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Top insurer warns that Obamacare enrollment mix worse than expected [Humana, Medicare Advantage]
Washington Examiner ^ | January 10, 2014 | Philip Klein

Posted on 01/10/2014 11:34:48 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Humana Inc., the nation's fourth-largest health insurer by market share, warned Thursday that the risk pool of applicants for insurance through President Obama's health care law would be worse than previously expected.

Ever since the botched rollout of the health care law's exchanges in October, the policy community has been eager to know more about the mix of individuals signing up for insurance through the law.

Because the law forces insurers to cover those with pre-existing conditions, insurers need to attract a critical mass of young and healthy individuals with lower medical costs into the exchanges to offset the cost. But the Obama administration has yet to release demographic data on those who have picked a plan through the exchanges.

But in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Humana disclosed to investors, "as a result of the December 2013 federal and state regulatory changes allowing certain individuals to remain in their previously existing off-exchange health plans, the Company now expects the risk mix of members enrolling through the health insurance exchanges to be more adverse than previously expected."

The regulatory change Humana is referring to is the "administrative fix" announced by the Obama administration aimed at allowing individuals to remain enrolled in their current plans, which had been cancelled as a result of requirements imposed by the law. Obama announced the "fix" after a storm of criticism over his broken promise that anybody who liked their plan could keep it. Insurers had been depending on those with cancelled plans (who tend to be healthier) to end up obtaining insurance through exchanges.

Humana said that the company was "evaluating" the financial effects of the changes, but at this time, did not adjust their earnings forecast for 2014.

In the same filing, Humana said cuts to Medicare Advantage payments to private insurers made by the health care law would be steeper than expected, triggering changes to benefits.

"The Company expects to continue its standard process of seeking alternatives to minimize the disruption to Medicare beneficiaries this level of rate decline may cause," the filing read. "Such alternatives include clinical management programs, operating cost efficiencies, benefit changes, market exits and other operating strategies. In the interim, the Company also expects to continue its efforts to educate CMS, the Administration and Congress on the adverse impact such rate pressures have upon Medicare beneficiaries."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; aca; deathpanels; fl; fla; florida; healthcare; humana; medicare; obamacare; unexpected; zerocare
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To: zeestephen

A friend had a 6 month checkup after a skin cancer procedure that went well. The hospital is 45 miles away, the weather was frigid and the patient is 88. She called to reschedule and they tried to make her appointment another 3 months out. Since she has a new skin cancer concern she wants checked out, she demanded an earlier appointment. She finally got one for 1 month out.

She sees a huge turnover in Dermatologists at this hospital, as well. A new specialist every appointment.


61 posted on 01/11/2014 6:29:59 AM PST by reformedliberal
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To: pepsionice

Here’s where I’m at. Insurance became unaffordable for me about 4 years ago when I was paying $300 a month for myself and my wife. $900 a month is impossible. My mortgage is $1250 wth!. The whole thing is just stupid.

I have done nothing whatever with respect to Obamacare. I guess they will put me in jail eventually.

FUBO


62 posted on 01/11/2014 7:12:31 AM PST by ecomcon
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To: pepsionice; Liz
"Go back and look at the Roosevelt era of the 1930s and all the mistakes he made. Things look awful familiar."

To back up your statement re FDR, below is a political cartoon from the 1930's addressing the socialism that was rampant under FDR, his congress and $upremes. I put this cartoon on my home page shortly after Herr Obozo was elected or scammed in as POTUS.


63 posted on 01/11/2014 7:40:58 AM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare is a Trinity of Lies! Obamaganda is failing 24/7/365! Obamaganda will fail 24/7/365!)
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To: pepsionice

Said brilliantly! !


64 posted on 01/11/2014 7:42:06 AM PST by conservcalgal (Dear Lord, please bless our nation and those who have stepped up to serve our nation with honor.....)
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To: zeestephen

My doctor has been doing that all along. I take 3 meds that are low grade meds but one is a pain killer. Every year before he will renew the scrip I have to go in and we have a ‘conversation’. I would be totally surprised if most doctors don’t do that without being ordered to.


65 posted on 01/11/2014 7:42:21 AM PST by sheana
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To: okie01

“More likely, what the geniuses at Humana, et al understood was an implicit threat: If you guys don’t go along with this scheme, we will destroy you.”

Then, Holder showed them what was in their NSA, FBI, IRS files.


66 posted on 01/11/2014 7:42:52 AM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare is a Trinity of Lies! Obamaganda is failing 24/7/365! Obamaganda will fail 24/7/365!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Obama’s fault.


67 posted on 01/11/2014 7:43:43 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Liz

Liz, you are just a racist evil tea party Republican for saving the words/statements of Herr Obozo and his fellow fascists on their Unaffordable Health Care criminal act.


68 posted on 01/11/2014 7:46:33 AM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare is a Trinity of Lies! Obamaganda is failing 24/7/365! Obamaganda will fail 24/7/365!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
  1. Under the new model, our hospitals have committed to achieving significant quality improvements, including reductions in readmission rates and hospital-acquired-conditions rates.

    They'll die the first time they come in.

  2. We will limit the growth in hospital spending per capita, including inpatient and outpatient care, to the rate of growth in the state's economy.

    We'll make demographic magic.

  3. We will also control annual Medicare per capita hospital spending growth to a rate lower than the national annual per capita growth rate.

    See 1. See tag line.


69 posted on 01/11/2014 7:47:16 AM PST by Carry_Okie (0-Care IS Medicaid; they'll pull a sheet over your head and take your home to pay for it.)
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To: VerySadAmerican

I don’t see the U.S. surviving through 2015. Good job Brownie.


70 posted on 01/11/2014 8:13:14 AM PST by Old Yeller
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Where were the insurance companies when Obama was selling the country on this mess?


71 posted on 01/11/2014 8:14:39 AM PST by DungeonMaster
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To: Grampa Dave

I love that cartoon! Says it all. Nothing has changed since the 1930’s.

“Young pinkies from Columbia and Harvard”, and Harold Ickes also there. His son became the deputy chief of staff under Bill Clinton.

Same old socialism.


72 posted on 01/11/2014 8:17:09 AM PST by Deo volente (God willing, America shall survive this Obamanation.)
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To: pepsionice

We already ARE paying $900/m for insurance with a $12,500 deductible.

Right now.


73 posted on 01/11/2014 8:17:37 AM PST by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes
I am not employed by this company, but I did just purchase a policy because I am healthy, I take care of my health choices, and I believe in Liberty. It is allowed under the Horrible Care Act and is reasonably priced with a $500 deductible.

You might want to look into this.

http://www.libertyhealthshare.org/

74 posted on 01/11/2014 8:36:56 AM PST by Mountain Bike Vomit Carnage (A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.)
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To: cynwoody
It seems to me the best strategy for the 2016 candidate is scathing humor, backed by unassailable facts. Unmercifully mock this gigantic, bloated, ridiculously burdensome and illogical federal government. Get some great writers to help you do it. Full-scale, hilarious, all-out withering attack, and don't let up until at least three quarters of the American people are behind you.
75 posted on 01/11/2014 8:43:20 AM PST by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: DungeonMaster

“Where were the insurance companies when Obama was selling the country on this mess?”

Funding the fight to pass the law; they thought it would simply guarantee them millions of new (often involuntary) customers. At that point the government was supposed to buy them out.


76 posted on 01/11/2014 8:51:51 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
ONWARD! To the GLORIOUS TRIUMPH of the WORLDWIDE PROLETARIAT!


77 posted on 01/11/2014 9:05:36 AM PST by Lazamataz (Early 2009 to 7/21/2013 - RIP my little girl Cathy. You were the best cat ever. You will be missed.)
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To: Deo volente

“I love that cartoon! Says it all. Nothing has changed since the 1930’s.

“Young pinkies from Columbia and Harvard”, and Harold Ickes also there. His son became the deputy chief of staff under Bill Clinton.

Same old socialism.”

My granddad and his two brothers were male role models for me re men besides my Dad.

The three of them hated FDR, his Congress, his Supremes and the democrats.

They hated Progressives, who were the front line soldiers for the Democrats.

They died in the mid 1950’s, and before FR and Fox News, they were fully aware of the treason of the rats and progressives during their lifetime.

I never really understood that hatred until I was in my 40’s to 50’s, and I started reading about the Progressives from pre WWI to WWII and FDR’s takeover of America.

As you noted that cartoon shows that there has been little change since the 1930’s re the democrats when they are in control.


78 posted on 01/11/2014 9:58:16 AM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare is a Trinity of Lies! Obamaganda is failing 24/7/365! Obamaganda will fail 24/7/365!)
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To: reformedliberal

Our 20 year+ dermo is retiring. He’s not putting up with this 0 cr@pola.


79 posted on 01/11/2014 10:06:26 AM PST by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: kearnyirish2
(Ins Co's were...) Funding the fight to pass the law; they thought it would simply guarantee them millions of new (often involuntary) customers. At that point the government was supposed to buy them out.

I originally thought that, too. Now, I wonder if they were in it, to begin it, knowing that - ultimately - they'd not only receive a bail-out, but be included (benefactors) in the *fundamental transformation* of our healthcare system to single payer.

80 posted on 01/11/2014 10:09:55 AM PST by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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