New health insurance policy

[Margies3]

So the Obama administration has passed this new thing saying that pre-existing conditions now must be covered under your health care. Ok, that sounds good in theory.

Here's the rub tho. Walt's company re-does their health insurance coverage every couple of years. This just happens to be the year for that. They are with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which has been pretty decent coverage so far. But before his company can re-sign a contract with Anthem now, every employee in the company has to fill out a huge (20+ page) online questioneer. They want to know if you have ever experienced (insert whatever health issue you can think of here) or if you have ever discussed with your doctor (insert whatever health issue you can think of here) or if you currently suffer from (again, insert whatever health issue you can think of). Basically, if you've ever had a hang-nail, they want to know about it. Once they get all that information, then they will tell you what they plan to charge for coverage.

The thing is that, even tho they are now required to cover all pre-existing conditions, there is no regulation telling them HOW MUCH they can or cannot charge. I'm really nervous about this.

Have any of the rest of your companies had to go thru the same hoops? I'm curious what it did to the cost of your coverage.

[Norman]

I can't see where Obama has done a thing for us. Requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions is pure lunacy. Also he has made no attempt to do a thing about the outrageous charges by hospitals and doctors. It should not cost $500 to go to the emergency room when they do nothing except get a doctor to look at you and write a prescription, and they charge $100 for the nurse to give you an injection for pain.

[coadie]

Originally Posted by Norman

I can't see where Obama has done a thing for us. Requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions is pure lunacy. Also he has made no attempt to do a thing about the outrageous charges by hospitals and doctors. It should not cost $500 to go to the emergency room when they do nothing except get a doctor to look at you and write a prescription, and they charge $100 for the nurse to give you an injection for pain.

500 dollars barely covers malpractice insurance. If we have a young woman come in, she is malnourished during pregnancy and gives birth. She almost needs a c-section because of CPD and we use forceps. The baby has complications and dies. The mom can't even pay some of the coverage shortfall, but can collect 400,000 out of court on her malpractice claim.
the 500 dollars covers very little direct labor and supplies.

[Norman]

There should be no malpractice claim unless the doctor was clearly negligent, and then they should put the doctor in jail. People should not be collecting thousands or millions of dollars when it was not the doctor's fault. It is not the doctors and hospitals who actually pay for this lunacy; it is the patients who have to pay thousands of dollars for tests they don't even need most of the time. It is not the fault of the insurance companies that health care is so expensive; the insurance companies have to be able to pay their employees and benefits to their customers to stay in business.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Norman

There should be no malpractice claim unless the doctor was clearly negligent, and then they should put the doctor in jail. People should not be collecting thousands or millions of dollars when it was not the doctor's fault. It is not the doctors and hospitals who actually pay for this lunacy; it is the patients who have to pay thousands of dollars for tests they don't even need most of the time. It is not the fault of the insurance companies that health care is so expensive; the insurance companies have to be able to pay their employees and benefits to their customers to stay in business.

thank you for that post.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Norman

There should be no malpractice claim unless the doctor was clearly negligent, and then they should put the doctor in jail. People should not be collecting thousands or millions of dollars when it was not the doctor's fault. It is not the doctors and hospitals who actually pay for this lunacy; it is the patients who have to pay thousands of dollars for tests they don't even need most of the time. It is not the fault of the insurance companies that health care is so expensive; the insurance companies have to be able to pay their employees and benefits to their customers to stay in business.

Originally Posted by Sam

thank you for that post.

[Apocrypha]

Originally Posted by Margies3

So the Obama administration has passed this new thing saying that pre-existing conditions now must be covered under your health care. Ok, that sounds good in theory.

Here's the rub tho. Walt's company re-does their health insurance coverage every couple of years. This just happens to be the year for that. They are with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which has been pretty decent coverage so far. But before his company can re-sign a contract with Anthem now, every employee in the company has to fill out a huge (20+ page) online questioneer. They want to know if you have ever experienced (insert whatever health issue you can think of here) or if you have ever discussed with your doctor (insert whatever health issue you can think of here) or if you currently suffer from (again, insert whatever health issue you can think of). Basically, if you've ever had a hang-nail, they want to know about it. Once they get all that information, then they will tell you what they plan to charge for coverage.

The thing is that, even tho they are now required to cover all pre-existing conditions, there is no regulation telling them HOW MUCH they can or cannot charge. I'm really nervous about this.

Have any of the rest of your companies had to go thru the same hoops? I'm curious what it did to the cost of your coverage.

I am a insurance agent licensed in 27 states.

The insurance companies have tightened underwriting on major medical policies like crazy in the last 90 days. They have cut commissions and advances on that commission because of new rules that affect how they have to account for their money. Hence many insurance agents are now leaving the business in droves or selling inferior but more profitable plans that aren't covered by those rules like Short Term Medical or a Limited Indemity plan and cramming in Critical Illness and Term Life to make up the short falls.

Eventually they will have to charge everyone the same amount, its called Community Rating which has been a total nuclear disaster in MA which has Romneycare... which is the exact same thing as Obamacare but on state level which a state can't default like the Federal govt can. It's gotten so dire for the state that they are hitting companies like Wellpoint and refusing to let them increase their rates to make up for the financial shortfalls by saying (their state court judges who make this decision) they make enough money in other states (which aren't killing their business like MA is) which is crazy... almost all the carriers are getting ready to pull outta MA and push everyone onto medicaid or the high risk program.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...871093652.html

[GraceAmazing]

How long does it take for an underwriting company to contact you? We have been waiting over two weeks...we are relatively healthy...getting concerned?? Maybe I shouldn't be? This whole healthcare overhaul is an absolute joke...sorry...do not mean to offend anyone on here.