Where do we go???

With the ever evolving pattern of ‘holding off’ or ‘wait and see’ with the feds on Obama Care and of course carriers getting involved one can only wonder where this ‘thing’ is going.  Democrats and Obama were pretty smug when this passed this into law but what they have started is an economic nightmare for small business and individuals as far as costs are concerned.

They say everyone has the right to coverage – well gues what – that program already existed at both state and federal levels.  It was (yes, it is a thing of the past now due to Obamacare) called HIRSP (Health Insurance Risk Sharing Program). 

It was designed for those with pre-existing conditions and was already funded by carriers. There was a federal and state level. AND, the premiums/deductibles were very competitive to insurance in the private sector.

Anyway, they had to try to reinvent the wheel. The wheel now coming off the car.

Wheels Coming Off

With the delay of employer mandates for group coverage for employers of over 50 employees one can only wonder what is next.
Again the law looked good on paper and with any good idea always looks good on paper vs implemented.

Obamacare’s employer mandate to be delayed a year | WashingtonExaminer.com

See on Scoop.it – Obamacare

In a stunning development, the Obama administration announced on Tuesday it is going to delay the implementation of the employer mandate, a major aspect of President Obama’s health care law initially set to go into effect on Jan.
See on washingtonexaminer.com

“Exchange Dance”

As October looms ahead (only 3 mos and counting) many insurance carriers are on the sideline waiting to ‘get in the game’.

Many carriers have already stated they won’t participate in the exchanges – and it is their right to not participate.

It actually costs more to for a carrier to be a part of the exchange for one AND when it comes to the subsidy it is basically like this:

You get a subsidy as an individual/family (if you qualify) and the carrier foots the bill and the feds reimburse on the back end.  Question is as to how long they have to wait to get reimbursed by the feds.  I would be suspect on joining the program too.

Oh, by the way, the exchange is the only place you can get a subsidy toward your premiums.

Window of Opportunity

Many don’t realize that with the mandate for health insurance by Jan 1 that the ‘ramp up’ period is on!  

Technically the window is 10/1 to 3/1/14 and then it is DONE!  Yes, DONE until open enrollment just like Medicare Part C plans – Oct thru early Dec. 

You don’t have the luxury after 3/31/14 of cancelling/changing/etc your individual plans unless there is a life event change (marriage, birth, divorce, etc).  

You will then and can only then make changes year over year during that window in the fall.  

You better know what you want and you better get it now!

Deductible Mandates -???

I have heard both sides of the fence on this. Depending on where you get your information you hear rhetoric regarding mandates on lower deductibles (no higher than $2000) for individual plans.

The advantage with higher deductibles is lower monthly premium and lower subsidy allocation from the feds. You need to keep some element on the model in the hands of the individual.

Even with better mandated ‘coverage’ in the individual market in 2014  and with subsidy available, to me, there will still be the options of carrying higher deductibles as we have now.

I will keep you posted.

Quotas in Healthcare

I was watching 60 Minutes on CBS last night and one of the topics was quotas/mandates on admissions put in place by Health Management Associates, a major provider with numerous hospitals/clinics in 15 states, with their ER doctors.

Although many doctors/individuals bore witness to this and they had actual documentation to back this, Health Management still denied it.

This was the re-airing of the article ans since the original airing the CEO has stepped down and the Justice Dept is looking into unfair practices of Health Management.

This shows the complexity (in the bad) of another variable to escalating costs in health care across the board with our system – not just insurance. 

 

Colonoscopies Explain Why U.S. Leads the World in Health Expenditures

See on Scoop.it – Obamacare

While the American medical system is famous for expensive drugs and heroic care at the end of life, a more significant factor in the nation’s annual health care bill may be the high price tag of ordinary services.

See on www.nytimes.com

A Vision for U.S. Healthcare’s Radical Makeover

A Vision for U.S. Healthcare’s Radical Makeover.

A Vision for U.S. Healthcare’s Radical Makeover

See on Scoop.it – Obamacare

The healthcare industry is on the verge of a disruptive change that will significantly reshape our experiences and reorient our expectations across the provider (RT @Cognizant: Toward the New Sustainable Model: A Roadmap for the U.S.

See on www.slideshare.net