Posted on 06/27/2017 8:03:19 AM PDT by johnk
Anthem, one of the largest health insurers in the country, endorsed the Senate healthcare bill, saying that it will stabilize the individual insurance market and lower premiums.
Anthem declared that the Senate bill “will markedly improve the stability of the individual market and moderate premium increases.” Anthem credits the bill’s $100 billion stabilization fund, eliminating a tax on health insurance plans, and the bill’s work toward “aligning premium subsidies with premium costs.”
Anthem also criticized the bill’s changes to Medicaid. It added that “the challenges the current bill proposes to the Medicaid program knowing how important it is to achieve the necessary funding and access to health-care services and supports are for the individuals and families who rely on them to live healthy meaningful lives in their communities.”
The statement did not comment on the Senate bill’s repeal of Obamacare’s individual mandate. The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) repeals Obamacare’s individual and employer mandate.
Many insurers have cited the individual mandate to purchase health insurance as a stabilizing force for the individual health insurance market. Senate Republicans reportedly seek to add a provision that will encourage Americans to maintain health insurance coverage or face a six-month waiting period to sign up outside of the regular enrollment period.
Pundits believe that Anthem’s statement would serve as a significant endorsement or criticism of the Senate health care bill, as Anthem announced recently it would withdraw from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio’s Obamacare marketplaces.
President Donald Trump recently tweeted that he remains very supportive of the Senate the healthcare bill.
I am very supportive of the Senate #HealthcareBill. Look forward to making it really special! Remember, ObamaCare is dead.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Rand Paul says that this is not the repeal we all are waiting for.
> I hope Rand Paul is just confused on this one.
I’m torn. I’m for this because doing nothing would likely be disaster for individuals as Obamacare collapses. And this seems like the only “something” possible.
But I think the Rs are buying into the D definition of “the proper role of government” by passing this. And that’s a long-term disaster both in health insurance and other areas.
IOW
Is it good NOW? — yes
Is it a good idea? — no
I think Rand Paul is more concerned about the 2nd question and I understand that.
I certainly wouldnt belive anything the shysters at Anthem say.
50 Billion Dollars in guaranteed payouts to insuerers is not healthcare. It is another obamacare insurer bailout. Who on earth would support another obamacare bailout?
Phases are perfect. Phase one should not be cash for big insurance. Sheer lunacy.
Government programs are not markets.
I can only hope that in this matter Trump is least consulting with Rand Paul. I know he met with him earlier.
I heard this idea about the current republican health care plan being considered.
Maybe it’s just a rouse, maybe POTUS Trump is just playing them all again, until he can finally get the repeal that he wants.
In the meantime try to ruin Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. Set them up for failure.
Who knows. It is hard for me to believe that POTUS Trump would accept anything but a complete repeal.
What? During his campaign he said everybody has to be covered right on 60 minutes. Everybody’s going to be taken care of. I think this 50 billion dollars directly to insurers is right in line with those statements.
Let me give everyone here the hard facts:
We are going to get single payer. The question is a matter of when and how they fake us out to get there.
I am old enough that I may be gone by the time the complete destruction of health care in this country is accomplished. How’s that for a positive? Jeez.
"Anthem credits the bill’s $100 billion stabilization fund..."
All this new scheme does is transfer our tax money to insurance companies - to isolate them from losses that they would otherwise face in a free market.
Now is the time to put the pressure on the RINOs in Washington to do what they all said they would do for years - repeal Obamacare. Funny how they voted dozens of times to do that when Obama was president and they knew he would veto the bill, or the senate would sit on it. Now that the repeal could pass they won't even vote on it. That tells you everything you need to know about the Republicans in the house and the senate.
If they are too cowardly to repeal the whole scheme they can just remove the worst parts, like the requirement to buy insurance, and the taxes related to not having insurance. As a voluntary scheme nobody cares about it, and it will fail on its own.
The Unaffordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare) needs to be repealed. I’d propose a simple plan: Health saving account that is tax free up to 150,000 a year. If you don’t need that $$, you can roll it over. Tax credits for employers to start health benefits (if you are a roofing company and you decided to start a plan for the 10 people employed and you decided to put 200,000 in the account [20,000 each] you can deduct it from your taxes.) Third item: The Government needs to stay away from insurance!
Obamacare is already a disaster. When you are paying $1800 per month for insurance with a $10,000 deductible ($20,000 out of network) I'd call that a disaster. Of course the subsidized policies are worse - they have no limit, but don't cover you outside of your local medical providers. So if you a really sick and you need serious specialty care you have no insurance at all. Even today the media repeats endless stories of how little Johnny with the rare disease is dependent on Obamacare, without telling the public that little Johnny probably doesn't have any coverage under Obamacare at all, since the research hospital that can save him isn't in the provider group for the plans offered under Obamacare.
If the whole mess collapses the system that replaces it will be better.
If it helps Anthem, I’m against it.
“Private” health insurance companies function only to obscure what actually is happening.
Bump.....
We just got a letter from Regence. They won’t be offering individual policies anymore. Not sure why - we pay $1,600 a month with a $10,000 deductible, it’s not like they are losing money on us.
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