ObamaTax Update: Non-Exchange Edition
Had enough news about the ongoing meshugas that is the Exchange?Me, too. So, in a demonstration of civic spirit, here's some ObamaTax news that has nothing to do with the Exchanges:■ We've warred with them, killed their leader and continue to keep them in a Cuban prison-camp, but that doesn't mean that we don't care about their health (check the article's headline for an explanation):"Non-citizens are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) ... the documentation and verification process for such enrollments was significantly eased by regulations in the Affordable Care Act."9/11? Never heard...
Source: InsureBlog - November 13, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Cavalcade of Risk #196: A Delicate Balance
Matt Becker makes his CavRisk hosting debut with a tremendous collection of interesting posts and excellent commentary on each one.Thanks, Matt!Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - November 13, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
The Non-Apology and The Non-Solution
"If you like your health care plan, you can keep it. Period".
That begat,
For those Americans who already have health insurance, the only changes you will see under the law are new benefits, better protections from insurance company abuses, and more value for every dollar you spend on health care. If you like your plan you can keep it and you don’t have to change a thing due to the health care law.
Well, not quite true.
New benefits, higher premiums, higher out of pocket. But other than that . . .
And the latest iteration is,
“I am sorry that they, you know, are finding themselves in this situation, based o...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Inigo Montoya and the ObamaTax Exchange
In the classic film "The Princess Bride," Mandy Patinkin's character is dubious of another character's understanding of a rather common term ("inconceivable!"). He famously observes: "You keep using that word. I dunna think it means what you think it means."Here's a great example, ripped from today's headlines:"Medicaid signups an early Obamacare bright spot ... Medicaid has signed up 444,000 people in 10 states in the six weeks since open enrollment began"Um, Kathy? That's not a "success," that's a major fail.Why?Medicaid enrollees are a net drain on the system from the moment they sign up. By definition, they pay no prem...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
More Agents? Heh. [UPDATED & BUMPED]
"[HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious] wants “to bring 60,000 more” agents and brokers on for consumer assistance with the [ObamaTax] federally run exchanges."I bet.Apparently, some 70,000 of us have already completed the FFM Certification process. It's unclear how many "health insurance agents" are out there, but it seems to be in the hundreds of thousands. And of course, we're trained to actually help clients make informed decisions, and vetted for knowledge and honesty.Unlike some.
UPDATE: Yeah, those unlicensed, unvetted Navigators are working out so well. And at a paltry $67 million (so far) yet:"Government-paid worke...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
My new article is up ...
At Answers.com:"In insurance, the principle of indemnification is to make one whole by reimbursing one for a covered loss. Policies that rely upon this principle are those which insure items which can be quantified, such as the value of a ring or the cost of a beloved pet's surgery."
Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Tech, Insurance, and HC.gov
For a while now, we've been using a service call FormFire to get competitive quotes for small group clients. Basically, the agent and the employer each sign up with the service, and each employee is given a secure sign-in to enter health and other information. Once that's collated, the agent advises the FormFire folks which carriers to quote. There's a nominal fee involved, which the agent foots.That's the short story version, but one can imagine all the back-end requirements necessary to make this work: HIPAA and other privacy requirements, collation and verification of data, making sure the info is formatted correctly fo...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
The Shy Guy
Remember when you were in school and had a crush on a cute girl? You would hold her hand in the movies. Take her to the prom.
Except none of this ever happened.
Because you were too shy to ever tell her how you really felt about her. You had a dream, but never followed through.
#Obamacare is the same way.
“In the data that will be released this week, ‘enrollment’ will measure people who have filled out an application and selected a qualified health plan in the marketplace,” the official told the paper.
The distinction is an important one, following reports like the one last week in which the Senate Finan...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Lipstick. Pig. [UPDATED]
Some assembly required:"States with functioning exchanges have signed up 49,100 people compared with the 1.4 million people expected to be enrolled for 2014"Two Three things to note:1 - This represents only those states with non-Fed-run Exchanges. Which then begs the question: how many (or, more precisely: few) have signed up at the one "run" by Ms Shecantbeserious?and2 -How many have "successfully enrolled" on fraudulent "Exchanges?"and
3 - Of those who did sign up on the state Exchanges, how many were the young, healthy (and easily duped) needed to actually fund this train-wreck?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Original...
Source: InsureBlog - November 12, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
How it's done
Hundreds of millions of dollars and 3+ years later, and Healthcare.gov still doesn't work. Perhaps one is thinking that's an unfair characterization, and that the task was well-nigh impossible to accomplish in that time-frame and budget.One would be wrong:"Ning Liang, George Kalogeropoulos and Michael Wasser developed a site in matter of days – and it does things the expensive and faltering healthcare.gov can’t do."Ah, but they must be long-time coding veterans with decades of experience on which to rely, and mega-donors willing to fund them.Um, not so much:"... the three 20-year-olds say they worked on the project as ...
Source: InsureBlog - November 11, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
From the mailbag: Gaming the ObamaTax
We get mail!Readers may recall Dr Stuart Fickler, a retired but not retiring physicist. During his career, Dr Fickler has been involved in research, education and high-tech business. He has received national recognition in the area of systems based Total Quality Management, and has led successful efforts in improving manufacturing and educational systems.Today, he writes:Although I am very familiar with complex systems in general, I am not familiar with the practical application to the insurance industry. Therefore, I am requesting your expert opinion on the following.It is well known that the more complex a system i...
Source: InsureBlog - November 11, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
If You Like Your Personal Information
don't share it on #healthcare.gov
Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - November 11, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
About that Fauxpology
Once again, Avik Roy cuts through the chaff to expose the duplicity behind the President's "apology" to those victims of the ObamaTax who are now losing their insurance:"In the course of his interview, however, Mr. Obama made several other misleading statements ... As I noted last week, in 2010, the Obama administration estimated that 93 million Americans would be unable to keep their prior health coverage."Precisely.He then goes on to fisk the President's claims regarding the costs of new "metal" plans, alleged premium differentials based on sex, and the dysfunctional website currently sucking up all the oxygen in the roo...
Source: InsureBlog - November 8, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Lying liars still lying (Quelle Surprise!)
This is still up at the official White House website:"For the record, the President has consistently said that if you like
your insurance plan, your doctor, or both, you will be able to keep
them."
[Hat Tip: Ace of Spades]Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - November 8, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
DDOS attack on ObamaTax site?
Got this in email this morning:
"Researchers have uncovered software available on the Internet designed to overload the struggling Healthcare.gov website with more traffic than it can handle.
The program, called PPACA, is a trojan virus that cancels your existing health insurance plan, restricts your access to physicians, and increases your premiums and out of pocket financial liability."
I may have taken some liberties with the second paragraph.
Original content copyright © InsureBlog (Source: InsureBlog)
Source: InsureBlog - November 8, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
