Assurant Health Access? Fixed Bene Frenzy?

[Yagents]

If mandate stays, Health Access is illegal, and won't be creditable to avoid the small but growing penalty.

If mandate withdrawn:
1. The state exchanges will only have metal plans.
2. The outside private health exchanges will have metal plans AND limited benefit plans. Why? if not mandated to buy creditable coverage or any coverage, the consumer will seek solutions like Health Access.

It's not so much the E&O, as it is getting that dreaded phone call that my client going to die and be poor because of the shotty policy I put them in. I choose not to sell it. I also choose not to sell LTC since the market is blowing up.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I just ran a quote for my family (m45, f50, m10) for Health Access. It's $411 for the mid level plan and to say it's limited is the understatement of the century.

I can get a major medical plan through other carriers in my state for the same/less. What's the point.

 

[AllGold]

What license do you need to sell it? Just because it isn't major med doesn't mean it isn't accident and health.

Taxation and the presence of a death benefit are going to be some big clues on if it is life or health. Most of Aflac's policies are or at least use to be health based.

Yes, you definitely need a health license for a lot of that stuff although not all of it. Maybe I'm overstating the prevalence of life chasis-based policies. But my point about it not falling under the PPACA definition of health insurance still stands.

The carriers know what they are doing. In fact, Health Access disappeared for several months after reform passed while Assurant reworked it to steer clear of the new laws.

 

[Yagents]

If I recall, a bunch of Assurant plans got waivers, and think this plan fell under that waiver. http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Issuer_01062012.pdf

Nice to be on the same list as Mega

 

[nateneu]

Interesting article on Assurant hedging their bet on Health Access at jsonline .com

 

[somarco]

It is simply unsustainable to have universal GI but no mandate or even enrollment restrictions.

And yet, a few states already have that situation . . .

Limited benefit plans, including Assurant's, are generally built on a life chasis.

Really?

And you believe this based on what?

Which limited benefit plans or mini-meds are actual health insurance?

Uh, all of them.

Just because a policy pays for doctors visits or hospital admittance or says it is a health plan does not mean it really is health insurance. It is still a life chasis.

Health insurance must be PPACA compliant or it's not health insurance

Then by your definition, disability plans, which were one time referred to as accident and sickness plans, are not health insurance either.

I believe you need a refresher course in insurance 101.

 

[HealthGuy]

Hey, this thread is great, but here are my points, and I realize I might be going off the reservation:
1. John, $411 per month is gonna look like a bargain compared to GI exchange plans.
2. We may be surprised what people consider buying (limited benefits better than nothing) when faced with the specter that they can't afford to buy health insurance once the exchange plans are like $3,000 for a family per month.
3. Humana's CI policies, to my knowledge are health based as is Assurant's new cancer, heart attack, and stroke policy, and Health Access.
4. Aflac sells lots of policies that are mini meds that have nothing to do with life insurance. Probably about 80% of their core block of business if I had to guess.

 

[somarco]

Chad, you are over-thinking this as well as getting confused by misinformation like when is health insurance not health insurance?

When it is life insurance . . .

In less than 24 hours we will have a better view of what health insurance products are and are not allowed going forward . . . at least until the fall elections.

 

[HealthGuy]

You are right Bob, tomorrow much will be settled at least until November...But the most confusing thing is this, and you are right: Many of the mini med and indemnity health plans being developed are not life based, I know this for a fact...Why would the big companies develop and market this stuff if they didnt think there was going to be a market for it? I tell you, ultimately, they and we (I believe) will be in business selling something because the government isn't gonna pay for everything and if its too expensive we are gonna gap the coverage with first dollar benefits people will buy instead of going without (because they won't be able to afford expensive exchange plans)...I'm not going anywhere and I'm gonna sell to whatever market emerges and I think it might just be mini meds. People will buy SOMETHING instead of going without NOTHING until they need an exhange plan. Who cares if a mini med doesnt cover a major incident, they will still buy it to lessen the blow of something happening until they can get enrolled into Obama plan X.
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Heres another thought...What if the entire bill goes through...Maybe agents will be selling short term health plans left and right to those who may "someday" enroll in an unaffordable exchange plan...think about it...Another unintended consequence? The commies in Washington aren't gonna get rid of us, Health Agents are like cockroaches, you try to kill one, another one is just gonna come through the smallest crack and sell into whatever market is left. Sorry AL3 your boy Obama may be the best thing that ever happened to health insurance sales !

 

[Yagents]

With PCIP available today, by selling the client a limited benefit plan, you are disqualifying them from applying for PCIP in the near future, as an LB plan is considered insurance in their minds. Plus, typically these prospects are coming off a group/cobra plan, and they can leverage the 63 grace period to get a HIPAA plan, and reduce the wait to 4-5 months for PCIP.