National Health Insurance Exchange

[driafs]

The average person may not see where this is going and may go along with it. I hope it runs out of steam before it gets passed.

National Health Insurance Exchange
By 2013, a National Health Insurance Exchange is to be established to replace the current individual health insurance market and provide an option for employers and public program enrollees in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). States would be allowed to apply to the federal government to establish state or regional exchanges. The Exchange is to establish health plan standards, facilitate the provision of comparative information, enrollment, billing, and other administrative functions, administer coverage subsidies, and respond to consumer grievances.
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[Guest]

This will probably happen. The current hodge-podge of state IFP plans has zero political capital or support among the majority of voters (or at least those who make policy for the voters.) They have seen their rates go up each year and their benefits go down. They don't know why nor do they care.

The same way we got into the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan is pretty much how we will end up with an Exchange... a combo of bad information and a willful desire to mislead.

Personally, I can see how an exchange with uniform plans (like Medicare Supps) COULD be a good thing... but there is no way I would waste my time trying to explain it to anyone in this venue.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Don't worry Al, from the way things are looking just any time now you'll be able to wait 16 months for a procedure with guaranteed health care. Of course, you'll be dead by the time of your procedure but hey, everyone will have coverage.

Well, maybe it won't be that bad - but Dr Ali Kumbla Akmahamdzeza will perform that procedure....fresh with his online doctorate from the University of the Lesser Antillies.

 

[Guest]

John, good scare tactic. I'm not sure if you are Harry or Louise. But it won't wash. You will have to explain (to the public) how government financing (not government provided healthCARE) is going to cause the dislocations you predict.

I don't see you or anyone else advocating the end to Medicare... and Medicare.gov (for Part D) is basically an Exchange.

Be honest. You (and everyone on this board) would happily sacrifice an affordable health FINANCING system to protect your commission-based income... or in your case, the viability of an organization for health agents.

Be honest, it is not about the guy or gal who is underwritten out of the system, it is about you getting your commission check each month.

I don't expect anyone here to want or accept a different system. The point is that no one "out there" gives a damn about your commission or your job. We are the enemy, like it or not. The idea of reform has come and something (good or bad) will come out of it... and all your whining and moaning is probably not going to make much difference. It's fun to hear, but hardly productive.

You would be better served training your association members in how to sell life, DI, annuity, and LTC... because I believe that come 12 to 24 months from now that's what most will be doing. It's fine with me.

You guys just don't get it. The days of the one-trick-pony health agent MAY BE coming to an end... and if that is true, if you want to continue in this biz, you will need to change with it.

I understand how you guys in the deep South who are not nearly as accepting of change of any kind would not understand the above, but John you are in Maryland, a sophisticated and intelligent state with good schools and a progressive political culture.

Why do I waste my time on this with you guys since it is apparent that most of you are just never going to "get it." You will listen and believe your lunatic right-wing (Winter, Freddie, Rush, Newt, et. al) until all of a sudden you find yourself without an income.

Guys, there are three kinds of people out there: Those who make things happen. Those who watch things happen. And those who wonder WHAT happened.

Which are you? I know that answer.

 

[GreenSky]

Those of you who wished for a socialist form of health insurance will soon be getting your wish.

Unfortuntely, our country is becoming socialist/facist for everything else. Healthcare is just one piece of the puzzle.

Rick

 

[Guest]

Those of you who wished for a socialist form of health insurance will soon be getting your wish.

Unfortuntely, our country is becoming socialist/facist for everything else. Healthcare is just one piece of the puzzle.

Rick

Rick is right. Those of us who have been around a bit know that politics and policy is cyclical. We had the "socialism" of the 30s and post-war 40s (GI Bill was a huge socialist program which most of you guys here would have been against), followed by the conservative 50s, followed by the Great Society of the 60s, followed by the Nixon, Carter, Reagan conservatism of the 70s and 80s, followed by the liberal Clinton, followed by the conservative (I think?) eight years of Bush. Now we are back to a liberal cycle.

The republic endures and I believe will continue to do so.

Don't worry. Be happy.

Al

 

[GreenSky]

The republic endures and I believe will continue to do so.

I'm not that optimistic. I think it's at best 50-50 that the United States continues as a capitalist country.

I hesitate to even post this, but I think I hope the revolution is coming. I don't know if it will be bloodless.

Rick

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Anyone here see anyone going through 4 years of med school plus 3 years of residency to be on the gov't payroll for $58,000 a year? We'll be shipping doctors in from India on freighters.

And Al, even you can't possibly believe that if some system gets implemented where 45 million people how have access to health care that the waiting times won't be obscene.

 

[Paradigm]

It isnt about government financed. This is the back door to government provided. The first step is you have to make the major insurers unviable which will take 7 years. 2nd step is full single payer socialized medicine by 2016.
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We are moving toward a two tier system. Socialized everything for the masses of serfs and techocrats (lower -upper middle class) and oligharchic freedom for the ultra wealthy. I find it ironic that the wealthy are for socialized medicine considering they will pay cash to doctor's and never have to use the new National Health Service that is coming in 7 years.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Obama actually believes that if the government simply ran everyyhing we'd all be better off. That he believes that makes him arguably the most dangerous president in history.

He's like Lenny and America is the mouse.