Report: Status of Health Insurers In America

[AllenChicago]

June 19, 2015

For those of you who like to see the "big picture" from time-to-time, here's an article that describes the history, and current status, of the 5 largest health insurers in America... Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana.

Link to Article: 125 things to know about the 'big 5' insurers

I'll update this thread as the inevitable ACA-driven mergers, market withdrawals, and/or health insurer collapses occur.
-ac

 

[Sylvia Dumas]

I saw a variety of lists of outstanding physicians, healthcare leaders, hospitals and surgery centers. Good to know about this health care industry...!!!

 

[AllenChicago]

March 28, 2016

From ACASignups.net | Tracking Enrollments for the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), a very interesting pie-chart that shows the type of health insurance coverage, by population. I was surprised to see that Individual Health plans cover so few people. No wonder Americans in general, aren't too bent out of shape over the Individual Family Policy debacle.

Source page for chart: "SHOW YOUR WORK?" OK...Healthcare Coverage Breakout for the Entire U.S. Population in 1 Chart! | ACASignups.net

ac

 

[kgmom219]

March 28, 2016

From ACASignups.net | Tracking Enrollments for the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), a very interesting pie-chart that shows the type of health insurance coverage, by population. I was surprised to see that Individual Health plans cover so few people. No wonder Americans in general, aren't too bent out of shape over the Individual Family Policy debacle.

Source page for chart: "SHOW YOUR WORK?" OK...Healthcare Coverage Breakout for the Entire U.S. Population in 1 Chart! | ACASignups.net

ac

30+ million children poor and on Medicaid.

Makes me ill.

 

[hamben]

Three years ago, on the eve of Obamacare’s implementation, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that President Obama's centerpiece legislation would result in an average of 201 million people having private health insurance in any given month of 2016. Now that 2016 is here, the CBO says that just 177 million people, on average, will have private health insurance in any given month of this year—a shortfall of 24 million people.

Indeed, based on the CBO's own numbers, it seems possible that Obamacare has actually reduced the number of people with private health insurance. In 2013, the CBO projected that, without Obamacare, 186 million people would be covered by private health insurance in 160 million on employer-based plans, 26 million on individually purchased plans. The CBO now says that, with Obamacare, 177 million people will be covered by private health insurance155 million on employer-based plans, 12 million on plans bought through Obamacare's government-run exchanges, and 9 million on other individually purchased plans (plus a rounding error of 1 million).

In other words, it would appear that a net 9 million people have lost their private health plans, thanks to Obamacare—with a net 5 million people having lost employer-based plans and a net 4 million people having lost individually purchased plans.

None of this is to say that fewer people have "coverage" under Obamacare—it's just not private coverage. In 2013, the CBO projected that 34 million people would be on Medicaid or CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program) in 2016. The CBO now says that 68 million people will be on Medicaid or CHIP in 2016—double its earlier estimate. It turns out that Obamacare is pretty much a giant Medicaid expansion.

 

[Ann H]

March 28, 2016

From ACASignups.net | Tracking Enrollments for the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), a very interesting pie-chart that shows the type of health insurance coverage, by population. I was surprised to see that Individual Health plans cover so few people. No wonder Americans in general, aren't too bent out of shape over the Individual Family Policy debacle.

Source page for chart: "SHOW YOUR WORK?" OK...Healthcare Coverage Breakout for the Entire U.S. Population in 1 Chart! | ACASignups.net

ac

Hey, Allen, that's a great chart. Yes, IFP is a small slice, and on-exchange is just a portion of IFP. That chart says 11 million ON exchange (9.1 million subsidized and 1.9 million not), and 7.2 million OFF exchange (6 million ACA compliant and 1.2 million Grandfathered or Grandmothered). The huge majority are covered by Government or Employer Group plans.

I also am sickened by the 11 million new Medicaid enrollees due to ACA Medicaid expansion. A lot of times when the government claims the glories of the ACA, it neglects to say that Medicaid took the biggest hit.

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Three years ago, on the eve of Obamacare’s implementation, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that President Obama's centerpiece legislation would result in an average of 201 million people having private health insurance in any given month of 2016. Now that 2016 is here, the CBO says that just 177 million people, on average, will have private health insurance in any given month of this year—a shortfall of 24 million people.

Indeed, based on the CBO's own numbers, it seems possible that Obamacare has actually reduced the number of people with private health insurance. In 2013, the CBO projected that, without Obamacare, 186 million people would be covered by private health insurance in 160 million on employer-based plans, 26 million on individually purchased plans. The CBO now says that, with Obamacare, 177 million people will be covered by private health insurance155 million on employer-based plans, 12 million on plans bought through Obamacare's government-run exchanges, and 9 million on other individually purchased plans (plus a rounding error of 1 million).

In other words, it would appear that a net 9 million people have lost their private health plans, thanks to Obamacare—with a net 5 million people having lost employer-based plans and a net 4 million people having lost individually purchased plans.

None of this is to say that fewer people have "coverage" under Obamacare—it's just not private coverage. In 2013, the CBO projected that 34 million people would be on Medicaid or CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program) in 2016. The CBO now says that 68 million people will be on Medicaid or CHIP in 2016—double its earlier estimate. It turns out that Obamacare is pretty much a giant Medicaid expansion.

Yes, agreed. It was a huge shell game, just moving the numbers around while increasing the costs. And Medicaid was a giant expansion, like you said!

I love it when they tell how much this will save over 10 years. They are actually predicting how much it would save THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. But the cost was enormous to state governments, employers, consumers, insurers, and the medical community. Oh, and us. Yeah, I forgot. The little insurance agent.

 

[somarco]

how much it would save THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

In truth it saves nothing.

The subsidies cost money. The federal exchange has a cost. All the additional bureaucracy to oversee this sham costs money.

But then, the federal govt really doesn't have any skin in the game. The only money they have it what they take from us and borrow (without asking us first).

 

[AllenChicago]

April 8, 2016

Health Insurers are licking their wounds from the beating that ObamaScrew is dealing out. It's so bad that many of the remaining few are strongly considering not coming back to the Individual/Exchange market for 2017.

But, a former United Healthcare executive has raised $80 million and will open a health insurance company for 2017. it's called "Bright Health" and will sell EPO policies.

Story: http://www.benefitspro.com/2016/04/07/former-unitedhealth-ceo-launches-health-startup

 

[jlallgier]

Dirty little secret: Insurers actually are making a mint from Obamacare - LA Times

Makes sense. Looks like they are actually making money off the Medicaid expansion and not the individual health.

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Good Piece by KFF of UHC leaving the market and its impact on the Market

Analysis of UnitedHealth Group

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...fit-beats-estimates-fueled-by-tech-unit-optum

 

[somarco]

Yup.

Obamacare will be replaced by Medicaid for all as the IFP market slides into oblivion.