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Bombshell: United Healthcare may exit individual insurance exchanges after 2016
Hot Air ^ | 11-19-15 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 11/19/2015 11:38:36 AM PST by markomalley

If you like your insurance carrier, you can keep your insurance carrier. The nation's largest provider of health insurance announced this morning that it may choose to stop offering individual coverage after 2016, and will "pull back on its marketing efforts" immediately in this market. If the losses continue and United pulls out of next year's exchanges, it will set up a very bad moment for ObamaCare -- and for Democrats just weeks before the election:

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today reported revised expectations for 2015, reflecting a continuing deterioration in individual exchange-compliant product performance, and provided an initial outlook for 2016.

"In recent weeks, growth expectations for individual exchange participation have tempered industrywide, co-operatives have failed, and market data has signaled higher risks and more difficulties while our own claims experience has deteriorated, so we are taking this proactive step," said Stephen J. Hemsley, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group. "We continue to be pleased with the growth and overall performance of our Company outside of the individual exchange products and look forward to strong, positive and broad based earnings growth across our enterprise in 2016." ...

UnitedHealthcare has pulled back on its marketing efforts for individual exchange products in 2016. The Company is evaluating the viability of the insurance exchange product segment and will determine during the first half of 2016 to what extent it can continue to serve the public exchange markets in 2017.

Don't kid yourselves. If United is going to "pull back" on marketing efforts for 2016, it's because they don't see themselves being in the market in 2017. Just by announcing it, United has set up the expectation of withdrawal for investors, who do not want to have good money chasing after bad.

(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: aca; healthcare
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1 posted on 11/19/2015 11:38:36 AM PST by markomalley
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To: markomalley
If the losses continue and United pulls out of next year's exchanges, it will set up a very bad moment for ObamaCare -- and for Democrats just weeks before the election:

No, it will set up exactly what ObamaCare was designed to do -- kill private health care insurance, allowing the Democrats to start pushing Medicare-style single payer for all. ("We tried to make private insurance work, but the private sector just isn't up to the task. Now we need government-administered single payer.")

2 posted on 11/19/2015 11:41:54 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: markomalley

My local hospital and clinic just went bankrupt. It took over 3 weeks for me to find a new doctor. The 1st question they asked was if I was on Obamacare. They would not accept a new patient on Obamacare because of the paperwork and lack of remuneration.


3 posted on 11/19/2015 11:43:58 AM PST by 2nd Amendment (Proud member of the 48% . . giver not a taker)
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To: markomalley

4 posted on 11/19/2015 11:44:33 AM PST by relictele (Principiis obsta & Finem respice - Resist The Beginnings & Consider The Ends)
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To: 2nd Amendment
My local hospital and clinic just went bankrupt. It took over 3 weeks for me to find a new doctor. The 1st question they asked was if I was on Obamacare. They would not accept a new patient on Obamacare because of the paperwork and lack of remuneration.

As much as I despise Obamacare, isn't what these doctors doing illegal under the current law?

5 posted on 11/19/2015 11:45:33 AM PST by CatOwner
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To: CatOwner

As much as I despise Obamacare, isn’t what these doctors doing [not accepting Obamacare] illegal under the current law?

*******************************

Nope.

Doctors, Hospitals Say ‘No’ to Obamacare Plans
Patients continue to learn that coverage is different from access.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/04/doctors-hospitals-wont-accept-obamacare-marketplace-plans


6 posted on 11/19/2015 11:52:27 AM PST by Qiviut
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To: CatOwner

Legality of the matter be damned. The whole CONCEPT of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010” is seriously flawed when it comes to legality.

This may be a good test case to provide standing in the courts to challenge Obamacare once again, on the basis it is inequitable and discriminatory in its application, as the legislation as written never comes close to its stated objectives.

Are you better off, or worse off, than you were in January 2009?


7 posted on 11/19/2015 11:53:31 AM PST by alloysteel (Do not argue with trolls. That means they win.)
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To: Yo-Yo

“No, it will set up exactly what ObamaCare was designed to do — kill private health care insurance, allowing the Democrats to start pushing Medicare-style single payer for all”


That may have been the plan, but I think time has run out for the Democrats. Things in this nation and around the world are spinning out of control.

The people have been demanding that Obamacare be killed, not expanded. So the Democrats will have no popular support.

Add to that, I believe we are in for a Tsunami of epic proportions in the next Presidential election. It is my opinion Republican candidates lost in the last two Presidential elections was because they were suppose to lose.

The GOPe want the same thing as the Democrat liberals want and the only way to get it would be to have a black Democrat President that could claim any opposition is based on race. Donald Trump has changed that.

Also I expect the terror attacks to going to continue and it is only going to get harder for the elite to keep it covered up.

We have reached or will soon reach a tipping point where the majority American citizens will say enough is enough and begin to go after both parties as well as their supporters in the media.

We live in interesting times.

At least that is my two cents worth.


8 posted on 11/19/2015 11:54:05 AM PST by CIB-173RDABN (Nothing to add at the moment)
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To: CatOwner

The best doc in the region just went ‘off the grid’ here.

If he doesn’t accept ANY insurance then no zippycare regs apply.


9 posted on 11/19/2015 11:55:01 AM PST by snuffy smiff (Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.)
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To: markomalley
Just a reminder...

When most Republicans voted to pass the Budget about 10 months ago, they agreed to a two year extension on bailing out any health insurance company that lost money on ObamaCare policies.

Just three months before that Congressional vote, during the 2014 election campaign, the same Republicans were telling their constituents that a Republican Congress would REPEAL ObamaCare!

Oh, and United Healthcare is bailing out of O-Care one year BEFORE the subsidies stop!

10 posted on 11/19/2015 12:01:28 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: Qiviut; CatOwner

Patients continue to learn that PAYING for HEALTHCARE is not the same as GETTING any HEALTHCARE.


11 posted on 11/19/2015 12:02:43 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: markomalley

CEO Stephen Hemsley 2014 compensation OVER $66 million 2014 AND over $122million 2010


12 posted on 11/19/2015 12:05:17 PM PST by Cyman
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To: 2nd Amendment
isn't what these doctors doing illegal under the current law?

Blame John Roberts and your Republican elected representatives. Not your doctors.

13 posted on 11/19/2015 12:08:25 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: ladyjane

Perhaps John Roberts was just opting to keep his hands clean knowing all the wheels would come off eventually.

That’s one theory anyhow.


14 posted on 11/19/2015 12:21:21 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: markomalley

tsk, tsk - I guess we’re going to need a single payer - government - system - Obama will be devastated.....


15 posted on 11/19/2015 12:57:08 PM PST by Intolerant in NJ
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To: Yo-Yo

Yup.


16 posted on 11/19/2015 12:57:40 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: markomalley
Here's the thing.... If these guys tell me they are losing money right now I'm just gonna call them liars. (in the interest of full disclosure I have an individual plan with united healthcare)

They're just sending out talking points so they can raise rates even more....

17 posted on 11/19/2015 12:59:51 PM PST by kjam22
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To: markomalley

all is proceeding according to plan.


18 posted on 11/19/2015 1:03:17 PM PST by Rio (Proud resident of the State of Jefferson)
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To: ladyjane

I don’t blame my doctors. Many general practice doctors are leaving the field because of the frustrations of the federal gov’t. Obamacare has been a disaster. Although I am fortunate to work for a good company with health care, deductibles and co-payments have skyrocketed. This whole bill has been a disaster and if screwed up Americans elect another democrat we can expect it to get much worse!


19 posted on 11/19/2015 1:04:11 PM PST by 2nd Amendment (Proud member of the 48% . . giver not a taker)
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To: zeestephen
Actually, here is what happened - Repubs are being "blamed" for exchanges failing ... I would suggest reading the whole article at the link - very informative:

Crocodile Tears Over The Failing Obamacare Co-Ops--The Canaries In The Obamacare Coal Mine

The biggest complaint seems to be that those mean Republicans forced these co-ops out of business because of a provision they included in the last budget. That provision capped what could be spent on the Obamacare risk corridor reinsurance provision for health plans losing money at the level of what was paid into the program by health plans making money. In other words, the Congress reminded the co-ops and the administration of something that was assumed all along - that the risk corridor provision had to be revenue neutral.

The specific complaint is that because of this Republican budget cap health plans got only 12.6% of what they asked for and expected to get under the risk corridor reinsurance program.

If you would like specific info as to why Obamacare is collapsing & United is bailing, here it is (more excellent info/reading):

UnitedHealth Group Losing Big Money and Threatening to Leave the Obamacare Exchanges--Because the Obamacare Insurance Business Model Does Not Work

20 posted on 11/19/2015 1:39:25 PM PST by Qiviut
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