We Are in Trouble
- Thread starter ABC
- Start date
- 9,744
Wasn't it recently that Aetna (or some insurance company) told you exactly what was going to happen?
You better relax man, you're gonna have a stroke or somethin'..
Of all the meetings I have been to recently, Aetna seems to have more insight than any. Some of the stuff they are doing, and going to do align with many of the provisions in Health Reform I, II and III (House version) so closely it is almost spooky.
- 14,808
The main carriers have been noticeable silent recently and it's no accident. Behind closed doors they have assurances that they will be taken care of. Every single one of them is salivating at the prospect of ditching their sales force.
Aetna, for one, probably already has the email blast drafted:
"Producers: Due to the passing of the new legislation we are deligh...I mean saddened to inform you that..."
Aetna, for one, probably already has the email blast drafted:
"Producers: Due to the passing of the new legislation we are deligh...I mean saddened to inform you that..."
- 14,808
...won't matter, GI with mandates on the benefits wipes out commissions anyways. Maybe...maybe it'll be like $100 per enrollment.
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And is big pharma fighting this? Not this time around.
Drug Makers Score Early Wins as Plan Takes Shape - WSJ.com
So what's Obama doing that others did not...including Clinton? Clinton especially, fought the carriers and pharma companies. Problem is their lobbying machine is too strong.
Obama solution? Give them what they want.
Drug Makers Score Early Wins as Plan Takes Shape - WSJ.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And is big pharma fighting this? Not this time around.
Drug Makers Score Early Wins as Plan Takes Shape - WSJ.com
So what's Obama doing that others did not...including Clinton? Clinton especially, fought the carriers and pharma companies. Problem is their lobbying machine is too strong.
Obama solution? Give them what they want.
Drug Makers Score Early Wins as Plan Takes Shape - WSJ.com
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- 14,808
Well I'll tell you this. We are past "if" this passes and onto when it passes...with some tweaks and concessions. The "X" factor obviously is how agents fit into the picture. That's anyone's guess.
You really think they'll stop with health? I don't. Anyone that isn't in business for themselves in a big way better be very concerned.
It would be wonderful, if all I had to do is switch to auto or back to life fulltime. That's a pipe dream. They're coming after you. No stone will be left unturned.
When LBJ signed the Medicare/Medicaid legislation people said that was the end of the health insurance business.
Turns out they were wrong.
Medicaid generally works better than Medicare . . . as long as you can find a doc willing to accept Medicaid. Medicaid is actually more comprehensive than Medicare ever was or is today.
Each year Congress pays providers less and less for services rendered and each year, at least with Medicare, the premiums, deductibles and OOP increases.
The Medicaid market will expand and take some business away from carriers but who cares? These folks can't afford our products any way so no loss.
Medicare will continue to grow and become a burden on the federal budget. The cost shifting from Medicare to the consumer will be made up somehow.
Roughly 80% of those with Medicare A&B have a supplement. I don't see that changing any time soon.
If the government answer was so wonderful carriers would not exist now.
If carriers (for all lines, not just health) could exist and thrive without the agent they would have cut us out a long time ago. In addition to being stupid, the carriers are mostly lazy. They have no desire to staff up for 24/7 sales and why should they? As long as they can get 1099 workers to push their products on the come there is no need to put a bunch of W2 workers on the payroll with benefits and pay them $10/hour to sit around waiting on the phone to ring.
I have talked to too many folks in home offices to know that they are very inefficient and ineffective at marketing direct.
Every time the government has stepped in the free market they have created new opportunities for us. ERISA all but killed the defined benefit pension market but opened up a whole new world of opportunity for the 401(k).
Several years ago the state of FL got so heavy handed with group health insurance carriers many employers decided to switch to self funded and minimum premium plans. The state lost a bunch of revenue due to much lower premiums under MPP and stop loss cover. They tried (and were successful) in banning A&H carriers from offering medical stop loss as a way of getting at least some dollars off MPP but the market countered by coming on strong with surplus lines carriers that don't pay premium taxes.
The mood in Washington now is to tax the rich. That doesn't work either.
Remember the luxury tax from a few years ago? Not the one in the Monopoly game, the real one where an excise tax was collected on the toys of the rich. Things like private airplanes and yachts.
That move essentially killed the boating and private plan market. At least in the US. Most of the manufacturing jobs simply moved to other countries.
When it becomes too expensive to produce goods and services in the US the jobs go elsewhere.
The economy is in a tailspin triggered mostly by meddling in the housing market led by Fannie and Freddie. Stimulus I and II have not worked and unemployment still continues to climb as do foreclosures and businesses closing.
Eventually someone in Washington will realize they need to quit screwing around with things and let natural market forces take over.
I am not so naive as to think my business will not change over the next 5 years. I have seen way too many changes over the last 34 years to believe differently.
But every time someone said the government was going to eliminate my preferred method of earning a living something new came along.
Turns out they were wrong.
Medicaid generally works better than Medicare . . . as long as you can find a doc willing to accept Medicaid. Medicaid is actually more comprehensive than Medicare ever was or is today.
Each year Congress pays providers less and less for services rendered and each year, at least with Medicare, the premiums, deductibles and OOP increases.
The Medicaid market will expand and take some business away from carriers but who cares? These folks can't afford our products any way so no loss.
Medicare will continue to grow and become a burden on the federal budget. The cost shifting from Medicare to the consumer will be made up somehow.
Roughly 80% of those with Medicare A&B have a supplement. I don't see that changing any time soon.
If the government answer was so wonderful carriers would not exist now.
If carriers (for all lines, not just health) could exist and thrive without the agent they would have cut us out a long time ago. In addition to being stupid, the carriers are mostly lazy. They have no desire to staff up for 24/7 sales and why should they? As long as they can get 1099 workers to push their products on the come there is no need to put a bunch of W2 workers on the payroll with benefits and pay them $10/hour to sit around waiting on the phone to ring.
I have talked to too many folks in home offices to know that they are very inefficient and ineffective at marketing direct.
Every time the government has stepped in the free market they have created new opportunities for us. ERISA all but killed the defined benefit pension market but opened up a whole new world of opportunity for the 401(k).
Several years ago the state of FL got so heavy handed with group health insurance carriers many employers decided to switch to self funded and minimum premium plans. The state lost a bunch of revenue due to much lower premiums under MPP and stop loss cover. They tried (and were successful) in banning A&H carriers from offering medical stop loss as a way of getting at least some dollars off MPP but the market countered by coming on strong with surplus lines carriers that don't pay premium taxes.
The mood in Washington now is to tax the rich. That doesn't work either.
Remember the luxury tax from a few years ago? Not the one in the Monopoly game, the real one where an excise tax was collected on the toys of the rich. Things like private airplanes and yachts.
That move essentially killed the boating and private plan market. At least in the US. Most of the manufacturing jobs simply moved to other countries.
When it becomes too expensive to produce goods and services in the US the jobs go elsewhere.
The economy is in a tailspin triggered mostly by meddling in the housing market led by Fannie and Freddie. Stimulus I and II have not worked and unemployment still continues to climb as do foreclosures and businesses closing.
Eventually someone in Washington will realize they need to quit screwing around with things and let natural market forces take over.
I am not so naive as to think my business will not change over the next 5 years. I have seen way too many changes over the last 34 years to believe differently.
But every time someone said the government was going to eliminate my preferred method of earning a living something new came along.
