What’s interesting in the news today?
Open Thread.
Say it with me now….
If you like your insurance, you can keep it…… or not.
From KaiserHealthNews (Who supported this plan by the way and is now canceling policies because of it too) “Health plans are sending hundreds of thousands of cancellation letters to people who buy their own coverage, frustrating some consumers who want to keep what they have and forcing others to buy more costly policies.”
“An estimated 14 million people purchase their own coverage because they don’t get it through their jobs. Calls to insurers in several states showed that many have sent notices.
Florida Blue, for example, is terminating about 300,000 policies, about 80 percent of its individual policies in the state. Kaiser Permanente in California has sent notices to 160,000 people – about half of its individual business in the state. Insurer Highmark in Pittsburgh is dropping about 20 percent of its individual market customers, while Independence Blue Cross, the major insurer in Philadelphia, is dropping about 45 percent.“
_________________________________________________
This would be nice, but after the way the Supreme Court ruled, I’m doubtful that this judge will do the right thing either.
From TheDailyMail “Bombshell: Federal judge suddenly green-lights lawsuit that could stop Obamacare in its tracks
-
Small-business plaintiffs say the government is treating all 50 states the same even though Congress allowed them to opt out – and 36 did
-
The IRS is granting insurance subsidies to taxpayers in the ‘refusenik’ states, even though the text of the Obamacare law doesn’t allow it
-
A federal judge denied the government’s motion to dismiss the case on Tuesday
-
He also refused, however, to issue an injunction barring the Obama administration from implementing the law while the case moves forward”
_________________________________________________
Well at least Congress is finally gonna be briefed on the rollout fiasco. Well…. some of them will. Some pigs really are more equal than others, even in Congress.
From TheWaPo “Mike Hash, who directs the Office of Health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, will brief House Democrats Wednesday about implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The closed-door session, which will start at 8:50 a.m., marks the first time the administration will have briefed members of Congress on the online enrollment system since its troubled rollout on Oct. 1.”
“House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) office is crying foul that House Republicans aren’t included in the briefing. It is asking that the same briefing be provided to the GOP.
“Far too much information about Obamacare’s rollout is being concealed from the public,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said. “All members – as well as the American people – deserve answers for this debacle. That’s why we have asked the administration to provide the same briefing to House Republicans. This snub is all the more offensive after Secretary Sebelius declined to testify at a House hearing this week. It’s time for the Obama administration to honor its promises of transparency and face some accountability.”
_________________________________________________
It appears that the people hurt and killed in the Boston Marathon bombing weren’t the bomber’s only victims.
From MSNNews “Slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was named as a participant in an earlier triple homicide by a man who was subsequently shot to death while being questioned by authorities, according to a filing made by federal prosecutors in the case against his brother, surviving bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.”
“According to the filing made Monday, Ibragim Todashev told investigators Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in a triple slaying in Waltham on Sept. 11, 2011.
In that case, three men were found in an apartment with their necks slit and their bodies reportedly covered with marijuana. One of the victims was a boxer and friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.”
_________________________________________________
What if there was a govt shutdown, and no one missed them, or even cared they were gone?
From CNSNews “A large majority of Americans say they did not miss the federal government when it was partially shutdown during the first half of October, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released today.”
“78 percent said that they were not inconvenienced by the partial shutdown of the government. Of the 22 percent who said they were inconvenienced, 11 percent said it was a major inconvenience and 11 percent said it was a minor inconvenience,”
_________________________________________________
Wandering Views 
I read that Florida Blue was dropping 800,000 policies… That’s quite a different number than 300,000. I wonder if someone is fudging the numbers just to make scare points?
LikeLike
That is pretty scary about Kaiser AJ. My new manager lives in California. She and her family are part of the Kaiser HSA plan.
LikeLike
MiM,
I’ve seen the 800,0000 number too, but it was NJ, not Florida. A scare tactic maybe, but liberal sources are reporting it too.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/10/obamacare_forces_insurance_companies_to_scrap_some_plans_create_new_ones.html
“Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans opened the mail last week to find their health insurance plan would no longer exist in 2014 because it does not cover all the essential benefits required by the Affordable Care Act.
The news surprised some who were unaware that provisions in the new law known as “Obamacare” were forcing insurance companies to scrap some plans they had previously offered.
“The Affordable Care Act is driving many changes to products and pricing,” said Thomas Vincz, a spokesman for Horizon. “Horizon BCBSNJ is actively working to help our members find new insurance plans that meet their needs and budget.”
The changes will impact more than 800,000 people in New Jersey who purchase insurance on the individual and small-employer markets, according to Ward Sanders, president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans.”
________________________________________
And Kaiser tries to put a good spin on it, since they supported it, by saying folks can get a new plan, with more options. But they leave out the higher price tag and deductibles.
Either way it shouldn’t be shocking. Same with people with serious illness and related high costs to insurers. They’re being dropped and about the only option they’ll have is Medicaid.
LikeLike
Our Kaiser option through work is changing, letters were received last week — goodbye old hmo, hello deductibles.
So you’re fine — as long as you don’t get sick. 🙂
LikeLike