Who Will Sell a Government Plan?

[adell50]

If....a big if...the Obama plan is passed, how will it affect agents?

Certainly, someone will be selling these policies...will it be government or will agents be able to simply add the government option to their toolbox?

Any insight is greatly appreciated..

Onward and upward!

 

[atlantainsguy]

It's obviously too early to know what that "public option" plan, if any, will look like -- but let's assume for the sake of discussion that it's non-disabled "under-age" Medicare.

If so, then the Med Supp market will expand tremendously.

In answer to your question, "Who will sell it?" -- all the conservatives complaining the loudest will probably be the first in line to get their "fair share".

atlantainsguy

 

[ins.dave]

It's obviously too early to know what that "public option" plan, if any, will look like -- but let's assume for the sake of discussion that it's non-disabled "under-age" Medicare.

If so, then the Med Supp market will expand tremendously.

In answer to your question, "Who will sell it?" -- all the conservatives complaining the loudest will probably be the first in line to get their "fair share".

atlantainsguy

-------------

Al3 or Atlantainsguy or big dopey goof ball or whatever you want to call yourself this week ...
Do you have to be hit over your oversized noggin before you get it?
She's a no go. Capiche? The dream is over. No free ride.
Now get back to work.
I don't know whose worse. You or that tranqed out wallaby Dem. Rep from CA Woolsey.

Look at this harpe?

Rep. Lynne Woolsey says that the health care bill should include a robust public plan that builds off of the the Medicare provider network.

 

[Norwayguy]

At least in one of the bills there would be navigators to help people enroll in the public option. At the time i read it these navigators would be paid by the government and could not be insurance agents instead they want community orginizations like Acorn to sign people up.

 

[Winter_123]

If....a big if...the Obama plan is passed, how will it affect agents?

Certainly, someone will be selling these policies...will it be government or will agents be able to simply add the government option to their toolbox?

Any insight is greatly appreciated..

Onward and upward!

It is not even clear what the role would be for agents even if everything is in the private sector but becomes guaranteed issue. We can churn the discussion some more and speculate some more about whether the commission would be 5% for private sector guaranteed issue and then speculate on what the public sector plan would pay. Just think less rather than more. We can be sure that it will be less but no one knows the details.

Public option is not going to fly. Co-op with trigger, ahhhh... I give it maybe a 25 % chance. I do however think that there is a 100% chance that the government will mess so much with the private sector plans that they might as well be public plans. Of that, you can be sure. You are trying to speculate on what the commission would be from a carrier that has been told that it must convert to guaranteed issue and must also reduce its premiums to what the government dictate is. Ask youself how much margin they have there for your commission or how much commission a carrier that will withdraw from the market will pay. The ones that stay will be masters of online agent-free enrollment. From the TV ad to the web for sign-up. That's the process.

No commissions on public option. You can be sure of that but there is not going to be a public option so forget about it. Just worry about the private plans being made public in fact while remaining private in theory.

Change you can believe in.

 

[Mac1958]

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Rep. Lynne Woolsey says that the health care bill should include a robust public plan that builds off of the the Medicare provider network.

I have absolutely no doubt that those who are pushing this notion only want the best (and the same could be said for most people on most issues), but it sure is frustrating when people who lack specific knowledge on a particular topic argue for it.

Do these people know that a vast majority of providers who accept Medicare assignment can only afford to "budget" a portion of their practice to Medicare patients because of the low Medicare reimbursement rates?

Do they know that more and more Medicare providers are dropping out of the system due to the low reimbursement, slow pay and crippling bureaucracies?

Have they spoken with the current Medicare providers who swear that they'll never accept increases to the current bureaucracies and problems described above, and who swear they'd leave the industry if they have to operate under an across the board public plan?

Do they know that all this is happening one year before the massive Baby Boomer population officially hits, causing a catastrophe where thousands of Medicare providers are leaving the system just as millions and millions of new Medicare eligibles are entering it?

From what I've seen, the proponents of this notion are simply denying all of the above (a common partisan technique employed by those from both parties). Or they trot out the lie that those who are against Obama's public option don't want reform, in an effort to divert attention from all its flaws.

Reform is critical and must be accomplished now. But if it includes massive new bureaucracies and even more control given to the political class, we'll create a whole new set of crises.

...

 

[ins.dave]

At least in one of the bills there would be navigators to help people enroll in the public option. At the time i read it these navigators would be paid by the government and could not be insurance agents instead they want community orginizations like Acorn to sign people up.

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Oh my sweet tap dancing favourite nailed up guy J*sus Chr*st!!!
Acorn?!?!?!
Are you f*cking kidding!?!??!

God some people are slow to read the writing ...

 

[Winter_123]

In answer to your question, "Who will sell it?" -- all the conservatives complaining the loudest will probably be the first in line to get their "fair share".

atlantainsguy

I don't doubt that many who opposed would participate if it works for them but I do not see that as being duplicitous.

There are many, in all fields, who believe in private sector free markets. However, the reality is that we are plunging deeper and deeper into a socialist economy. The guy who works on the auto line and thinks the government should stay out of that business may in fact end out working in a government owned company. The private sector banker may end out working in a government controlled/owned bank or corporation. The doc who want his/her own private practice will most likely end out working down at the Village Health Co-op. Similarly, the private sector insurance agent may follow the remaining crumbs to come as close as possible to what they wanted by working with what current reality is.

I dont see anything wrong with that. It might not work out for them or the others in the other fields but I dont think we should treat people as though they are whores because they want to try to work with the last gasp of capitalism as it goes down the drain. Most people will be working for the government in the future. There will always be some who will hold out as long as possible- thank god.

 

[ins.dave]

It is not even clear what the role would be for agents even if everything is in the private sector but becomes guaranteed issue.

The ones that stay will be masters of online agent-free enrollment. From the TV ad to the web for sign-up. That's the process.

Change you can believe in.

--------------

Yeh,

Wanna experience a living testimonial to Darwin's theory of evolution?
Go to Bama on any giving day and listen for the following ...

"Hey Billy Bob, watch this ..."

I hear what you are saying wintafresh, buta, I don't think that is gonna fly in any state where the I.Q. of the average punter is above 60.
People, smart ones that is, want knowledgeable, experienced insurance sales / service.
Look, I about soiled myself in fear back when ehealth first came on the scene. I'll bet most of you guys did. Are they still around? Yep. Are we still around? Yep. Also of course, people can go "direct" with any company online. If we were going to get "phased out" by the internet it would have happened by now. Let them have the single mothers and the know it all grad student leaving college or the obnoxious one who figures he can do it on his own because he had an insurance license 18 years ago and worked one summer with his daddy selling "FE in trailer parks."
BCBSAL does what you are suggesting now. They use no agents. They are getting away with it in Bama ... for the time being.
Did I go over the I.Q. thing in AL earlier?
If there is going to be any fat trimming, it will be done on an internal level not on the street. United shed some administrative deadwood earlier this week I believe?
There are vehicles for the stupids and ones for the not so. People in business just need to understand who their target market is and act accordingly?

 

[Winter_123]

--------------

Yea,

Wanna experience a living testimonial to Darwin's theory of evolution?
Go to Bama on any giving day and listen for the following ...

"Hey Billy Bob, watch this ..."

I hear what you are saying wintafresh, buta, I don't think that is gonna fly in any state where the I.Q. of the average punter is above 60.
People, smart ones that is, want knowledgeable, experienced insurance sales / service.
Look, I about soiled myself in fear back when ehealth first came on the scene. I'll bet most of you guys did. Are they still around? Yep. Are we still around? Yep. Also of course, people can go "direct" with any company online. If we were going to get "phased out" by the internet it would have happened by now. Let them have the single mothers and the know it all grad student leaving college or the obnoxious one who figures he can do it on his own because he had an insurance license 18 years ago and worked one summer with his daddy selling "FE in trailer parks."
BCBSAL does what you are suggesting now. They use no agents. They are getting away with it in Bama ... for the time being.
Did I go over the I.Q. thing in AL earlier?
If there is going to be any fat trimming, it will be done on an internal level not on the street. United shed some administrative deadwood earlier this week I believe?
There are vehicles for the stupids and ones for the not so. People in business just need to understand who their target market is and act accordingly?

Okay, well I will let you get more input from the successful independent health agents here who are from guaranteed issue states. Let me know what you find out.