Comments for Health Policy News

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by John

John — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 12:56:30 +0000

As an agent in a state where there is one carrier that owns 75%+ of the market, I’m open to more competition. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before they cut the agent out of the picture entirely.

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by Allen

Allen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:23:36 +0000

Stopping federal government mandates and pumping money into the our federally subsidized system need to be limited or done with. The government prints money to pay for deficit spending and health care is huge for deficit spending. The more money pumped in the lower the value of the dollar, henceforth the more care costs. The fed are supposed to regulate interstate commerce not stop it per article 1,section 8 of the good old constitution. Let the states regulate it. Let the individual consumer decide whether or not he/she needs alcohol rehab therapy, acupunture or some other type of medical care. The costs of policies will go down since consumers are not mandated to buy a plan they do not need. Individuals can determine their own needs not a bureaucrat in DC. Also the people who cost the most are those sick which is generally the older people not the younger so they are the most expensive to pay for. If you are insured for all or most of your adult you should pay enough in to pay for coverage;if not a plan needs to be developed to meet that situation by governments. So I say stop the federal government over reaching power doing what they are not supposed to do in the health care industry. States cannot print money to meet their budgets like the Feds can. That right there will reduce costs dramatically do to reduce money supply, thereby also strengthening our dollar so we will have the best economy due to higher quality at a lower cost. So leave it to the states and not the socialists in DC.

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by Matt

Matt — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:09:06 +0000

Buying across state lines is a bad idea and I’ll tell you why.
First, there is nothing stopping any insurance company from selling their product in every state in the union. Nothing.
Second. The insurance industry is the only industry besides baseball that has anti trust exemption. If you want insurance companies to compete, a good place to start might be not letting them collude – price fix.
The issue is all about state regulations and lowering insurance companies costs in order to increase profits.

Every state regulates the insurance industry in their state. If you can buy insurance from another state, what you are doing is side stepping your states regulations and consumer protections. What will then happen is that insurance companies will set up shop in the state with non existent regulations. You might pay less, but you will also get less. And again, since insurance companies can legally collude, their is no real competition.

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by Health Care: The House’s Vote to Repeal | Bear Market Investments

Health Care: The House’s Vote to Repeal | Bear Market Investments — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:40:43 +0000

[...] and if you don’t mind finding out that your insurer doesn’t cover your illness”); Why Buying Health Insurance Across State Lines Minght Not be a Good Idea; Allowing health insurers to sell across state lines is a BAD idea on Democratic Underground [...]

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by FR

FR — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:23:40 +0000

Cross state line health insurance plan will authorize regulation of health care plans by a Federal bureaucracy. One of Obamacare provisions that is most offensive is control of health care by a Federal agency.

ERISA moved us dangerously close to this type of Federal intervention and interference.

Currently a health care plan in Texas is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance.

In Texas if you have been rejected for a private personal health insurance you are qualified for participation in the Texas Health Insurance Pool.

Eligibility and exclusions are available at the Texas Health Pool website.
(http://www.txhealthpool.org/eligibil.html)

Rates are currently set at 200% of rates for private sector health insurance. Though there is a 6 month lookback for pre-existing conditions, participation in the plan is not denied. Following 12 months participation in the plan the pre-existing condition itself is covered.

The lookback does not apply if you had prior coverage for the preceding eighteen months with no gap of more than 63 days.

Additionally, the plan specifically covers certain catastrophic conditions.

Texans will not be benefited by participation in an inter-state compact or losing local control over our health care insurance.

Comment on Top Five Facts About ‘Health Savings Accounts’ by Simona Dedek

Simona Dedek — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:04:50 +0000

I have had an HSA plan for several years now, and with our premiums skyrocketing, I decided to go out for new quotes.
Much to my amazement, the HSA-compatible plans are quoting MUCH HIGHER premiums than virtually identical non-HSA plans.
Do you have any thoughts on this? Is this a recent development, or just the insurance companies’ way to get more blood out of the stone?

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by Mike

Mike — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:21:46 +0000

The possibility that high-risk insurance disincentivizes price-cutting under competition is dubious. There will be a market for high-risk plans and cross-state competition will lower those prices, more than they were before Health Care was passed and certainly more than they are now. Competition naturally does this, all the time. The fact that this article finds this obvious for low-risk insurance but not for high-risk insurance is an arbitrary distinction.

This policy should not occur in a vacuum, however. High-risk insurance pools lower prices, especially if they’re given a broader base of clients. Cost-cutting provisions could free up plenty of government revenue for subsidies to lower high-risk and other insurance further. These include such provisions as fraud prevention, tort reform, and entitlement cutting.

Comment on Acupuncture Scientifically Proven to Help Health by basing stoke

basing stoke — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:06:20 +0000

I think westerners need to keep an open mind about any form of ancient/chinese medicine. They (we) seem to forget that we didn’t know what antibiotics was 200 years ago. There are more types of energy to be discovered who knows maybe in another 200 years we’ll discover something equally as exciting!

Comment on Genetic Profiling, Healthcare, and Insurance by Lynsey Ploof

Lynsey Ploof — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:24:00 +0000

Its really about getting used to it. I used to take a class that would wear me out before I finished it. Now, the class is so easy that I don’t take it anymore. It took about a month to get through it without feeling exhausted, and every time I went to class it got easier. Just take a class every day and do what you can. Tell the instructor that you are new (they usually ask who is new), and they give advice, just keep moving. All you can do is to stay with the class, don’t leave early and keep pushing yourself. I’ve been at my gym almost 3 yrs. There are girls that look the same now as they did then because they don’t try. My body has improved so much since I joined because I make good food choices, I stop eating when full, if I crave something I get a small version, and I work out daily. You can do this too. I am 5′5 and weigh 112 lbs, and I’m 42 yrs. old. Good luck.

Comment on Why Buying Health Insurance across State Lines might Not be a Good Idea by zxthed

zxthed — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:41:18 +0000

They idea that care would get worse if insusures were allowed across state lines is rediculous. Well maybe if it’s Medicare/Medicaid. Ezra Klein wrote that if this were to happen, it would create confusion about what is covered and what isn’t, and his plan is a gov’t option-which do what he warned people against. Gov’t itself doesn’t know what should/shouldn’t be covered. Look at the NHS in Britain. They may mean well, but they make terrible decisions based on cost containment. Some of you may think that the private insurers do the same, but if you made the deduction you’re missing one important point-insurers make a profit, allowing them to make more flexible financial decisions. Medicaid, Medicare, and any other gov’t option does not have that luxury.