Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Rep Harry Waxman just doesn't understand
By: Jason Millman – Politico
Posted: September 20, 2012
In the end,
Rep. John Barrow found himself all out on his own.
Barrow
(D-Ga.), the co-sponsor of a bill shielding agent and broker commissions from
the health care law’s medical loss ratio requirement, was the only Democrat on
the House Energy and Commerce Committee who voted to advance the bill Thursday.
The committee approved the bill on a 26-14 vote.
But it’s
likely to have much more Democratic support if it gets to the full House
floor.
The agent and
broker groups say their livelihoods are threatened by the ACA’s limits on what
insurers can spend using premium dollars, besides the actual cost of medical
care. By lumping in broker commissions with insurers’ administrative spending,
the groups say their members have seen their revenue cut between 20 and 50
percent and have suffered job losses as a direct result.
“This doesn’t
just hurt the brokers, but also their employees and, most importantly, the
consumers who rely on them to obtain coverage and assistance in understanding
the complex health care law,” said Robert Smith, president of the National
Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, in a statement.
Agent and
broker groups, framing the MLR as a jobs issue, have made the bill a top
legislative priority over the past two years. They quickly gained support in the
House with 220 co-sponsors, including about two dozen Democrats — more than most
bills altering ACA provisions.
“This should
be a bipartisan bill,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who co-sponsored the
legislation with Barrow.
But the
strongest supporters of the ACA have pushed back hard against the bill,
contending it would weaken one of the law’s strongest consumer protections. The
$1.1 billion in MLR rebates sent out by insurers this year could have been cut
by more than half if agent and broker commissions were exempted from the rule,
Consumers Union claimed in a report yesterday.
“Commissions
have always been recognized as part of administrative costs,” said Henry Waxman
(D-Calif.), the committee’s top Democrat.
“This bill
would reverse this, causing consumers to pay more for coverage or get less in
benefits.”
Democrats on
the committee also criticized a provision of the bill that would let states
determine whether enforcing the MLR would destabilize their individual or
small-group insurance markets.
Governor Dayton Moving ahead on health insurance exchange
Governor Dayton moving ahead on health insurance exchange
By: JACKIE CROSBY - Star Tribune
Posted: September 18,
2012
Dayton
ramps up health care exchange plan, reassures GOP foes.
Gov. Mark
Dayton told legislative leaders Tuesday that he will seek federal approval to
move forward on a Minnesota-made health insurance exchange, but he sought to
assure Republican opponents that he will defer important policy decisions until
after the November election. Dayton also said he was shifting responsibility
for leading the "next phase" of the exchange to a new state agency. The actions
are a sign of continued movement to set up a state-run exchange, a key component
of President Obama's health care law. The exchanges are scheduled to launch
nationwide in 2014 and aim to be competitive marketplaces for individuals and
small businesses to comparison shop for health insurance. "While the Affordable
Care Act continues to be debated in the political arena, the law is clear:
either we design and implement a state-based exchange, or we will be assigned to
a one-size-fits-all federal exchange," Dayton said in a letter to the
legislators.
More than 1.2
million Minnesotans are expected to be eligible for the exchange, which
supporters say will make buying health insurance as user-friendly as shopping
for an airline ticket on a travel website.
The state has
received $28.5 million in federal grants to hire staff and lay the foundation.
It has applied for another $42.5 million to build the technical infrastructure.
States have until Nov. 16 to submit paperwork to the federal government to prove
they will have a functioning exchange by the Oct. 1, 2013, open enrollment
period.
While a
Minnesota-designed exchange has the support of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
and some key Republican leaders, it does not enjoy full bipartisan support.
Lawmakers were unable to get an exchange bill out of committee during the
previous two legislative sessions, and Dayton has signaled he will use his
authority to move forward without legislators, if need be. Dayton seemed to
soften that stance in the letter Tuesday, emphasizing in bold type that he would
"not commit Minnesota to any final policy decisions in the application,"
including how the exchange will be financed and whether it will be governed by
the state, a nonprofit agency or a combination. "I respect the authority of the
Legislature to participate in these decisions, and strongly prefer that we all
work together to make these crucial choices," he said. Dayton said he will give
the reins to Minnesota Management and Budget to begin scaling up the effort and
dealing with what promises to be a more complex and turbulent period where
battle lines about how the exchange will work will become more clear. Minnesota
Management and Budget Commissioner James Schowalter has served Republican and
Democratic administrations.
Until now,
Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman has spearheaded the effort. Brokers and some
businesses have raised concerns recently that the process hasn't been
transparent enough. Dayton's letter said the move would address concerns that
the Commerce Department, which regulates the insurance industry, shouldn't also
be involved in building core functions of an exchange it will
oversee.
Dayton's chief
of staff, Tina Flint-Smith, acknowledged the concerns about conflicts with the
Department of Commerce and said, "We listened to that."
Senator weighing health-care exchange options
Senator weighing health-care exchange options Ohio agrees with Louisiana and says no to an exchange or agrees to a partnership program. Either way they are unsure how to proceed!
Strict Federal Rules for Health Exchange Data Rankle States
Strict Federal Rules for Health Exchange Data Rankle States Allowing use of IRS data for exchanges ONLY!
Oklahoma Files Suit on PPACA
Oklahoma's attorney general on Wednesday filed a fresh legal challenge to the
federal health-overhaul law, zeroing in on penalties that employers in the state
would face if they didn't offer affordable health coverage to their workers.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
CMS Tele-conference on Exchanges
A Caller on Teleconference for CMS was asking how much money they should ask their legislators for during session to pay for the navigators salary to enroll in an exchange. He wants CMS to pay the salaries for navigators for the first 6 months. This call was from New Mexico.
CMS stated to watch for something called "Market Place Assisters" - more regulations to come out soon. CMS also stated that Agent and Brokers have done a very good job throughout America and will continue to do so.
CMS stated to watch for something called "Market Place Assisters" - more regulations to come out soon. CMS also stated that Agent and Brokers have done a very good job throughout America and will continue to do so.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
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