Hypocrisy on Obamacare

[icenine]

Everyone is assuming everyone has employee based health care to begin with.

[mini me]

Originally Posted by finnbow

From what I understand, the requested BC/BS premium hike in MD is limited to those purchasing individual coverage on Obamacare exchanges, not members of group policies through BC/BS.

That notwithstanding, all the inevitable growing pains of Obamacare are inextricably tied to the notion of employer-based health coverage. This wouldn't be happening under a single-payer system. Thanks to the Heritage Foundation and Mitt Romney for designing the system adopted by Obama.

One of the key features of health care reform is that it will "level the playing field" for individuals and small groups purchasing medical insurance on or after 1/1/2014. Under the reform law, Health and Human Services is instituting "modified community rating" to change how insurers price premiums for individual and small group medical coverage. Under the reform law, small groups are currently defined as less than 50 eligible employees. After 1/1/2016, a small group will be defined as a group of less than 100 eligible.

Community rating will set baseline premium rates for medical coverage. Groups or individuals today that might enjoy favorable rates from their insurance carrier due to good individual health or favorable claims performance of the group with lose those favorable rates. The rates for individuals or groups in that scenario will rise to the new baseline rates as set by HHS.

Now, there are some individuals with serious health issues, or groups with unfavorable claims histories that might benefit from having their rates reduced to the new baseline rates. But I suspect there will be far more folks who will have something new to complain about regarding their medical insurance rates after 1/1/2014.

Also, the analogy between the Heritage Foundation proposal, the Romneycare final product, and the Obamacare final product fails on its face. The three are very, very different things.

[mini me]

Originally Posted by merrylander

We are buying individual coverage and there was no mention of where you buy it, just that individual coverage would go up but employer coverage would not. I swear that this country could screw up the Lord's Prayer.

Not sure what article you're reading, but here's a section from WSJ the article I posted:

"Starting next year, the law will block insurers from refusing to sell coverage or setting premiums based on people's health histories, and will reduce their ability to set rates based on age. That can raise coverage prices for younger, healthier consumers, while reining them in for older, sicker ones. The rules can also affect small businesses, which sometimes pay premiums tied to employees' health status and claims history."

"In a private presentation to brokers late last month, UnitedHealth Group Inc., the nation's largest carrier, said premiums for some consumers buying their own plans could go up as much as 116%, and small-business rates as much as 25% to 50%. "

"Aetna Inc., in a presentation last fall to its national broker advisory council, suggested rates on individual plans not being grandfathered under the law could go up 55%, on average, and gave a figure of 29% for small business rates.:

[icenine]

The real fear is that Obamacare will work.
Another nail in the GOP coffin along with an inability to connect with normal Americans.
Yes you read that correctly.

This is why Brewer in Arizona is embracing it...she knows her state going blue is not a matter of if but when. Texas will follow.

[mini me]

Originally Posted by icenine

Everyone is assuming everyone has employee based health care to begin with.

And some would content that the purpose of Obamacare is to make employer - sponsored health insurance so onerous to administer and pay for that it chases employers out of the group health insurance market. Now, I don't necessarily think that would be a terrible thing. However, I do think that "single payer" or "socialized medicine" would be a significant downgrade from the system we have today: in terms of the patient experience, timely access to non-critical care, cost, etc.

[mini me]

Originally Posted by icenine

The real fear is that Obamacare will work.
Another nail in the GOP coffin along with an inability to connect with normal Americans.
Yes you read that correctly.

This is why Brewer in Arizona is embracing it...she knows her state going blue is not a matter of if but when. Texas will follow.

Ummm... I think the real fear right now on the Dem side of the aisle is that 2014 is an election year, the promise of the exchanges will already have fallen flat, and the medical insurance rates based on community rating (and another change in pricing driven by Obamacare called rate compression) will be near full implementation in the individual and small group medical insurance marketplace.

[Bigerik]

Again, taking a simple thing and making it overly complicated. It's not like there aren't dozens of other countries to model it after.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by mini me

Some folks in this forum like to look around and find examples of hypocrisy. Well, here's one for you. Hypocrisy on display on Capitol Hill in all it's glory and in living color:

Lawmakers are trying to vote theselves and their aids an exemption from Obamacare.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/0...des-90610.html

This just cracks me right up. All those folks in Washington who were going to take care of us and make it all better for us with better healthcare are now running from it just as fast as they can. Hell, Debbie Stabbenow, our Senator from here in MI insisted that she'd only vote for Obamacare if it meant that we'd all get access to the same health care that she had. Well, shit Debbie. Either you're about to get screwed by your peers in Congress, or you are a lying sack of horse crap. Which is it Debbie?

LOL that kills me too. Must not be very good....

DOn't give up trying to refoam guys, you'll get it.

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by mini me

Also, the analogy between the Heritage Foundation proposal, the Romneycare final product, and the Obamacare final product fails on its face. The three are very, very different things.

Please 'splane.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

LOL that kills me too. Must not be very good....

DOn't give up trying to refoam guys, you'll get it.

Pete

Yessir, gotta refoam them woogers