Will Exchanges Allow High Deductibles?

[HealthGuy]

In the current Obamination health bill, are there provisions limiting how high an individual or family deductible can go? With all of the cross selling talk I hear from the carriers to go out and pitch accident and critical illness plans, it may all be a bigger pipedream than I think if the idiots in our government limit an individual deductible to say $3,000 or even $5,000 and don't allow shared family deductibles of even $10,000...Which I sell a lot of currently...If the gov't says no way, you can forget your accident plan or critical illness cross sale because the deductibles will be so low, most people won't care about the ancilliary sale, or at least be less interested in hearing about it....Tell me, what are the caps on family and individual deductibles come 2014? Has Queen Sebellius made a ruling on this part of this piece of crap legislation yet?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

The current legislation limits the OOP regarding bronze, silver, etc...plans sold in the exchange however HSAs are intact.

 

[HealthGuy]

So currently individual HSAs (post 2014) will continue to be allowed 5K individual deductibles, and shared family deductibles of 10K?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Yes, the family OOP goes to 10K. Where we're in trouble is from what I'm hearing, the subsidy for obvious reasons, won't be commissionable.

Say you're selling a family plan to someone earning 300% of FPL. The subsidy will be 70% - so only 30% of that premium will earn commission.

 

[Norwayguy]

Yes, the family OOP goes to 10K. Where we're in trouble is from what I'm hearing, the subsidy for obvious reasons, won't be commissionable.

Say you're selling a family plan to someone earning 300% of FPL. The subsidy will be 70% - so only 30% of that premium will earn commission.

Which is crazy the subsidy is taxpayer money that goes into the carriers coffers and the commission is carrier money to the agent...its just another way to cut down commissions...Maybe you health agents will wake up and the carriers will say we are keeping your commission at 20/10 or whatever because after you factor in no commission on subsidy the 30% you mentioned only makes commission 6/3 anyway.

I say you health agents need to fight and life and MA agents and whatever need to shout loud and clear about this...Anyone dealing with a CMS regulated product will tell you the more the government gets involved the harder it is to make a living...and like the old story goes first they came for the jews and I didn't say anything because I wasn't a jew....Now its First they came fr the MA/PDP agents and I didn't say anything because I don't sell MA/PDPs..Then they came for health agents but I'm not a health agent, next it will be life agents and P&C agents...

Lets really fight back...all agents contact your Reps and Senators and tell them if they don't change whats going on with these laws yu will be out of business and if you can't beat them your going to join them...Tell them you plan to run against them in every election from now until enternity....I here those Federal Benefits rock!!!

 

[HealthGuy]

NorwayGuy: I love the fighting spirit and I love the post! Good work...You do make an unintended point: Since health insurance now seems to be a right, why not life insurance? Life agents, they will come for you soon as well if we don't stop this Obamaination health plan.

 

[Norwayguy]

NorwayGuy: I love the fighting spirit and I love the post! Good work...You do make an unintended point: Since health insurance now seems to be a right, why not life insurance? Life agents, they will come for you soon as well if we don't stop this Obamaination health plan.

Which btw is why I make my point...I'm in Maine a GI state, So I don't sell health insurance like you do and I view this from a consumer perspective but understanding how Health Insurance works and the huge pitfalls of GI....Remember some of the things Obama and the wife have stated things like having to make college loan payments for a long time and other things, I'm guessing if Obama could have his way it would be "Free" College, Every form of Insurance, pretty much everything handed to you its not fair that I work at walmart as a cashier but can't drive a Mercedes or have that flat screen tv etc....Don't get me started on Obama and the like, I love my state the people are wonderful, the nature is beautiful, the quality of life etc.....however My state has been run by a Democratically controlled Legislature for OVER 30 years and I've seen the ideas that come out of Augusta its just scary.

Case in point...our legislature is part time and they are paid about $13,000 (Pay only) total over the 2 year period..I think its something like 7K first year and 6K second well a bill put up this past year would have made for living wages any legislature that had a combined income ie State pay plus normal job that did not equal $40K would be brought up to 40K if you owned a business and took home over $40K without the state bennies then you would work for free...Just think how much better our legislature would be if they didn't have to work another job or worry about feeding their families....luckily this bill died...but the fact that it was submitted and moved through committee scares me enough. Also the states largest employer is....The State itself with over 14K workers this does not count County, Municipal employees, School Employees or the quasi -non-profits...I call them this because almost all of their money comes from the state and they perform state like functions.

 

[jbage007]

Yes, the family OOP goes to 10K. Where we're in trouble is from what I'm hearing, the subsidy for obvious reasons, won't be commissionable.

Say you're selling a family plan to someone earning 300% of FPL. The subsidy will be 70% - so only 30% of that premium will earn commission.

I'm not sure which is more insane. Limited commissions on full premiums collected by private insurance companies, or the fact that someone making 300% of poverty level is entitled to a 70% taxpayer provided subsidy.

 

[Norwayguy]

I'm not sure which is more insane. Limited commissions on full premiums collected by private insurance companies, or the fact that someone making 300% of poverty level is entitled to a 70% taxpayer provided subsidy.

Change you can believe in...He might suck as a President but he did have a catchy tag line...that and the country was fed up with Republicans let to his win...I know things seem to be swinging back to the Republicans but unless there is a bunch of tea party winners or true conservatives the Republicans are not much better.

 

[GreenSky]

I'm not sure which is more insane. Limited commissions on full premiums collected by private insurance companies, or the fact that someone making 300% of poverty level is entitled to a 70% taxpayer provided subsidy.

Look on the bright side. With the reduction (elimination?) of health insurance commissions, most agents will qualify for a subsidy on their own coverage.

See? The glass is half full, not half empty.

Rick