We Are in Trouble

[Crabcake Johnny]

This could easily end up benefiting some brokers and in fact some health brokers may end up making a killing from this - of course depending on the specifics.

Cutting commissions obviously gets rid of any broker who's in it just for dough and their clients can bite them.

Ethical brokers with far less competition can easily make a very good living off lower comp.

 

[ABC]

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'..

Wellpoint/Anthem
Was the first carrier to fill me in on the health care reform.

This new information came from Cigna who has a very active lobbyist in D.C.

He said they the Democrats don't care about cost and are going to push it through.


Right now this current reform lies in the hands of 7 blue dog democrats in the Senate. I think if just one of them vote for the bill it goes through. Just one vote!


The president fo Cigna flat out said "we don't know what role agents/brokers will have if this is passed."
That means we are out!

This is very serious.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Seems like the folks selling Med Supp's do OK.

How is the car business looking to you?

As it stands right now Med Supps look more attractive than ever before because of all the changes that are going to be made. Medicare is revamping the existing Medicare Supplement plans and adding two new ones that appear will put Med Supps in direct competition with many HMO's.

I expect that seniors living in metro areas where their are HMO's will be very interested in taking a hard look at the new Medicare Supplement Plans M&N. The premiums will be less for those plans than Med Supps as we know them today, and unlike those who have HMO's, seniors will still be able to choose their doctor and hospital from the yellow pages in any town or city in the US. No network of doctors and hospitals and they will not have to "ask permission" of their primary care physician to see a specialist.

Many seniors who live outside the service area of an HMO have been sold PFFS plans. When those PFFS plans "go away" they are not going to have any alternative except to go back to a Med Supp.

Underwriting will not be a problem because they will have a period of guaranteed issue to get a Med Supp.

 

[Ron Van D]

The president for Cigna flat out said "we don't know what role agents/brokers will have if this is passed."
That means we are out!

This is very serious.

This is from page 16 of HR 3200:
SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.

(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term 'grandfathered health insurance coverage' means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:
(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1.

Sure sounds to me like we're out if carriers can't enroll anyone after the government plan goes into effect.

Am I reading this wrong?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Obama on Heath Reform: No Draconian Measures - ABC News

We could be out....in 2013

 

[Monti_Ray]

Here is an interesting article from IBD:

IBDeditorials.com: Editorials, Political Cartoons, and Polls from Investor's Business Daily -- It's Not An Option

Monti Ray
BestInsLeads.Com

 

[Winter_123]

We could be out....in 2013

So could Barry.

Keep in mind that despite all this hoopla about him being invincible and everyone in the country being behind him that he really only won by about 5 or 6 percentage points. Yep. That is a very decent win but one must concede that there are enough issues going on now to either build support or alienate people in droves. One false move and it will be tea party heaven. Don;t get me wrong. I dont think he can be beaten outright but he certainly can get bogged down by bluedogs and centrists on any and all programs. And did I mention that his popularity in the polls is dropping five points every two weeks.

Also this CBO thing is a major, major hit. Barry planned all along to keep telling the public that it would be the insurance and drug companies out there taking hits on his programs so prepare for it. Turns out it is the non-partisan, allegedly highly-respected, CBO that now says that his proposed savings and cost estimates are completely bogus.

Some may recall that a few months ago, I mentioned that it will be interesting when we get to the part about whether abortion will be coverd by Obamacare. Just watched the news a few minutes ago and saw that that time has come. Start splaining Barry. And when Congress is home for recess, they can do some splaining too.

It is change you can believe in but I am going to let Barry splain it. Perhaps George Bush caused the CBO to come out with that report. Yeh, that's it. George Bush.

 

[Dave020]

 

[jsd1239]

I would think "tweak" would be a better word - but some form of this is likely to pass. When it's implemented? That's the real question.

As slow as the government is it will be awhile. With 2010 elections in November I would guess you will probably see it implemented in August or September. That way it will be fresh in the voters minds. And thats really pushing it for such an involved plan that will be administration heavy. And I'll be willing to bet you won't need a license to sign people up for the GI plan. Thats probably buried in congress's 1000 page bill, and the fed will override state laws.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

For a while, it looked like there might be a slight chance a bill would be crafted that excluded the govt. from offering coverage.

Now, you don't hear a peep about that happening. The GOP is focusing on other things, but seems resigned to the fact that we are going to have that "exchange" offered by the government.

That exchange is the stick that breaks our backs and drastically reduces our health insurance income. I'm assuming I will write about 33% of the business I write now...but get paid less for it.

Unless I'm missing something, there's not a chance in hell this bill will pass without govt. involvement. I wish we could take all of the money used to set up the exchange (and run it) and funnel that directly to those that can't afford coverage.