gourimoko
Fighting the good fight!
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Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.
The unofficial Obamacare thread...
- Thread starter Maximus
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gourimoko
Fighting the good fight!
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I don't think that was the point I was making.
My argument is that the vast majority of Republicans are voting against their own self-interest solely based on a loosely defined ideology that is often contradictory, or simply rooted in traditional values.
I don't think that is the function of political parties. I don't think they're intended to meet the demands of everyone, as that seems an obviously impossible task. I think you'd be better served lowering your expectations a bit.
I hear that a lot, and I think that's nonsense.
Why did I vote for Barack Obama?
1) Universal Healthcare - the promise to move forward with some system that will progressively get us to that point.
2) To secure a progressive tax system
3) To end the War in Iraq
4) To bail out the banks and the auto industry
5) Equal Pay for Equal Work
6) To protect rights for women, minorities and gays.
7) To bolster the Environmental Protection Agency against conservative efforts to tear it apart.
8) To engage "Al Qaeda" in a smarter, more lethal, way - rather than stagnating in Afghanistan.
9) A more fair and robust foreign policy
10) To ensure the future progressivism of the Supreme Court.
All of those reasons are mutually exclusive with his opponent Mitt Romney. I voted for the candidate that best fit my reasoned conclusions regarding solutions to the issues at hand. And for the most part, Obama has done a decent job -- I have many disappointments though.
But voting for Mitt Romney, or sitting at home idle, those were not options.
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UnitedHealth drops thousands of doctors from insurance plans
ReutersReuters – 14 hrs ago
(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group dropped thousands of doctors from its networks in recent weeks, leaving many elderly patients unsure whether they need to switch plans to continue seeing their doctors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The insurer said in October that underfunding of Medicare Advantage plans for the elderly could not be fully offset by the company's other healthcare business. The company also reported spending more healthcare premiums on medical claims in the third quarter, due mainly to government cuts to payments for Medicare Advantage services.
The Journal report said that doctors in at least 10 states were notified of being laid off the plans, some citing "significant changes and pressures in the healthcare environment." According to the notices, the terminations can be appealed within 30 days.
Tyler Mason, a UnitedHealth spokesperson, was not immediately available for comment when reached by Reuters.
The insurer told the WSJ that its provider networks were always changing and that it expected its Medicare Advantage network to be 85 percent to 90 percent of its current size by the end of 2014.
UnitedHealth is participating in about a dozen new state insurance markets that launched on October 1 to offer subsidized health coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.
The insurer said previously it planned to withdraw from some markets in 2014 because of the government funding cuts.
Another top health insurer, Aetna Inc , also warned in October that it expected slowing growth in 2014 in its Medicare Advantage plans.
(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Bangalore; Editing by Peter Cooney)
ReutersReuters – 14 hrs ago
(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group dropped thousands of doctors from its networks in recent weeks, leaving many elderly patients unsure whether they need to switch plans to continue seeing their doctors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The insurer said in October that underfunding of Medicare Advantage plans for the elderly could not be fully offset by the company's other healthcare business. The company also reported spending more healthcare premiums on medical claims in the third quarter, due mainly to government cuts to payments for Medicare Advantage services.
The Journal report said that doctors in at least 10 states were notified of being laid off the plans, some citing "significant changes and pressures in the healthcare environment." According to the notices, the terminations can be appealed within 30 days.
Tyler Mason, a UnitedHealth spokesperson, was not immediately available for comment when reached by Reuters.
The insurer told the WSJ that its provider networks were always changing and that it expected its Medicare Advantage network to be 85 percent to 90 percent of its current size by the end of 2014.
UnitedHealth is participating in about a dozen new state insurance markets that launched on October 1 to offer subsidized health coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.
The insurer said previously it planned to withdraw from some markets in 2014 because of the government funding cuts.
Another top health insurer, Aetna Inc , also warned in October that it expected slowing growth in 2014 in its Medicare Advantage plans.
(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Bangalore; Editing by Peter Cooney)
KI4MVP
formerly LJ4MVP
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it's probably because I tried to sign up so soon. I got the questions to verify my identity that they pull from your credit report with random other answers. I answered things right, it said I was wrong. After a couple of iterations of this I was blocked from verifying my identity that way - I had to instead upload a scan of my drivers license. I did that the first weekend the exchange was open, my status has been "pending identity verification" ever since.
I might have better luck starting over from scratch with a new account.
CornerThree
13-7-9-14
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Still can't see the cost of any plans.
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Fucking awesome...
Second wave of health plan cancellations looms
A new and independent analysis of ObamaCare warns of a ticking time bomb, predicting a second wave of 50 million to 100 million insurance policy cancellations next fall -- right before the mid-term elections.
The next round of cancellations and premium hikes is expected to hit employees, particularly of small businesses. While the administration has tried to downplay the cancellation notices hitting policyholders on the individual market by noting they represent a relatively small fraction of the population, the swath of people who will be affected by the shakeup in employer-sponsored coverage will be much broader.
An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, shows the administration anticipates half to two-thirds of small businesses would have policies canceled or be compelled to send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges. They predict up to 100 million small and large business policies could be canceled next year.
"The impact I'm mostly worried about is on small young, entrepreneurial firms that will suddenly face much higher health insurance premiums if they want to offer health insurance to their employees," said AEI resident scholar Stan Veuger. "I think for a lot of other businesses ... they can just send their employees to the exchanges or offer them a fixed subsidy every month to buy health insurance themselves."
Under the health care law, businesses with fewer than 50 workers do not have to provide health coverage. But if they do, the policies will still have to meet the benefit standards set by ObamaCare.
As reported by AEI's Scott Gottlieb, some businesses got around this by renewing their policies before the end of 2013. But the relief is temporary, and they are expected to have to offer in-compliance plans for 2015. According to Gottlieb, that means beginning in October 2014 the cancellation notices will start to go out.
Then, businesses will have to either find a new plan -- which could be considerably more expensive -- or send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges.
For workers, their experience could mirror that of the 5 million or so on the individual market who already received cancellation notices because their plans did not meet new standards under the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama announced last week that insurance companies could offer out-of-compliance plans for another year. But that only means the cancellation notices will resume late next year.
The business community has already been hit with another side effect from ObamaCare. Because the law will require businesses with more than 50 full-time workers to offer health coverage, there are reports that companies are shifting employees to part-time status to avoid hitting the threshold.
Though the administration describes these accounts as anecdotal -- and has already delayed the employer mandate by a year -- studies suggest otherwise.
The International Franchise Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have studied the impact and say the president's health care law has resulted in higher costs and fewer full-time positions.
A survey showed 31 percent of franchise businesses, and 12 percent of non-franchise businesses, have already reduced worker hours. It also showed 27 percent of franchise businesses, and 12 percent of non-franchise businesses, have replaced full-time workers with part-time employees.
Second wave of health plan cancellations looms
A new and independent analysis of ObamaCare warns of a ticking time bomb, predicting a second wave of 50 million to 100 million insurance policy cancellations next fall -- right before the mid-term elections.
The next round of cancellations and premium hikes is expected to hit employees, particularly of small businesses. While the administration has tried to downplay the cancellation notices hitting policyholders on the individual market by noting they represent a relatively small fraction of the population, the swath of people who will be affected by the shakeup in employer-sponsored coverage will be much broader.
An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, shows the administration anticipates half to two-thirds of small businesses would have policies canceled or be compelled to send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges. They predict up to 100 million small and large business policies could be canceled next year.
"The impact I'm mostly worried about is on small young, entrepreneurial firms that will suddenly face much higher health insurance premiums if they want to offer health insurance to their employees," said AEI resident scholar Stan Veuger. "I think for a lot of other businesses ... they can just send their employees to the exchanges or offer them a fixed subsidy every month to buy health insurance themselves."
Under the health care law, businesses with fewer than 50 workers do not have to provide health coverage. But if they do, the policies will still have to meet the benefit standards set by ObamaCare.
As reported by AEI's Scott Gottlieb, some businesses got around this by renewing their policies before the end of 2013. But the relief is temporary, and they are expected to have to offer in-compliance plans for 2015. According to Gottlieb, that means beginning in October 2014 the cancellation notices will start to go out.
Then, businesses will have to either find a new plan -- which could be considerably more expensive -- or send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges.
For workers, their experience could mirror that of the 5 million or so on the individual market who already received cancellation notices because their plans did not meet new standards under the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama announced last week that insurance companies could offer out-of-compliance plans for another year. But that only means the cancellation notices will resume late next year.
The business community has already been hit with another side effect from ObamaCare. Because the law will require businesses with more than 50 full-time workers to offer health coverage, there are reports that companies are shifting employees to part-time status to avoid hitting the threshold.
Though the administration describes these accounts as anecdotal -- and has already delayed the employer mandate by a year -- studies suggest otherwise.
The International Franchise Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have studied the impact and say the president's health care law has resulted in higher costs and fewer full-time positions.
A survey showed 31 percent of franchise businesses, and 12 percent of non-franchise businesses, have already reduced worker hours. It also showed 27 percent of franchise businesses, and 12 percent of non-franchise businesses, have replaced full-time workers with part-time employees.
KI4MVP
formerly LJ4MVP
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if you are in ohio you can see anthem's prices at their web site.
WellYouNeednt
Needles and Pins
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Franken caves...
Minnesota senator Al Franken, a Democrat, opens the door to a delay of the Obamacare individual mandate in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio.
The Washington Post reports:
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he would be open to a brief delay in the individual mandate if the problems with HealthCare.gov aren't fixed by the end of the month, according to Minnesota Public Radio.
"I think then we have to consider extending the deadline for the mandate, but let’s hope that doesn't happen," Franken told MPR.
Franken has so far been relatively quiet about potential changes to the health-care law, but he now joins a growing group of Senate Democrats in seats that could be targeted by the GOP in 2014 who are speaking up on the issue.
Minnesota senator Al Franken, a Democrat, opens the door to a delay of the Obamacare individual mandate in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio.
The Washington Post reports:
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says he would be open to a brief delay in the individual mandate if the problems with HealthCare.gov aren't fixed by the end of the month, according to Minnesota Public Radio.
"I think then we have to consider extending the deadline for the mandate, but let’s hope that doesn't happen," Franken told MPR.
Franken has so far been relatively quiet about potential changes to the health-care law, but he now joins a growing group of Senate Democrats in seats that could be targeted by the GOP in 2014 who are speaking up on the issue.
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gourimoko
Fighting the good fight!
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Obama would call it caving.
I don't think Al Franken unzips his fly without calling the White House for permission first. I think what you're seeing here is a trial balloon. A common tactic on the beltway to dump a news story on Friday, let it fester, and then make it non-news on Monday when another Senator says the same thing.
In three weeks time, the President will hedge the news with some political nonsense like: "the website has improvements and will be working as it should very shortly. The good news is that we've signed up 1M people nationwide (including the statewide exchanges, and Medicaid) who would not have otherwise been able to get coverage, but... given the problems we've had, Senate Democrats and myself have decided that it would be best to continue the process of easing into the individual mandate. Therefore.. blah blah blah.."
That's just how they do it.. It's stagecraft.
Chardon
MOD
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Tornicade
2018 RBF League Champion
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lets not forget its these very health insurance companies business practices that created the demand for a national healthcare system in the first place. These guys are playing hardball so its no surprise they are channeling people into the exchanges which are administered by these same companies.
It wasnt even ten years ago that these health insurance companies said you can keep your plans at double the premium or take these minimal coverage plans for half the price.
It wasnt even ten years ago that these health insurance companies said you can keep your plans at double the premium or take these minimal coverage plans for half the price.
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Mark Halperin, a senior political analyst for Time magazine and MSNBC, told Newsmax TV that Democrats and the corporate media did not level with the public on death panels built into Obamacare.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/keG6qInHp54" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Mark Halperin makes his remarks on death panels at 8 minutes into the video.
Halperin said the death panel concept is a cornerstone of Obamacare. “It’s built into the plan. It’s not like a guess or like a judgment. That’s going to be part of how costs are controlled,” Halperin told Steve Malzberg. Halperin makes his comments eight minutes into the above video.
Democrats have used the term “death panel” as a pejorative after the former Republican Governor of Alaska, Sarah Plain, used it in a debate on Obamacare in 2009.
Democrats and the corporate media boast they have “debunked” the claim and insist eugenics practices are not part of Obamacare. PolitiFact characterized the term as its “Lie of Year” in 2009 and FactCheck said it represents one of its “whoppers.”
Democrats and supporters of the Obamacare fiasco have fought a running battle since the Keynesian economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said in February that in order for the collectivist welfare state to run smoothly higher taxes and death panels will be mandatory.
“Eventually we do have a problem. That the population is getting older, health care costs are rising,” Krugman said, admitting that “there is this question of how we’re going to pay for the programs… So the snarky version… which I shouldn’t even say because it will get me in trouble, is death panels and sales taxes is how we do this.”
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/keG6qInHp54" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Mark Halperin makes his remarks on death panels at 8 minutes into the video.
Halperin said the death panel concept is a cornerstone of Obamacare. “It’s built into the plan. It’s not like a guess or like a judgment. That’s going to be part of how costs are controlled,” Halperin told Steve Malzberg. Halperin makes his comments eight minutes into the above video.
Democrats have used the term “death panel” as a pejorative after the former Republican Governor of Alaska, Sarah Plain, used it in a debate on Obamacare in 2009.
Democrats and the corporate media boast they have “debunked” the claim and insist eugenics practices are not part of Obamacare. PolitiFact characterized the term as its “Lie of Year” in 2009 and FactCheck said it represents one of its “whoppers.”
Democrats and supporters of the Obamacare fiasco have fought a running battle since the Keynesian economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said in February that in order for the collectivist welfare state to run smoothly higher taxes and death panels will be mandatory.
“Eventually we do have a problem. That the population is getting older, health care costs are rising,” Krugman said, admitting that “there is this question of how we’re going to pay for the programs… So the snarky version… which I shouldn’t even say because it will get me in trouble, is death panels and sales taxes is how we do this.”