (aka: RBRVS).... which will have negative trickle down affect on service and choice.

Good luck out there.

Its all campaign rhetoric
 
HAHA! I love that movie!

Newhealthstrategies... if I am reading you correctly I am going to assume you believe the roll of the health insurance agent will eventually phase out under a national healthcare system such as the one Obama proposes.
 
HAHA! I love that movie!

Newhealthstrategies... if I am reading you correctly I am going to assume you believe the roll of the health insurance agent will eventually phase out under a national healthcare system such as the one Obama proposes.


I do... of course it will be phased in slowly.... so we will feel like the proverbial lobster... but there is no way to extract savings enough to PAY for a Federal program AND continue to pay agents what we're used to being paid.... it's low-hanging fruit that will be way too appealing to pass-up.

In addition, look at states where guarantee issue has become law and you'll have a vision of the future of the health agent...... why would you NEED a health insurance agent, anyway? You don't need a Medicare Part A and B salesguru do you?

What say you?
 
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