Uh-oh....
- Thread starter dgoldenz
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Yeah. You're right. I just had some down-time this morning before my first appointment and thought I'd have a bit of fun tweaking this guy... just as others have fun tweaking you (and me)!
It's the internet. It's not real life!
If you have a thin-skin and no sense of humor, insurance sales (in fact any sales) is the wrong job for you.
It also helps to realize that most people who post behind a cloak do so because they are not nearly as educated nor successful as they would have you believe. I'm sure most of them live in small New England or southern towns that don't have a lot of cultural outlets beyond the annual pig calling contest or watching the snow melt!
Preserve your memories
- 868
This is the longest most bloviated series of posts I have witnessed on the forum. Far longer than any pre election. Where do you guys find the time? Get out there and quit talking about health insurance...go sell some while you still can.
I've read all of these posts and now I don't remember what the original topic was...oh yeah the demise of health insurance as we know it.
I write letters to my congressmen on a routine basis. I am an advocate of what would essentially be a Medicare Advantage plan for anybody who wants to buy it. It would offer basic coverage and those who want more could purchase all they can afford.
I think that a lot of laws could be changed that would make insurance more affordable. It was announced last week that Allstate Insurance Company is in favor of National regulation. Having one set of rules instead of 50 sets of rules will cut a lot of costs out of insurance.
I think it's true that, to some degree, insurance companies regulate the costs of healthcare. It's a documented fact that doctors who own MRI's, etc. prescribe that diagnostic procedures more than those who don't.
At some point all parties are going to have to come to the table and agree that something needs to change. I have had family individual health coverage for 5 years (longer than I've had an insurance license). My premiums are about $550/month with a $10K deductible (to keep my monthly premiums low). I talked to several different insurance agents before I made a decision. I asked each one of them to show me their insurance benefit card from the company that they had their health coverage with. Most of these people had a spouse who worked in one of the larger industries around here and were covered under their spouse's group policy.
I bought my health insurance from the agent that used the product that he sold. Changes in healthcare policy aren't important to people who are covered under large group policies. They don't have to shop around for the cheapest pharmacy, they don't have to make deals with doctors (I've never met my 10K deductible) to get a lower price for care.
So I wanted to purchase my healthcare insurance from an agent who understood what I have to go through.
Change will happen, the only thing that never changes is change. If you want to affect what that change will look like, you need to be typing lots of letters to your congressmen. You can visit Congress.org Home to obtain their e-mail addresses.
I write letters to my congressmen on a routine basis. I am an advocate of what would essentially be a Medicare Advantage plan for anybody who wants to buy it. It would offer basic coverage and those who want more could purchase all they can afford.
I think that a lot of laws could be changed that would make insurance more affordable. It was announced last week that Allstate Insurance Company is in favor of National regulation. Having one set of rules instead of 50 sets of rules will cut a lot of costs out of insurance.
I think it's true that, to some degree, insurance companies regulate the costs of healthcare. It's a documented fact that doctors who own MRI's, etc. prescribe that diagnostic procedures more than those who don't.
At some point all parties are going to have to come to the table and agree that something needs to change. I have had family individual health coverage for 5 years (longer than I've had an insurance license). My premiums are about $550/month with a $10K deductible (to keep my monthly premiums low). I talked to several different insurance agents before I made a decision. I asked each one of them to show me their insurance benefit card from the company that they had their health coverage with. Most of these people had a spouse who worked in one of the larger industries around here and were covered under their spouse's group policy.
I bought my health insurance from the agent that used the product that he sold. Changes in healthcare policy aren't important to people who are covered under large group policies. They don't have to shop around for the cheapest pharmacy, they don't have to make deals with doctors (I've never met my 10K deductible) to get a lower price for care.
So I wanted to purchase my healthcare insurance from an agent who understood what I have to go through.
Change will happen, the only thing that never changes is change. If you want to affect what that change will look like, you need to be typing lots of letters to your congressmen. You can visit Congress.org Home to obtain their e-mail addresses.
I don't think writing letters does any good. They pay someone to answer those letters with pre typed up response letters that they think will shut you up for a while.
I don't think any of them care what we think or they would be doing things different. They might care during an election year or something but besides that, they don't care if any of us write to them. You are realy writing to some intern and don't read your letters anyways.
I don't think any of them care what we think or they would be doing things different. They might care during an election year or something but besides that, they don't care if any of us write to them. You are realy writing to some intern and don't read your letters anyways.
It depends on what you write. Long letters don't get read. Short and to the point do. It also helps to make a point to meet them in person when they are in town. Our congressman, and I'm sure yours does too, keeps a locally staffed office. He's usually there when congress is not in session.
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- 3,384
While I understand your thinking here, did it occur to you that some agents have spousal coverage under large group plans because they are uninsurable on the individual market and, therefore, cannot purchase a private policy that they actually sell, even if they wanted to?
I have large group coverage for exactly this reason. I am a decline with all of the CA IFP carriers.
- 3,384
Absolutely. Being an "uninsurable" under 65 person, I work 95% with uninsurable clients helping them get major medical coverage (HIPAA, Small Group, MRMIP or other state programs).
Many of them are luckier than I. I have no HIPAA eligibility, don't have a second employee to "create" a small group, and don't qualify for MRMIP (which is not good anyway) because I am eligible for large group. So, I have zero option to buy and individual policy from Anthem, Shield or anyone else. I don't feel that should create a barrier to selling those products.
As to reform, I think a middle ground can be found that will satisfy both sides. My hope is that our elected representatives as well as corporate leaders don't overreact and ignore good options that will allow full access on a public/private field.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One further point that is on my mind quite a lot in these recent discussions and media soundbites.
If you want to see what is likely going to happen, just look at California and AB-X from a couple of years ago.
I know this is not popular with some on this forum, however, a mandate would go a long way to correcting these problems. AB-X included a mandate. AHIP basically told the government, "give us a mandate of coverage and we will insure every swinging d**k in the USA, legal and illegal if you want". San Francisco has universal coverage, it is mandated. Either you have it through your job (they require all SF employers to provide it), buy it on the open market, or use the city plan. But you will have coverage in force.
But, like AB-X, there is an element of our state and federal legislative bodies that wants single payor and will vote down any program that will provide universal health coverage that is not single payor.
AB-X would have assured everyone in California the ability and requirement to have health insurance coverage. Yet, it was defeated after getting bipartisan support by the few who want a single payor system only.
So, my greatest concern in these times is not that we are working towards healthcare reform, but that healthcare reform will be an extreme shift due to the desires of a few who hold public office. Just like AB-X.
Many of them are luckier than I. I have no HIPAA eligibility, don't have a second employee to "create" a small group, and don't qualify for MRMIP (which is not good anyway) because I am eligible for large group. So, I have zero option to buy and individual policy from Anthem, Shield or anyone else. I don't feel that should create a barrier to selling those products.
As to reform, I think a middle ground can be found that will satisfy both sides. My hope is that our elected representatives as well as corporate leaders don't overreact and ignore good options that will allow full access on a public/private field.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One further point that is on my mind quite a lot in these recent discussions and media soundbites.
If you want to see what is likely going to happen, just look at California and AB-X from a couple of years ago.
I know this is not popular with some on this forum, however, a mandate would go a long way to correcting these problems. AB-X included a mandate. AHIP basically told the government, "give us a mandate of coverage and we will insure every swinging d**k in the USA, legal and illegal if you want". San Francisco has universal coverage, it is mandated. Either you have it through your job (they require all SF employers to provide it), buy it on the open market, or use the city plan. But you will have coverage in force.
But, like AB-X, there is an element of our state and federal legislative bodies that wants single payor and will vote down any program that will provide universal health coverage that is not single payor.
AB-X would have assured everyone in California the ability and requirement to have health insurance coverage. Yet, it was defeated after getting bipartisan support by the few who want a single payor system only.
So, my greatest concern in these times is not that we are working towards healthcare reform, but that healthcare reform will be an extreme shift due to the desires of a few who hold public office. Just like AB-X.
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- 1,926
It seems to me that the BHO objective is more on doing something versus doing the right something.
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