Where Do We Go from Here? POLL

[scagnt83]

We'll have to agree to disagree on the group aspects-my small groups haven't had those types of increases the past two years and I seen the availability of group health insurance as a positive as it gives people an incentive to work as well as an ability for businesses to attract top people. And that is based on many years working in Silicon Valley (before entering the insurance business) as well as the past 11 years doing health insurance.

Yes, we will have to agree to disagree.

The national average for group increases is above 10% and has been for at least the past few years if I remember correctly.

An incentive to work? Only because there is no good alternative. That in itself is a major issue for our economy. Getting paid should be the main economic incentive to work. "Not dying of disease" should not be the economic incentive to work... that is a MAJOR economic issue.

I dont care about silicon valley. Ive worked with small business owners here in the real world (all over the US) for over a decade. (I even have one or two with locations in Silicon Valley since that seems to mean something to you... LOL)

Many of those small business owners have made more than most who work in silicon valley and have created many more jobs as well. I advise them on not only group insurance, but key-employee benefits and retirement plans too.

Group Health takes up more time and cost vs. any other benefit. The loss of productivity due to it is enormous.

Take away group health and companies would have to compete solely on the merits of their mission, culture, and SALARY.

Take away group health and employees have less to worry about when they are considering changing jobs. "Fear of new Benefits" is one of the top reasons people stay at jobs they hate.

And the #1 reason for people not starting new businesses is the need for group benefits because of medical reasons.

Take away group health and our economy would explode. Many economists are starting to wake up to that realization (those of the Austrian mindset too, not the Keynesian libs). Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger recently made statements very similar to what I just expressed above.

Oh, then there are the actuarial reasons related to providing health insurance in this country.

 

[kgmom219]

Everyone ready for Trump's hissy fit that is coming? CSR games?

THIS.

My biggest concern right now is CSR games, which will lead to further carrier compression. In AZ, especially.

And has anyone heard anything from Molina??? Wondering if they are going to play in 18 after this weeks layoffs

 

[junkman]

It was a bad bill, GOP has no clue. As long as insurance companies are not allowed to underwrite, premiums will never come down.

You're kidding right? The ONLY reason for the abnormally large rate increases under ACA is adverse selection. Premiums are claims PMPM + admin. Carriers have lots of data on those enrolled on group. They started with very little data on those who enrolled under ACA.

They have underestimated claims every year since inception and the members keep changing. I've heard repeated examples of large claimants who dropped coverage only to enroll next year and go again.

Now, rates are high enough that anyone without subsidy and with other options bails. Even if they don't like the other option, premium savings makes it tempting.

Go look at a large fully insured or ASO renewal to see the calculations. It is simple arithmetic - actually statistics 101 explained with 3rd grade math.

 

[somarco]

Premiums are not the real problem. Premiums are just a symptom of the exploding Cost of Care.

Nope, Ned is right.

Underwriting is what kept the IFP market stable for years. It has gone in the crapper since 2014.

 

[FLM2]

Yes, we will have to agree to disagree.

The national average for group increases is above 10% and has been for at least the past few years if I remember correctly.

An incentive to work? Only because there is no good alternative. That in itself is a major issue for our economy. Getting paid should be the main economic incentive to work. "Not dying of disease" should not be the economic incentive to work... that is a MAJOR economic issue.

I dont care about silicon valley. Ive worked with small business owners here in the real world (all over the US) for over a decade. (I even have one or two with locations in Silicon Valley since that seems to mean something to you... LOL)

Many of those small business owners have made more than most who work in silicon valley and have created many more jobs as well. I advise them on not only group insurance, but key-employee benefits and retirement plans too.

Group Health takes up more time and cost vs. any other benefit. The loss of productivity due to it is enormous.

Take away group health and companies would have to compete solely on the merits of their mission, culture, and SALARY.

Take away group health and employees have less to worry about when they are considering changing jobs. "Fear of new Benefits" is one of the top reasons people stay at jobs they hate.

And the #1 reason for people not starting new businesses is the need for group benefits because of medical reasons.

Take away group health and our economy would explode. Many economists are starting to wake up to that realization (those of the Austrian mindset too, not the Keynesian libs). Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger recently made statements very similar to what I just expressed above.

Oh, then there are the actuarial reasons related to providing health insurance in this country.

You may not care about Silicon Valley but it has been the center of innovation and job growth in the U.S. for many years so is a valid data point.

I just checked Aetna rates for small group in Florida for start dates of Q4 2016 and Q4 2017-there is a rate increase of about 4%. South Carolina rates (one data point, in Greenville) are up about 11% so there is some regional bias.

What Buffett said was that healthcare costs are a 'tapeworm' on the U.S. economy-what I see is that reimbursement rates for non-Medicare plans are typically in the 140-170% of Medicare reimbursement rates and I fail to understand why there can't be a single reimbursement rate for all networks and plans, that alone could lower rates significantly.

In terms of cost the admin costs under Medicare are about 2% while commercial plans are in the 17% range, certainly there are cost savings available there.

I would not have a problem with a single payer system like Medicare but just don't see it happening with the lack of cooperation in Congress (and of course the White House). If Republicans are supposed to be the party of fiscal responsibility why haven't they grasped the concept that there are substantial cost reductions achievable under single payer and cooperate with the other side, who see single payer as something that just needs to happen?

Two sides, two goals, one solution, why are they playing politics with this? As long as they do play politics, though, you can't eliminate group plans as all it will do is have more people uninsured.

 

[johnti99]

Democrats and Republicans are bereft of ideas to fix healthcare in this country. Republicans are fixated on ObamaCare repeal with no good replacement while Democrats are moving far left and calling for single payer. Single payer is expensive. Countries that have single payer are struggling to keep pace with cost because of the rise in the number of old people in the population, the rise of chronic diseases, advances in medicine which are typically expensive and a more informed population that want the best care.

I recently read a book titled "On the Principles of Social Gravity" by Tobore Tobore. This is one of the most important books of the year. The author argues that the rules or principles that govern a family, military, healthcare system and all systems created by humans are the same. He lists these principles or rules and applied them to US healthcare system in chapter 2. He dissects the problems with US healthcare system and comes up with some very novel solutions. I seriously recommend this book.

 

[Rick Deckard]

What next? A Guaranteed Basic Income for those who cannot bring their souls to work for the evil Wallstreet companies of the Evil American Empire?

I think some folks should strongly consider living in Europe or another North American country. They put real sugar in soft drinks down in Mexico, that's gotta be better than good ole America, just leave this place to all the racist Trump supporters and watch this country erode quickly.

Hope you enjoyed that

 

[AllenChicago]

Medicare or Medicaid for everyone who does not qualify for, or cannot afford an individual free market health insurance plan. Problem then solved for the most part.

 

[junkman]

Medicare or Medicaid for everyone who does not qualify for, or cannot afford an individual free market health insurance plan. Problem then solved for the most part.

No, you want everyone who is not on a group plan otherwise, you only cover the sickies and rates are as we see them now.

The really difficult part will be to stop the 10% annual trend increase. We have the best government money can buy.

 

[Key2Success]

What next? A Guaranteed Basic Income for those who cannot bring their souls to work for the evil Wallstreet companies of the Evil American Empire?

I think some folks should strongly consider living in Europe or another North American country. They put real sugar in soft drinks down in Mexico, that's gotta be better than good ole America, just leave this place to all the racist Trump supporters and watch this country erode quickly.

Hope you enjoyed that

Why are racists always the first to play the race card Rick?