Posted on 10/04/2018 5:53:41 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A proposal to repeal Obamacare entitlements and replace them with grants to states would reduce premiums for individual coverage by as much as 32 percent, according to an analysis by the Center for Health and Economy.
The Health Care Choices Proposal also would modestly reduce the deficit, increase the number of people with private health insurance, and cut Medicaid spending, according to Center for Health and Economy.
The proposal, the product of national and state think tanks, policy analysts, and others in the conservative community, embarks on a new path to empower consumers and return authority to the states to provide people with better and more affordable health coverage options.
The Center for Health and Economy developed the study, at the commissioning of The Heritage Foundation, by applying its independent model to the published Health Care Choices Proposal.
Unlike previous Obamacare replacement proposals, which the Congressional Budget Office forecasts would increase the number of uninsured by 20 million or more, coverage would dip by less than 1 million under the proposal in 2028, and enrollment would hold steady earlier.
The proposal’s consumer-centered policies also would induce changes in consumer behavior that would reduce health care consumption and lead to greater medical productivity, the study found.
The plan calls for repeal of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion and entitlements to premium subsidies, to be replaced with grants to states to assist the sick and needy.
Unlike current law, where federal spending increases dollar for dollar with premium hikes and Medicaid spending is unlimited, states would receive fixed amounts of federal money, which they would use to develop consumer-centered approaches to make health insurance affordable regardless of income or health status.
The proposal would free states from Obamacare regulations that dictate the kinds of products consumers can buy. States no longer would have to require insurers to charge unfairly high premiums to young adults or group all customers into a single risk pool.
Instead, states would use a portion of their grant to establish high-risk pools, re-insurance, or similar arrangements to protect those with burdensome medical care costs without saddling the healthy with unaffordable premiums. These reforms are the major reasons premiums would drop by 15 percent-32 percent, according to the Center for Health and Economy.
New choices for consumers would increase private coverage and reduce reliance on Medicaid. The proposal would allow people who qualify for subsidies to apply the assistance to the arrangement of their choice, such as short-term limited duration policies and direct primary care. Those changes would reduce Medicaid enrollment and increase the number of people with individual insurance.
The net result, according to the study, would be that 245.6 million nonelderly people would be insured in 2028, compared with 246.4 million under current law, a reduction of fewer than 1 million covered.
Congressional Republicans, who abandoned efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare more than a year ago, are weeks away from a midterm election in which voters have identified health care as their top concern. Democrats have put Republicans on the defensive by accusing them of wanting to scuttle federal pre-existing condition regulations.
Candidates looking for a plan to regain voter trust on health care need look no further than the Health Care Choices Proposal, which will reduce costs, increase choices, empower consumers, and protect the sick without making coverage unaffordable for people who don’t qualify for government subsidies.
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How dare the peasants want to keep more of their money.
TERM LIMITS
How about allowing the selling of health insurance across State Lines.
Luckily, I am a Navy vet, so I am going with the VA from here on out. Never signed up with that in mind, but it's sure proving useful now. So far, the VA has proven itself to be as good or better than the civilian docs I have dealt with over the decades.
And I have to admit, not having to spend time worry about "is this covered?" and "how much will this cost me?" every time I go in for a visit is positively liberating. I never considered how much of a burden the whole health "insurance" shit-show has been.
For the record, I received the 2019 renewal for my Humana Medicare Advantage.
There are substantial reductions in price including no monthly payment. Primary co pay and specialist co pay had substantial reductions.
something good happened
me too. I’m so used to bad news, I’m suspicious of good news.
The only way to reduce the cost of health care delivery is to eliminate health insurance and go to a pure cash basis of payment. That is the only way the cost curve can be broken. Excuse me while I go find Sancho Panza and another windmill to tilt at.
That's a pleasant surprise, after all the VA disasters I've heard about on the news. And that health insurance is a shit show for some people, including you, should not be surprising, since it is basically a corporate-government socialism partnership.
p
Insurance is a financial service contract which are controlled and regulated by the states.
On a related note, the same plan in Texas, where we're moving to in a couple of weeks, is even higher than here in California. Not sure why either.
I would suggest investigating the various Humana Medicare Advantage programs for the specific county in Texas to which you are moving.
An intresting fact is that under Obama care, overall the charges must be less than 80 % of premiums. The payout must be at least 80%. I think I stated that right. Any way, I think Humana was bumping the limit.
To prevent exceeding the limit, they gave money back. In one instance, they provide $25 quarterly free over the counter medicine from their store. When I came home from the hospital, Humana sent a nurse to see how things were going. I ordered some sullpies and Humna provided ten meals by mail.
They did not refund money but refunded stuff.
One of the insurance guys held a meeting at the township hall for seniors who would be turning 65 in the next year or so. I'm a young fellow, but my Mrs. is turning 65.
I liked the guy immediately because this is exactly what he told us. Medicare allocates $800 per customer per month to these various advantage plans because they are too incompetent to manage things themselves. That is why you can get a $0 premium plan which includes perks like fitness club memberships. He also said AARP basically package other plans on the market and mark it up handsomely for using their name.
Not going to happen. Nor can I count the number of things wrong with this idea.
Health care in this country is designed to shake every penny from our pockets and the nickels from our dead eyes. It is the industrial complex we should fear.
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