patsfan13

OP Ed in the recent threats to Insurance companies who have the temerity to speak out about Obamacare. Really outrageous stuff. Written by Nat Hentoff a consistent voice for free speech over a 60 year period.

Administration's Thuggery Threatens Free Speech... | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

khayos

I work in healthcare finance... our projections for FY11 and beyond are dim at best. It gets even worse in FY15... our fiscal year starts in October, so that means 10/1/14... hmm and when are many of the Obamacare provisions taking effect? And this is using basic 10 year projections through a consultant and trying to adhere to Moody's for our bond ratings...

The Brandon Five

No surprise to those of us in Massachusetts, where the costs are already about 20% higher than the rest of the country (thanks in large part to our universal coverage scheme).

When the insurance companies responded to the rising costs by requesting premium increases, the state denied them. When those companies then discussed pulling out of the market (rather than, you know, lose money) the state threatened to take away their license to conduct other insurance business. In other words, they were compelled to run an unprofitable operation.

State rejects health insurance rate hikes - The Boston Globe

Judge denies insurers' request for injunction - Daily Business Update - The Boston Globe

The largest carriers all posted big losses for the first quarter (the denied rate increases were to be effective 4/1).

Mass. Health Insurers Post Big Losses, Blame State Rate Cap | WBUR

Some of the rate increases have now been approved. I am not sure if all 235 have been allowed.

Insurance News - Some Mass. Health Insurers Get Premium Hikes for Individual, Small-Business Plans

I'm sure next year things will go much smoother.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

How much does this differ from what was happening (and projected to keep happening) before the new Health Care Law was passed?

August 20, 2009, New York, NY— Nationally, family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance increased 119 percent between 1999 and 2008, and could increase another 94 percent to an average $23,842 per family by 2020 if cost growth continues on its current course, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.

The report, Paying the Price: How Health Insurance Premiums Are Eating Up Middle Class Incomes, State Health Insurance Premium Trends And The Potential Of National Reforms, finds that national reforms that slow health care cost increases by 1 to 1.5 percent per year would yield substantial savings for families and businesses across the country. By 2020, slowing the annual rate of growth by 1 percent would yield more than $2,500 in reduced premiums for family coverage, and slowing growth by 1.5 percent would yield more than $3,700 in premium savings compared to projected trends.

According to the report’s state-by-state analysis, the five-year increase (2003 to 2008) in employer-based premiums for family coverage averaged 33 percent, ranging from a high of 45 percent in Indiana and North Carolina to an average low of 25 percent in Michigan, Texas, and Ohio. Most states saw increases of 30 percent to 40 percent.

New Report: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Increase 119 Percent from 1999-2008; Projected to Double Again by 2020 - The Commonwealth Fund

DarrylS

Always find it interesting when the little righty piggies squeal about free speech, but were silent when folks going to Bush rallies were arrested for wearing an innapropriate t-shirt and were silent or when Glen and Caribou Barbie had their love fest on the mall, but did not allow any signs and were silent once again...

The situational faux outrage of the day, once again...

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

patsfan13

Pathetic attempt at diversion your administration has on multiple occasions threatened businesses who communicated with THEIR customers. They have also told lies to the American people that will cost billions of dollars.


Of course as a partisan that doesn't matter in the least to you.

BTW Hentoff is anything but a rightie, if you were familiar with him at all.

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

khayos

We've already had most of the impact of Obamacare in terms of full coverage since Romneycare was implemented. However, there are two significant concerns: 1.) our payor mix will begin to skew more towards Medicaid (lower reimbursement) as the government plans are issued and 2.) There are segments of the bill the include penalties for hospitals failing to meet "meaningful use" guidelines for information systems e.g. 2% reduction in Medicare reimbursement and when 50%+ of our patients are Medicare, that's HUGE.

EDIT: many of the meaningful use guidelines are unclear while healthcare systems ramp up multi-year upgrades costing many millions of dollars

The Brandon Five

By that line of thinking you should have started this thread.

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