What's Your Best Guess on Health Care Reform?

[insurehound]

Our family agency has a large book of business with both Individual and Group Health clients. Obama and Pelosi are making me nervous as I see and hear all of the ideas that are being presented which ultimately can hurt all of us with Health business. Now July is the big month for "change"?

In addition, I do not trust the insurance companies at all. In my opinion, they will sell us out in a second and climb on board with the government gravy train.

What is your opinion on what will happen with Individual & Group Health Insurance and will the agent still be in the picture?

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Any predictions at this point are pure conjecture.

Here's a good business philosophy I learned many years ago: hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

 

[Insuranti.com/south]

No loyalty whatsoever. Has anyone had a conversation with their carriers about their contingency plans? I know they don't plan on withering away.

 

[Winter_123]

Our family agency has a large book of business with both Individual and Group Health clients. Obama and Pelosi are making me nervous as I see and hear all of the ideas that are being presented which ultimately can hurt all of us with Health business. Now July is the big month for "change"?

In addition, I do not trust the insurance companies at all. In my opinion, they will sell us out in a second and climb on board with the government gravy train.

What is your opinion on what will happen with Individual & Group Health Insurance and will the agent still be in the picture?

Everything gets pushed out in the public sector, and in the corporate sector too now that I think about it. Obama and Pelosi havent even begun to think this thing through other than at the 100,000 foot level where they operate. As we have seen already Obama operates by saying "I have asked Congress to present me a bill that does X,YZ." In other words he is going to get all the drones to run stuff up the flag pole and see what flies and what doesnt and also see if he can get some ideas because he doesnt have any.

Although change is coming, my expectations are that the most we can hope for is to be able to get some idea of what the basic principles might be such as mandate and GI by Christmastime. Even then you dont know what is simply what Obama wants versus what he can get. Dont assume that Congress is totally in a freebie mood. They have to run for re-election at midterm but Tunklehead does not and the effects of all the porkulus and tea party fallout will be upon them. They are already feeling it bigtime but not as much as they are going to. Meanwhile Obama is just holding his chin up and radiating bliss out into the atmosphere. That gig will end the minute we get into something gritty like healthcare as he is also finding out with the wars.

You are looking at a year from July at best for any full legislation to be passed. And all along the way both dems and republicans will try to head it off by offering piecemeal solutions such as leaving the system in tact but offering tax credits, creating guaranteed issue but letting carriers draw from a national risk pool for certain conditions, giving states block grants to implement whatever program they want as long as it results in full coverage and on and on.

Congress couldnt even agree upon the seating arrangement at the table by July, particularly on the program of the century that has only been talked about at the inter-galactic level rather than down at the cost level.

Even though the dems have the votes, Tunklehead will start talking about putting together "a bipartisan working commitee." When you hear that you know that he is treading water trying to find a program. He already has the votes he needs. If he had a plan he would just move to implement it. Problem is, he doesnt have one. Mandate and GI and cutting costs and elimanating carriers are just guiding principles. They are not a program. You cant just be the part of "no" that says no to insurance costs and health care costs. Where is the plan?

Methinks anyway.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

Although change is coming, my expectations are that the most we can hope for is to be able to get some idea of what the basic principles might be such as mandate and GI by Christmastime.

I agree with GI, and reduced agent commissions - but the mandate to me is a pipe dream that is NOT happening.

You are looking at a year from July at best for any full legislation to be passed. And all along the way both dems and republicans will try to head it off by offering piecemeal solutions such as leaving the system in tact but offering tax credits, creating guaranteed issue but letting carriers draw from a national risk pool for certain conditions, giving states block grants to implement whatever program they want as long as it results in full coverage and on and on.

I wish. I expect this to be no later than the October budget, maybe sooner. A year from July? I would love to hear how you can up with that - I can only hope you are correct, I am of the opinion it will be much much sooner than that.

 

[Winter_123]

I agree with GI, and reduced agent commissions - but the mandate to me is a pipe dream that is NOT happening.



I wish. I expect this to be no later than the October budget, maybe sooner. A year from July? I would love to hear how you can up with that - I can only hope you are correct, I am of the opinion it will be much much sooner than that.

He already has the money in his budget. The 867 billion down payment or whatever has already been approved.

This July will start the discussion because that is when Pelosi wants proposed legislation. Most likely even that will get pushed out two or three months. No one has even the rough outline of a plan put together at the federal level. Friggin july is just a couple months away and Pelosi and Sebelius are talking about proposing at least one single payer government option along with the other variations. They havent even started and it will take a year at best to get the legislation straightened out and then longer when you calculate in the fact that you have to give notice to the carriers as to what to design and implement for plans and rules or even if you eliminate carriers. This thing cant be implemented by flipping a switch. And even though you and I might agree that mandate is not going to happen that doesnt mean that there will not be a very subtantial go-around on that issue for months as one of many issues.

If they back off from some goals or implement it piecemeal there could be some aspects that are carved out and approved faster. Example, Congress could pass legislature allowing for the interstate sale of insurance, requiring carriers to make plans guaranteed issue, providing tax credits, etc. So you might see some pieces shake out along the way but that is still a long, long way from a new system implemented and on the ground such that the old system is de-activated.

Obama has no real experience in introduding legislation or any type of business experience whatsoever. His strength is in announcing "intitiatves" that will change the world and then letting someone else figure out how they will work. So he will come out and announce some bold stuff to keep everyone feeling like it is going to happen next month. It will drag on and then he will come out and say something zippy again and so on.

If you calculate the time between now and when the hot air begins that is one timeframe. If you calculate the time between now and when a patient/client is actually enrolled in a new "reformed" plan then that is a much different timeframe. I think lots of folks have sort of held off from seeing the handwriting on the wall so the next three months are going to feel like a freight train coming at them full speed because reality is going to set in so fast when they see that we are past the point of no return. So that aspect will seem very, very fast for some. But the design and the implementation of the reformed delivery system will take quite some time.

How is Obama coming along on that firm campaign pledge to start withdrawing all troops from Iraq on day one His day one for health care reform might get adjusted along the way a little too. On the other hand, it is coming. I dont use those points to create denial about the overall picture, only that Washington speed will always be Washington speed.

Methinks.

 

[insurehound]

Whether it's now or later, you can see where this is heading:

1.) A Democratic Congress that will do whatever it takes to gain more power over the people by controlling their health care.
2.) A weak Republican party that will not fight hard enough to keep private insurance.
3.) Insurance companies who will most likely administer any new single-payer system. They will make their money and screw the agents out of the business.
4.) A President who owes the Unions big time for his election and will repay them by getting health care off of their books and on the backs on the American people.
5.) A willful, uneducated citizen base who will go along with Government-run health care as they think they will get something for nothing and at the same time, receive top notch care under a government system.
6.) A Government that will just print more money to pay for a Universal health care plan.

Nothing to be concerned about

 

[Paradigm]

Whether it's now or later, you can see where this is heading:

1.) A Democratic Congress that will do whatever it takes to gain more power over the people by controlling their health care.
2.) A weak Republican party that will not fight hard enough to keep private insurance.
3.) Insurance companies who will most likely administer any new single-payer system. They will make their money and screw the agents out of the business.
4.) A President who owes the Unions big time for his election and will repay them by getting health care off of their books and on the backs on the American people.
5.) A willful, uneducated citizen base who will go along with Government-run health care as they think they will get something for nothing and at the same time, receive top notch care under a government system.
6.) A Government that will just print more money to pay for a Universal health care plan.

Nothing to be concerned about

That was a depressing post

The truth may set you free but that doesnt mean its easy to swallow

 

[Mr. Bill]

Well, just one more thing to consider: as we continue to pile on massive amounts of debt, our lenders, especially the Chinese, are becoming more and more worried. Printing money will only exacerbate hte problem. We are getting to the point where we, as a nation, will no longer be in control of our future, as it will be the nations who own our debt who will tell us what we can and cannot do.

 

[ABC]

Our family agency has a large book of business with both Individual and Group Health clients. Obama and Pelosi are making me nervous as I see and hear all of the ideas that are being presented which ultimately can hurt all of us with Health business. Now July is the big month for "change"?

In addition, I do not trust the insurance companies at all. In my opinion, they will sell us out in a second and climb on board with the government gravy train.

What is your opinion on what will happen with Individual & Group Health Insurance and will the agent still be in the picture?

My sources are telling me that we will still be in the picture.
We will be making less.
Small group 2-10 might have the choice of HealthCare Exchange. Where they can pick up a group through the Gov. We will still make commission but it will be regulated by the Gov. just like Medicare Sups.

The players in the healthcare markets are stating they will shave off 2 trillion in cost in 10 years.
To do that everyone is going to make less.
Hospitals, Doctors, Insurance companies, Durable Medical equipment, Life sciences, lawyers, universities, agents/brokers and others. We all will be making less. There is no other way around it.

I expect to see a lot less health agents in the market come next year.