Random notes

Abolish discriminatory health insurance underwriting

Abolish discriminatory health insurance underwriting. A Federal Mandate should be passed that prohibits the insurance industry from the practice of medical underwriting of health insurance. All health insurance should be guaranteed issue.

Employer Sponsored Health Insurance must co-exist with the foundation of State Run Health Insurance alternatives in all 50 States. What many States are setting up for children needs to be set up for Adults living in those States, as well.

Employers with 5 or more full time employees must be mandated to provide health insurance to their employees.

Health Insurance should be mandated upon anyone living in the USA.

Medicaid income qualifications need to be expanded to 3 times their current rate.

I advocate EMR or electronic medical records, but not controlled by the government…

I advocate EMR or electronic medical records, but not controlled by the government. We already have the systems in the private sector. Just look at your prescription benefits. Private industry does a fine job of handling this data. Walgreens and other large pharmacy chains have all of your valuable health care information at their fingertips. Although this information needs to be protected, it should be available where appropriate--for example to triage Docs in emergency rooms.

Doctors who practice medicine in this country should be mandated to have their office online with all of the insurance companies who offer health insurance in their respective State. Hospitals should also have the same requirements.

Transparency is only the tip of the iceberg. When Insurance Companies, Providers and their respective Vendors all want more money for their services or products and the demands because of technology and access to better care are stressing the spine of the US Medical System’s back, something has got to give. What is likely to come out of any attempt at Universal Health Insurance is a good thing. The industry will still remain private. However, to play the game, Insurance Companies, Providers, Vendors and all Americans need to play by different rules. Yes, Americans want to know what medical procedures cost. The secrets of how to disseminate this information in an effective, useful way need to be unveiled. It is difficult to interpolate the data and verify its source, how it is collected and how to evaluate it in a logical way.

What about Outcomes Data? We should be asking what value we get for our premium money, cost shifted out of pocket exposure and our insurance company protection when we use a particular provider. What is the value of the dollar here? Why is one provider better than another? Is cost the most important factor? Or is the outcome the most important factor?

Medicare and Medicaid are doing fine. They have low administrative costs and yet higher reimbursement levels than the Nation’s largest health insurance companies. We are all paying good money for medical services being provided. So what else is new? Do Medical Providers and their respective Attachments deserve what they are getting?

The beginning of a Universal Health Care System starts with Health Insurance that is guaranteed issue or with no medical underwriting. Following that, all humans living in this country should be mandated to carry medical insurance. If people should be on public assistance, than we ought to pursue them and improve their lives. Medicaid must do a better job of getting people trained, educated and back to work.

The war in Iraq illustrates the senseless prioritizing of financial resources in the US…

Where are the American People’s priorities? The war in Iraq illustrates the senseless prioritizing of financial resources in the US and a useless, unnecessary arrogance that the rest of the world scorns us for. That arrogance flows down to all Americans. Just look at our savings rate, which is now at an all time low. We would rather spend $20 per week on Starbucks coffee than spend it on a health insurance plan that protects us from financial catastrophe. Imagine what we could have done to advance the US Health Care System with the money we spent on the war in Iraq. Did the war advance our freedom ideology? Are we safer from Rogue nations? Did we ever really get back at Osama Bin Laden? We have so many fundamental issues to address as a country. The USA is still the greatest country in the world. We must adapt to the global changes taking place more thoughtfully. We have many growing financial issues as Americans that will affect the entire middle class at all levels. The upper class does not have financial woes although they still face health issues like the rest of us. The lower class will hopefully be given the support to improve their lives and evolve to realize the American Dream.
Strong defense is good. What about strong defense against disease?

I’ll leave you with this…Can you guess what Proactive Health Planning means to your future?

AARP

I am happy to see an Association Health Plan available to a working age block of Americans...

In the NY Times article, “AARP Says It Will Become A Major Medicare Insurer While Remaining A Consumer Lobby” Mr. Novelli, CEO of AARP states that AARP’s mission is to create a healthier America. AARP is a lobby for retired people, a voting block with very strong political representation. Aetna and United Health Care are two of the nation’s largest health insurers. Will it be better in some way for Americans? All of these entities are out to make money. I am happy to see an Association Health Plan available to a working age block of Americans being launched despite Insurance Companies lobbying against them.

If more lenient or less stringent underwriting guidelines to attain health insurance are available thru AARP membership for people between the ages of 50-64 and come with competitive premiums, more people in that age group should be able to access catastrophic protection. That would be wonderful as Representative Pete Starks from California suggests. What a great opportunity for AARP and Aetna. It is a little perplexing that Aetna will ease its underwriting principles for the prospective members of AARP in this age group. For AARP, this marketing alliance with Aetna and United Health Care allows AARP to accelerate membership growth in a new target market and gives those respective carriers credibility and access to their new block of prospective members aged 50-64. This partnership is likely to lead to significant profits for all entities.

Sick Americans are still left in the dust, uninsurable...

Because these new plans from AARP are not guaranteed issue, this is not a significant announcement for anyone but AARP, Aetna and United Health Care. Sick Americans are still left in the dust, uninsurable. AARP’s premiums will eventually reflect the experience of this new group after a couple of years of new membership growth. So what is really new is a strategic marketing alliance that strives to increase membership in both an Association and a health plan. Not a healthier America. But possibly lower premiums, at first, for Americans seeking individual health insurance coverage in the 50-64 year old age group. If the underwriting is more lenient, the premiums will not be as competitive as some of the alternatives that may be available in each respective state. Let’s see if this marketing opportunity for AARP and Aetna leads to doing the right thing and more Americans become insured at a lower premium. Wouldn’t that suggest that AHP’s are a good thing?