Posted on 10/17/2009 7:57:20 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
U.S. health officials announced Friday that private insurers can send seniors information on health-related issues as long as they allow their members to opt out of receiving the communications, effectively ending its probe of Humana.
The federal government, in the face of allegations it was trampling on free speech, has closed its investigation of a major insurance company for allegedly trying to scare seniors with a mailer warning they could lose important benefits under President Obama's health reform plan.
U.S. health officials announced Friday that private insurers can send seniors information on health-related issues as long as they allow their members to opt out of receiving the communications, apparently ending its probe of Humana.
"While we feel it is important to protect Medicare beneficiaries from potentially unwelcome marketing and other communications, we also recognize plans' interest in contacting their enrollees on issues unrelated to the specific plan benefit that they contract with CMS to provide to those enrollees," Teresea DeCaro, acting director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Drug and Health Plan Contract Administration Group, wrote in a memo.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
But they made their point. The chill has descended.
I just got a notice from my GOVERNMENT APPROVED" HMO...telling me that my premium (for this supllement to Medicare A & B) will be going up 58% BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT CUTS....
There -— everything I just posted, above, is, pretty much, required before I tell you anything on investment or insurance products for seniors.
Free speech? Well, by the time you get through with all the disclaimers, much of the audience is asleep or has scrolled past the post, huh?
Well, the Medicare Supplement companies are not under anywhere near the Federal Government control of the CMS regulated activities.
Part D drug plans and Part C Medicare Advantage plans are under absolutely ridiculous federal regulations.
The Feds have cut our commissions by 20% on all of this products, this year.
The Feds ALSO redefined the definition of “renewal” this year, which cut commissions, on some sales, by an additional 50%.
They want to force agents out of the business.
This will make you mad at the companies, for poor service.
You SHOULD be mad at the Federal Government!
They could put ‘Tear this up if you don’t want to read it’ on the envelopes.
“private insurers can send seniors information on health-related issues as long as they allow their members to opt out of receiving the communications”
And where in the Constitution does the federal government acquire the authority for this regulation? It would appear that the Commerce Clause is in conflict with the First Amendment-any first year law student can tell you in such conflicts, the First Amendment is a favored right. The truth is, no one seems concerned about such mundane technicalities these days...
King Obama and his communists criminals. Any doubt? Once they have control of the health care industry they will slap doctors and the private insurance around. The doctors will be forced to work under penalty of forfeit their license and private insurance will be forced out, period....
The choices are complicated, however, by the fact that the industry is having trouble figuring out what the government is going to do, which complicates the premium calculations.
The lowest premium, today, might not be the best indicator of which company can keep costs down, under Obama, and maintain good service.
They are using (abusing) the commerce clause and the fact that “commercial speech” is often carved out of the First Amendment.
I am not ALLOWED to walk up to a crowd of people I know, uninvited, listen in on a conversation about Medicare Advantage, or Prescription Drugs, and then inform those folks that I offer those products.
I am not ALLOWED to discuss such products with anyone who has not AUTHORIZED such a meeting, over the phone, if the call was recorded, or in writing, 24 to 48 hours PRIOR to the meeting taking place, depending on circumstances.
Look at any Credit Card, Insurance, Investment or other financial product application or disclosure.
Almost all of them give you the “opt out” of junk mail option.
Really? That is very big of you.
However, you have no right to even set a condition on 1st amendment rights and privileges.
When the government can infringe upon your God given right, they are Facists.
They don’t write the content but, they will shape it by intimidation, sanction and government powers.
Has Minitrue incinerated the last of the “Dissent Is Patriotic” bumper stickers yet?
The list, ping
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