Those New High Risk Pools

[somarco]

HHS Sebelius sent letters to all 57 states asking for their interest in participating in the new Obamacare risk pools. If the states don't want to do their own, they can let the feds run it.

We don't have a risk pool in GA and I can't see gearing up for one that will only go away in 3.5 years. In looking at the criteria for the pools, I found this one a bit interesting.

Premiums Must:
Be established at a standard rate for a standard population (that is, not exceed 100 percent of the standard non-group rate); and
Not have age rating greater than 4 to 1.

Given that the states with existing risk pools charge premiums that are 125 - 200% of the standard rate (with most in the 150 - 200% range) how well do you think charging 100% of the standard rate will fly?

I know the Chinese are glad we are putting their money to good use.

 

[Winter_123]

HHS Sebelius sent letters to all 57 states asking for their interest in participating in the new Obamacare risk pools. If the states don't want to do their own, they can let the feds run it.

We don't have a risk pool in GA and I can't see gearing up for one that will only go away in 3.5 years. In looking at the criteria for the pools, I found this one a bit interesting.

Given that the states with existing risk pools charge premiums that are 125 - 200% of the standard rate (with most in the 150 - 200% range) how well do you think charging 100% of the standard rate will fly?

I know the Chinese are glad we are putting their money to good use.

What a mess. Honest to god.

 

[Dave020]

Wow, California is running lean at 125% with a 2.3-2.6:1 on MRMIP.

 

[somarco]

Illinois is one of 35 states that already have high-risk pools, though the federally mandated pool would differ in two key ways from the state program.

Enrollees in the state's two existing high-risk pools, both offered under the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (ICHIP), shoulder two-thirds of the cost, which translates to "cost-prohibitive" annual premiums of $12,000 to $16,000, McRaith said.

"National reform will reverse that equation so premiums constitute no more than 35 percent of the cost of the program," he said.

The federal health care bill would also prohibit coverage exclusions of certain pre-existing conditions for six months, as Illinois does now.

Ultimately, McRaith plans to fold the state's existing high-risk pools, which cover more than 16,000 people, into the new one.

But in the meantime, "one of the challenges we will encounter as we implement this is how to equitably treat current CHIP enrollees," he said.

Federal health officials said it's unclear how much premiums in the new pools will cost, or how many people they might help

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/2138711,CST-NWS-health04.article

Risk pools, all of them, lose money.

COBRA is a loss as well.

But Obamacare knows better than anyone how to manage high risk. Charge no more than the standard rate.

Yeah, that will work . . .

 

[Winter_123]

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/2138711,CST-NWS-health04.article

Risk pools, all of them, lose money.

COBRA is a loss as well.

But Obamacare knows better than anyone how to manage high risk. Charge no more than the standard rate.

Yeah, that will work . . .

It is just another one of the backdoor Trojan Horses. Get the states to continue with their risk pools if they have one already (or not) and then ramp up the fed contribution to it so that the state is no longer in the drivers seat if they ever want to part company with fed policy.

Maryland has a high risk pool which some are saying is working well already but they will lap up those federal funds for their risk pool like a pig in shiite. It is then a MaoCare plan rather than the much touted well-run state plan.

Change you can believe in.