Posted on 07/30/2017 10:00:48 PM PDT by be-baw
President Trump is spoiling for war against the health insurance industry, and his administration made two threats over the weekend that insurers say would wreck the markets:
On Twitter, the President threatened to end so-called "bailouts" for health insurance companies — referring to payments the government makes to insurers so they can make insurance less costly for low-income people (as they're required to do).
Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price suggested on ABC's "This Week" that he might make more people exempt from the requirement to buy health insurance. Insurers say this could make premiums even costlier.
Why this matters: It may sound like good politics for a populist Republican president to end "bailouts" for big bad insurance companies, but the potential consequences are alarming. If Trump follows through on his Twitter-threat, insurers would dramatically raise prices – shredding the final layers of duct tape holding together the ACA insurance markets.
Most health insurers, and their main trade group AHIP, have been super cautious so far, doing whatever they can to avoid fights with the White House. But if Trump follows through on his hot rhetoric — he described the payments to insurers as "ransom money" — they'll be forced to defend themselves. And it could get ugly.
While some administration officials (cough, Steve Bannon) believe it's smart politics, as a rule, for Trump to stick it to Big Business, others are nervous about what the insurers might do to retaliate. Kellyanne Conway said on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump will decide this week whether to cut off the payments.
For example: as soon as next month, insurers could easily raise their rates again for next year and blame it on Trump's threat to take away the subsidies. (That would hit a lot of Trump voters in red states.)
Trump argues the ACA is already imploding, so the administration might as well let it happen rather than prop up a failing system. But Price is more cautious, and the administration as a whole hasn't decided what to do about the ACA markets.
What's next: Now that the left has defeated the Republicans on repeal-and-replace, the progressive resistance is channeling its energies into protesting any Trump administration actions to "sabotage" the ACA.
Progressive activist Jesse Ferguson, a Hillary alum, emails me: "It's expected that the side who loses a legislative fight is the one who mobilizes in response. What's remarkable is that the reverse is happening. In the 48 hours since progressives won the repeal vote, there were more than 170 rallies and events all over the country to fight back against repeal and sabotage." Watch for a five week long, 18-state bus tour — funded by groups like Planned Parenthood and AFSCME — to hammer vulnerable Republicans who voted to repeal-and-replace the ACA.
Two bloated groups that should have their own bailouts cut at the roots.
All insurance companies should have to cover 100% of their risk liability in precious metals. The government should NEVER subsidize/bailout insurance companies or policy holders.
Agree. We need to face reality that about 40% will not qualify for an individual plan or will have a preexisting condition excluded or pay 150% more, etc. I can state back in 1980 after a person had been cancer free for 5 years I could insure then at a 50% premium increase. After 10 standard. I found a Medicare supplement in 1985 or 86 for my father, who had cancer, that covered cancer plus preexisting conditions after 90 days. That was a great plan that paid like 250% of Medicare allowable in most areas, etc. It cost about $600 then.
He can’t rescind Congress’ exemption, it’s baked into the bill, not an exemtion issued by executive order.
It’s not just ins companies but PIG PHARMA too. And their paying docs to push their latest crap drugs.
When older cheaper ones have proven to work, have less side effects for most of them.
I’ve got a full typed sheet of these new drugs that I react badly to.
Hubby was on Provachal which is now a generic, for his cholesterol worked well, but not fast enough for his primary who was a cholesterol control freak, put him on a double dose of Crestor, 80 mg, 40 mg is max. He was jerking like some one took a cattle prod to him and having leg, arm muscle cramps multiple times a day/night, the kind that bring you awake screaming in pain. He’s back on Provachal and Whelcol which makes his hands shake and effects short term memory, well give up some of that candy and carps you stuff down on a daily basis and your Tris will go down. Drink more water. Then you can have your 1 beer for supper, and the 1 small Scotch/Water before bedtime to help ease the aches and pains of being 77.
I would rather we go to a full free market and make these payments to those impacted by the manipulation of health care insurance for the last 30 years directly to pay for their health care that would phase out with their death.
By exposing future generations to paying their true cost of decisions we would all be a healthier society and we wouldn’t have the mess we have today.
This is fake news.
Trump does not want to declare war on the insurance companies and in fact is trying to free them and us from Obamacare.
Not saying there won’t be some friendly fire when trying to kill the beast though.
Trump should tell the insurance companies to back-off or he’ll support single payer. The thought of spending the rest of their lives working the drive thru at Burger King should help to get their minds right.
Insurance is about a cost for a risk and how to cover that cost.
But one elephant in the room is NOT about basic risk but the constantly rising cost, not of “insurance” but healthcare itself. It is healthcare and its often outrageous cost that is the main driver on health insurance costs.
The second elephant in the room is government mandates that dictate that “insurance” for various healthcare needs MUST be part of a policy. THAT increases RISKS that such needs will be obtained and have to be covered - adding to ALL premiums cost.
“Insurance”, other than for major catastrophic healthcare services is actually the wrong way to have healthcare services paid for. ALL it has been doing is to “insure” the healthcare providers will get their money, no matter what it is, without a squawk.
What is needed is for a big % of premiums to go into a health savings account, from which, the consumer, bargaining with the healthcare provider, pays directly for most services. Should a catastrophe happen, their premium has been “insuring” some coverage for its costs.
The healthcare industry will be faced with consumers directly, not the “insurance” industry for payment for most things. That will also greatly reduce their administrative costs of adjudicating “coverage” against many different insurers rules.
The main thing is to get the consumer acting as they should be able to, as a direct market force on what healthcare providers can get away with.
We would see a breakdown of the health care industry AWAY from “the hospital” being as central as it is and tons more specialized providers actually competing to get those consumer dollars UNCOMPLICATED by “insurance”.
The amount of money involved.....they would figure out a way for him to have an accident.
First of all, the word is "they're," as in "they are..."
Second, what do you know about "crap drugs?" Are you a doctor, pharmacist, or a scientist that develops them? Are you medically trained, or do you understand anything about pharmakinetics or pharmacology?
All drugs have side effects, some may affect person more than others. It's the balance and trade-off we make in order to treat diseases. If your husband was being treated by his doctor and that doctor decided to choose another treatment option, that's a positive. It means that the doctor isn't complacent, and is willing to try newer, often more advanced options. Sometimes these are more efficacious, sometimes they have better side effect profiles. Those profiles are developed from statistically-significant populations. If your husband reacted, that's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean the drugs are "crap."
Pharmaceutical companies make medicines because there's a need. Could people improve their health through exercise and diet? Yes, they could, but even the most healthy people get sick. Sometimes, older medicines can work just fine, but just remember, all generics were a brand name at one time.
That is what we had in 1980 with Mutual of Omaha’s One Million Dollar Major Medical. You picked the deductible from $100- $2500. The plan paid 80% after your deducible to 5K. After 5K it paid 100% of Dr.’s and in Hospital. Back then office visits were $15 and pills were cheap.
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