Upset Yet Perplexed Health Ins. Broker Here...

First, let me state that I am a health insurance broker/advisor by trade. It's been
my primary career for the past 22 years.

I'm all for healthcare reform as it relates to the health insurance industry. Of the
168 families I've written health insurance applications for over the past 12 months,
74 of them were either approved with pre-existing condition exclusion riders, or
had at least one family member denied coverage due to an existing medical
condition, or one that was present within the past 5 years. It upsets me greatly
each time I have to give a family bad news like this...and it's happening more
and more frequently with each passing year. Premium increases are becoming
steeper as well...23% is the average for the Chicago area this year.

Even though I will have to make a major career adjustment if the presently
proposed H.R. 3200 Bill is passed into law, that's a sacrifice I won't mind making
if it means that everyone in this country will be insulated from the extraordinarily
high cost of medical treatments.

Even though this ( www.wrongreform.com... ) website does an excellent
job of explaining the technical parts of the HR3200, I'm still completely puzzled
as to some aspects of this proposed legislation. If anyone can shed some light
on these questions, I'll be grateful!

1. If this $1 Trillion dollar (over 10 years) plan is enacted, how will it be "deficit
neutral" as President Obama swears it will be?

2. Since there is a shortage of primary physicians in this country already, wouldn't
adding another 30 to 40 million people to their caseload burn these physicians
out and create long waiting lists?

3. It reads like the Government Health Insurance option will pay doctors and
hospitals less money than they make now. Since the American Medical
Association endorsed this reform proposal, does that mean that the medical
profession is willing to take a pay cut? Perhaps they'll make it up by having
up to 40 million new patients? Is that the AMA's thinking? Seems to me that
quality of care of decline because patients would be hurried through the system.

4. If Government Health Insurance eventually takes the majority of the
market, most of the 1500 health insurance companies in this country will be
forced to close. Has Congress simply decided that the Billions of Tax Dollars
paid by these corporations each year will not be missed? What about the
loss of tax-payments from the +500,000 employees who will be laid-off and
start drawing unemployment compensation from the government instead?

Personally, I think Congress is wrongfully using a nuclear bomb, when all
that's needed to fix the system are strategically crafted legislations,
combined with individualized subsidies. Blessings to each of you!
-CWM in Chicago

reply to post by carewemust


Nice post and welcome back...

thank you for the info

I agree that legislation and laws could do the trick for the most part.



[edit on 27-8-2009 by mental modulator]

Originally posted by mental modulator
reply to post by carewemust

 

Nice post and welcome back...

thank you for the info

I agree that legislation and laws could do the trick for the most part.



[edit on 27-8-2009 by mental modulator]

Thanks for the feedback MentalModulator. I really haven't been away
from ATS at all. Do a lot of reading here, but rarely log in.

Looks like we're going to have a "Ted Kennedy Health Bill" . Sounds
better than "HR3200". But then again, the Kennedy family may not
want this bill renamed after Senator Ted. It could end up being a real
budget nightmare.
-cwm

reply to post by carewemust


Some very valid questions you ask. What impresses me more is the experience you bring to the table.

I sold insurance back in the days for 6 months to self-employed individual. Many who could barely afford it but needed it.It broke my heart when they signed the contract because I knew the company was ripping them off, After 6 months I walked away. I knew it wasn't my calling.

All I can hope for is that our Representatives truly look out for the people no matter what bill they pass. Their past history is full of bills were they haven't. Time to swing the pendulum the other way.

reply to post by carewemust


On the contrary.. if REFORM is made (not overhaul -- gov replacing the ins companies) and ins companies are forced to accept the preexisting conditions your business will sky rocket and people will get covered.

The Gov plan is just an excuse for well, the Gov to take over health care.