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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Customer Service Carnivale - The Good Mix edition

We usually participate in only a few "carnivals" (CavRisk, of course, and Grand Rounds and Health Wonk Review). But I was so impressed with my recent experience with the Sirius radio folks that I submitted that post to the Customer Service Carnivale.



Little did I know that that submission would get top billing...

Just Like a Bad Penny

Health insurance scams seem to keep coming back. We have addressed the AIM Health plan on numerous occasions including this post where the plan was exposed.



You might think that was the end of it, but apparently not. We were recently contacted by an agent that sold the AIM Health plans who is looking for some advice on how to track down the promoters and hopefully get his clients claims paid.



A snowball has a better chance in Hell.


When you have been around long enough you can smell these scams a mile away. Henry and I were approached by the promoters of AIM a few years back. Wild promises were made and talk of riches for agents that sold these plans.


Henry checked with the OH DOI and I with the GA DOI.


In both cases we got similar responses.


The DOI had no knowledge of the plans, they were not filed (and consequently never approved) by the states of Ohio or Georgia and never would be.


In short, the folks selling these as "approved" plans were lying.


Been there, done that.


Employers Mutual was one of the biggest health "insurance" frauds in the last 10 years. Not the only one, but certainly one of the larger ones.


Eventually the folks who conspired to manufacture and promote Employers Mutual were tracked down and sent to prison. You can read the tale of woe here and here.


Obamacare has added to the confusion as some people believe 1) health insurance will be free, and 2) they can wait until they get sick and buy health insurance at that time.


Come 2014 some 18 million or so will indeed have free health insurance since they will qualify for Medicaid under relaxed rules but the rest of us will have to pay a premium that will be considerably higher than rates currently charged.


And unless things change, you will be able to wait until you get sick and buy health insurance but that is then, this is now.


Desperate people do desperate (and sometimes foolish) things. People who wanted to believe they could buy health insurance after they get sick and expect the plan to pay their bills forked over hard earned cash to buy plans like Employers Mutual, AIM and other frauds.


No doubt these type of scams will continue, especially after 2014 when some slick marketing organization will come up with a "health insurance exchange approved plan" that is half the rate of plans in the Exchange and folks will buy it.


Too bad the folks that push these plans don't wear a mask and carry a gun. If they did maybe fewer people would fall prey to the scam.

Grand Rounds, Rants and Whines edition

Dr Pullen hosts this week's interesting (despite the title) collection of medblog posts.

Monday, August 15, 2011

You Lied!

Remember “Under [our] plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year,” ? That was then, this is now. As Joe Wilson said, "you lied".



Cost of Health Care to Triple Under Obamacare



According Medicare actuary Richard Foster, implementing Obamacare will triple the cost of health care:



In 2014, the actuaries find that growth in the net cost of health insurance will increase by nearly 14 percent, compared to 3.5% if PPACA had never passed. The growth rate of private insurance costs will rise to 9.4 percent, from 5.0 percent under prior law: an 88% increase.

Say it ain't so!



You add new benefits such as "free" preventive care, "free immunizations", "free counseling for diabetes, smoking and weight loss, so what? Just because more people are seeking medical services that are perceived as free, what's the big deal?



Taking 18 million people who have limited access to health care and putting them on Medicaid surely won't increase the cost of health care.



And requiring insurance companies to issue policies to people AFTER they are sick or injured can't possibly increase the cost of health care.



And here is a bonus of Obamacrap.



For 2015–20, growth in private health insurance premiums is expected to slow somewhat and average 5.6 percent annually. Underlying this expectation is that some employers of low-wage workers will stop offering health coverage (and many of their employees will move to the exchange plans, while others move into Medicaid or become uninsured).

But what about the penalty tax employers must pay if they fail to follow the government rule and provide health insurance?



The penalty tax is much less expensive than paying premiums.



Regardless of whether the employer pays the penalty tax or pays health insurance premiums, the customers are the ones who will pay in the form of higher prices for goods and services.



Corporations Don't Pay Taxes



You see, Romney was right when he said "Corporations are people too".



Corporations don't pay taxes.



People pay taxes and those who buy goods and services from corporations that have to follow stupid government mandates are paying in the form of higher prices.



This isn't rocket surgery.











Movin' on up....

It is with deep-felt pride and pleasure that we are able now to announce that our own Kelley Beloff has accepted the position of Medical Office Manager for a much larger practice, in...wait for it...Tampa, Florida!



The good news for us is that she'll continue as a contributing member of the InsureBlog team; her new position, both professional and geographically, will give her even more opportunities and insights to share with us.



Mazel Tov, Kelley!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Why you need disability insurance...

Because you never know:



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