The Current State Of ObamaCare - ACA

[Ann H]

And..... from an email this morning from CMS, we have more manipulated news.

Today, HHS released a new report showing how the Affordable Care Act's individual market risk pool evolved between 2014 and 2015.The report shows that per-enrollee medical costs in the ACA individual market were essentially flat, even as costs in the broader insurance market continued to rise.

"The Affordable Care Act has expanded access to coverage for millions of Americans by reforming the individual market," said Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. "Today's news shows the continuing strength of the Marketplace as a source of affordable health coverage for millions of Americans."

Additionally, a new blog was also released discussing ongoing efforts to strengthen the Marketplace and plans to explore new options to modify the risk adjustment program.

Today's press release can be found here: Report: Unchanged Medical Costs Show Strength of Affordable Care Act

To read the new report, visit: https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources...ownloads/Final-Risk-Pool-Analysis-8_11_16.pdf
To read the blog, visit: http://blog.cms.gov/2016/08/11/building-on-premium-stabilization-for-the-future

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Does this not bother them to say? Holy Toledo, that is a twisted version of the truth. I especially like the part where they twist the truth for their own interests, then say, "even as costs in the broader insurance market continued to rise." I even cringe at calling this a truth at all. I always remember what my father said, which is "Figures don't lie, but liars use figures."

 

[somarco]

Call me jaded, but there is nothing that comes out of the most transparent administration in history that I believe.

What ransom money?

 

[Yagents]

Expect this in more states in reaction to continued bad claims coming in over past 4 months, and diminished carrier options in each county, meaning they are taking on more of the bad risk. Wanna bet they come in at double/triple what they requested before? And the DOI's have to give in.

Coming to a state / city near you if your carriers got cut in half or under 5 total.

These large increases (40-122%) transform a market overnight.

More tax credits for those who are subsidized, and either wipes out the increases, or lowers their premiums.

Higher level of income is now exempt from paying penalty, making STM attractive, IF HHS keeps their hands off the product. Many will go uninsured.

Only the wealthy and sick will buy or afford the full price of an ACA plan.


Cigna And Humana Ask For Higher Rate Hikes To Cover Tennesseans On Federal Exchange | WKNO FM

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee made headlines earlier this summer when it said it wanted to raise its health insurance rates on the federal marketplace by more than 60 percent. Two other insurance companies — Cigna and Humana — had proposed increases of between 20 and 30 percent, according to the state.

But Cigna and Humana now say their increases weren't high enough, and the state is allowing all three to file new rate requests.

Their justification to the state was the same as BlueCross BlueShield's in June: that Tennesseans are an unhealthy bunch, and they're surprisingly expensive to insure.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance approves all rate increases for out-of-pocket health insurance plans. (This does not include employee insurance coverage.) Department spokesman Kevin Walters says if insurance companies lose too much money, they may not stay on the federal marketplace for another year — and the number of insurance plans on there has already dropped.

Essentially, he says, it's better to let them increase their rates now than lose them altogether later.

"Fewer choices or no marketplace options at all was a very real risk, and we want to try to balance affordability and availability," he says. "It's not an easy decision to make."

The insurance companies' updated rate proposals are due Friday. The state will decide whether to approve them by Aug. 23.

 

[Key2Success]

This would kill the small group market:

Small-group cash for health coverage bill nears House vote | LifeHealthPro

That depends on where you're positioned. One door closes.....

 

[Yagents]

A wise man once said.......

Wanna bet they come in at double/triple what they requested before? And the DOI's have to give in.

Cigna, Humana file for higher Obamacare premiums

Kevin Walters, spokesman for the agency, said Monday that the possibility of the insurers leaving over projected losses was "too great a risk."
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In its latest filing, Cigna is proposing an average 46 percent increase — double its first 23 percent increase request.

Humana, which requested a 29 percent average increase in June, is requesting an average 44.3 percent increase, according to a filing with the state regulators.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which requested an average 62 percent increase, is not revising its 2017 premium proposal.

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And in other news...............abandon ship. I'd love to know the average shelf life of a gov't employee turned private industry employee

Head of NM health exchange stepping down | Albuquerque Journal

 

[somarco]

Might work out. Molina is involved in Medicaid and might survive. Both the company and her job.

 

[TN_agent]

I feel terrible for my upper-middle class customers (in TN, not known for high salaries, that would be income between $70,000 and $150,000).

They have assets they want to protect, so see the value of insurance, but have to absorb all of these increases themselves. It is not uncommon for an older couple to pay $1000 a month for a HDHP with 6000 deductible each. Now they get to pay $1500 a month next year for even higher deductibles and smaller networks. Or go without and risk losing it all. Between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Yagents]

Today's lesson for the screwed middle class: 8.13% = STM

 

[Yagents]

Soooooo, I thunk that OFF and ON marketplace policies were already mandated to be in the same risk pool? I think this reporter got things mixed up, or am I wrong.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...3fc4d4d12b4_story.html?utm_term=.fe0d359c18ec

 

[tonyisme]

Is single payer the answer? Not by looking at these numbers
http://www.ache.org/pubs/research/ceoissues.cfm