Howard Dean / Guaranteed Issue

[Winter_123]

Well, you know, Howard Dean is a twit but he is right in pointing out that Guaranteed Issue has many different permutations and the underlying rating system is critical.

Now that there is more or less agreement on both sides of the aisle about "guaranteed issue" the debate will begin to drop to defining just what in heck that means. In Maine for example "guaranteed issue" means that no carrier can refuse you- period. In Washington State, it means that they do a simplified assessment and no carrier can refuse you unless you "fail" that assessment but you are guaranteed to have a plan issued under the public risk pool but no guarantee that your rates will not be out into the stratosphere. And then there is guaranteed issue with mandate which allegedly forces some healthy people into the system and then there is the Maine version where the healthy who chose to have insurance pay for the otherwise uninsurable and those who do not have insurance are out of the equation. And there is guaranteed issue such as in Maine where rates go up based on age. And then there is guaranteed issue such as Dean is proposing where it is community rated and everyone is within 20% of each other in premium cost regardless of age.

So, yeh, guaranteed issue is coming. But which of the ten versions? Therein lies the next level of debate. And that is coming regardless of how the current bill fares because if and when this bill goes down, guaranteed issue will still be included in Plan B (my view).

Dean and I actually agree (holding back a little vomit here) that, as I have railed against, we are at serious risk of the whole system tanking if we get some of this wrong. That is why I say that if the public option passes that I am in favor of just bypassing it and going to a Canadian single payer system. If the public option passes with trigger, I think that is another matter. To me "trigger" just means that you live to fight for another day when hopefully reality will set in. We are at serious, serious risk of the whole system tanking.

Won't replay the discussion, but I favor the Washington State model but with more subsidy to the uninsurable risk pool piece.

Breitbart.tv Dean Shock: ObamaCare Is Trillion Dollar, No Reform, Harmful Bailout But…

 

[Mr. Bill]

Well, we know we can cut at least $300 million by removing the prostitute provision...

 

[Winter_123]

Well, we know we can cut at least $300 million by removing the prostitute provision...

I heard the dems are going to start having their prostitutes run their business by hand to hold expenses down.

 

[GreenSky]

Haven't heard any libs calling for the end of the mortgage tax exemption. That helps the rich at the "expense" of the poor. We could use the additional tax revenue to help the "house-less" buy insurance.

Guess the libs don't have the nads to do this (yet).

Rick

 

[TXINSURANCE]

Winter, et. al. Between federal and state tax receipts is there currently enough money "in the system" to pay for FREE (Hey, I'm a liberal... free is good!) health care for everyone... IF WE REALLOCATE our budget... meaning end both wars, close all military bases, cut every other department by 50% and end all pork and agri-subs?

You mean like they have in Iraq?

 

[ins.dave]

Well, you know, Howard Dean is a twit but he is right in pointing out that Guaranteed Issue has many different permutations and the underlying rating system is critical.

Now that there is more or less agreement on both sides of the aisle about "guaranteed issue" the debate will begin to drop to defining just what in heck that means. In Maine for example "guaranteed issue" means that no carrier can refuse you- period. In Washington State, it means that they do a simplified assessment and no carrier can refuse you unless you "fail" that assessment but you are guaranteed to have a plan issued under the public risk pool but no guarantee that your rates will not be out into the stratosphere. And then there is guaranteed issue with mandate which allegedly forces some healthy people into the system and then there is the Maine version where the healthy who chose to have insurance pay for the otherwise uninsurable and those who do not have insurance are out of the equation. And there is guaranteed issue such as in Maine where rates go up based on age. And then there is guaranteed issue such as Dean is proposing where it is community rated and everyone is within 20% of each other in premium cost regardless of age.

So, yeh, guaranteed issue is coming. But which of the ten versions? Therein lies the next level of debate. And that is coming regardless of how the current bill fares because if and when this bill goes down, guaranteed issue will still be included in Plan B (my view).

Dean and I actually agree (holding back a little vomit here) that, as I have railed against, we are at serious risk of the whole system tanking if we get some of this wrong. That is why I say that if the public option passes that I am in favor of just bypassing it and going to a Canadian single payer system. If the public option passes with trigger, I think that is another matter. To me "trigger" just means that you live to fight for another day when hopefully reality will set in. We are at serious, serious risk of the whole system tanking.

Won't replay the discussion, but I favor the Washington State model but with more subsidy to the uninsurable risk pool piece.

Breitbart.tv Dean Shock: ObamaCare Is Trillion Dollar, No Reform, Harmful Bailout But…

Listened to that link.
What a wanker Dean is. Just kills me how "reform" was never even a consideration for the Dems. They are so focused on a take over that they blew the chance to actually get costs down.
He rants about VA and the 20% maximum rate up for gimps that they enacted...? Yeah. Such a rob the rich, give to the poor mentality. Take from ins. companies. That's it. That is their strategy. Wealth distribution hurts everyone but they don't care. Just want to get reelected which i predict will not happen.
BTW. two cool links from Youtube. We are going to share these with clients and everyone we can.
This older gent is awesome.

 

[sokybrian]

You guys are SO right! I've neer seen a republican run up a deficit to the point of disaster, or make decisions based soley on re-electability. I don't know where these "libs" got these ideas on how to run a government?? Blows my mind!

Time to kick up all out and start over. I nominate....??? Maybe one of you guys! Of course once when one of you guys got up there and gained a bit of "respect" or "power" from your "cronies", and got used to the best benefits in the entire world - There is no way you would want to get re-elected and STAY in something like that. NO WAY! GET ME OUT!

Years ago, public service was just that - PUBLIC SERVICE. Folks would leave their day jobs for a short time during the year and SERVE the public who elected them as representitives. Decisions were made, and they returned to farming, store clerks, insurance salesmen....etc. They didn't vote themselves pay raises and unbelievable benefits, they lived like us.

The whole system is broken, and maybe not in my lifetime, maybe not my kids lifetime, buy someday we're headed for a revolution.

"The American People do not only have a right to revolt - They have the obligation to revolt"

Thomas Jefferson

 

[Winter_123]

You guys are SO right! I've neer seen a republican run up a deficit to the point of disaster, or make decisions based soley on re-electability.

Oh Bush did plenty of both. He ran up the deficit and slammed Part D out there for re-electability.

Don't assume that Republicans are conservatives. They may or may not be. The republican party is very divided as to whether it should return to its roots or leave all of that behind and compete with the dems by being just ever so slightly to the right of them. Of course the dems do not escape this either. Bubba got pulled to the center as will Barry.

 

[sokybrian]

You are correct. And more towards the middle is where they should be. Great discusion!

So, how's the insurance business?

 

[JMO Fan]

Governor Howard Dean, MD got Vermont to adopt the first state health care reform in the early '90s. All but 12 carriers left the state. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, loved it.

Back-door approach to socialism - drive all the carriers out of the market.