Obamacare 21 Page Application - The Video

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Look for the Union Label (ObamaTax Schadenfreude Part Deux)

Politically astute readers already know that The ObamaTax had major Union backing, both financially and manpower-wise. Now that it's in full-swing, though, those same folks are experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse:"Union leaders say many of the law's requirements will drive up the costs for their health-care plans and make unionized workers less competitive"Ya think?They're counting on their lower-paid...

Health Wonk Review - Waste, Warnings and the Future

Maggie Mahar hosts this week's roundup of wonky posts. Lots of material, well laid-out. Do stop ...

IRS to the Rescue

The white knights at the IRS have swooped in to save the day by defining "affordable" . . . sort of.Employees can receive government tax credits to buy insurance for their families if the coverage their employers offer would cost more than 9.5 percent of their income, the IRS said today in final regulations. That calculation...

Truth AND Consequences

So, the ObamaTax Mandate is scheduled to take full effect in 11 short months.Or is it?"The Obama administration took new steps ... toward implementing the individual mandate ... downplaying the scope of the unpopular provision by stressing rules that allow exemptions from the requirement to purchase insurance."Hmm, now where...

Free money?

It's that time of year again: various tax services touting "maximum refund," sundry retailers with "suggestions" on how to spend those rebates, and the annual Flight of the W-2's as employers inform us how much we got paid last year.Oh, and something new this year: Box 12."What the heck's a Box 12" you ask?Thanks to The ObamaTax,...

Your Obamacare Application

The simplified version.Only 21 pages . . .Click to revi...

Is there no virtue among us?

The difficult and heartbreaking public discussion continues over how to unravel the Newtown catastrophe and respond effectively.  Everyone has ideas. Some of the ideas make sense to me, others do not, including the notion that increased regulation of mental health insurance benefits is a necessary part of the response.  More generally, politicians seem to think  - and exhort the public...

Ch-ch-changes, HRA-style

The ObamaTax promises to touch just about anything and everything health insurance-related. A recent email informed us about the latest on The ObamaTax 's impact on Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs):"The preamble to [The ObamaTax] distinguished between HRAs that are "integrated" with a group health plan and HRAs that...

MiniMed Maelstrom [UPDATED]

It had appeared that so-called MiniMed (aka "limited benefit") plans would be (for the most part) exempt from ObamaTax requirements. The ObamaTax itself seems to say that, but it's not really that simple (these things rarely are):"[HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious] said the agency PPACA regulations include a number of rules governing...

Pancreatic Cancer: Good News and Bad

It appears that a high-school student may have come up with an inexpensive, accurate and early method for detecting pancreatic cancer:"Jack Andraka [has] developed a simple dip-stick test for levels of mesothelin, a biomarker for early stage pancreatic cancer found in blood and urine ... His novel patent-pending sensor has...

Shareholder Equity

Shareholder equity is a term very familiar to business owners and citizens that own stock. Quite simply, shareholder equity represents the net value of a company divided by the number of shareholders.If you own stock in McDonalds (MCD) the shareholder equity is roughly $14 trillion which translates in to about $94 per share....

Cannon Fire!

FoIB (and Cato Institute director of health policy studies) Michael Cannon fires another volley across the bow of ObamaTax advocat...

Unfortunate Agent Tricks - An Update

Oy, where to begin? One supposes that the beginning would be a good place:"[Insurance agent] Mark String Sr pleaded not guilty to 59 counts of promotion of prostitution"Generally speaking, this would not be auspicious. And, of course, it wasn't.Now fast-forward a few months, and we learn about the latest "doings" in The Pine...

Oh, Pew!

Bob noted this morning that folks who choose to engage in risky behavior (smoking, over-eating, etc) end up paying more for health insurance. But as (presumably responsible) adults are we doing enough to mitigate those very risks?FoIB Holly R tips us to this Pew Research graphic, according to which we're making some strides: Frankly,...

Death Cab for Fatty

Looking for health insurance? Smokers and obese are paying more, and why not?Annual health care costs are roughly $96 billion for smokers and $147 billion for the obese, the government says. These costs accompany sometimes heroic attempts to prolong lives, including surgery, chemotherapy and other measures.But despite these...

Obamacare Age Rating

In picture format . . .Link to larger im...

Another One (or Two) Bites the Dust

About those Obamacare health insurance exchanges  . . .As we get closer to the starting date it seems more carriers are getting cold feet, or at least indicating a very limited interest in playing the Obamacare game.“Aetna has already declared that they do not believe their future is selling health insurance coverage in an environment where margins and profits are regulated by an 85% medical...

A very expensive butt

No, not that kind; this kind:"Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in [The ObamaTax] ... allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums"This is hysterically funny.First, since health insurance plans will be guaranteed issue, pre-existing conditions covered almost immediately, and insurers are...

Cute, but naive: LTCi and DNA

Long Term Care insurance is one of the two most complicated products we sell. There are a lot of "moving parts," and underwriting is especially important. These plans represent a tremendous risk for carriers (and are priced to reflect this, of course). One factor upon which they rely is ones' family history and, sometimes,...

Why you need Disability Insurance

Because, we...

Playing Chicken

You may remember the game of "chicken" from your youth. Usually a lot of testosterone in the air as two males seek to prove which one is better in hopes of winning the affection of a female.In case you forgot, perhaps this scene from the original Footloose will refresh your memory. Kevin Bacon and some other guy are trying to win the heart of the hot girl played by Lori Singer. Instead of cars, they...

Network Numbness

From email I received this morning:"Kettering Anesthesia Associates, which serves [various providers in the Dayton, OH area], has chosen to terminate its provider contract with Anthem ... Consequently, Anthem members may be billed by Kettering Anesthesia Associates for any balance not covered by Anthem"This is SOP when dealing...

Health insurance? Aisle 12

[Oy - scooped AGAIN! Still, mine is a bit different take on the subject. HGS]This may start in the Golden State, but don't doubt for a New York minute that it won't catch on across the country:"The California Health Benefit Exchange board is hoping to get retail stores to provide in-store enrollment assistance for the state's...

Walmartian Insurance

Leave it to California to be a trendsetter in Obamacare. In an effort to expand access to Obamacare, the state board is encouraging retail establishments to come on board with help centers and kiosks. The idea is to increase awareness about Obamacare and get more people covered under this (mostly) taxpayer funded plan.To participate...

Hurry Up and Die

Old people are a financial drag on government provided, taxpayer funded health care. This is especially true for those who have a terminal condition. Taxpayer funds are used to pay for care that does not improve quality of life and rarely extends life. End of life care is expensive.The government confirms this by stating "the...

John Kerry on How to Kill Medicare

Medicare has always been a failure measured by what it was supposed to accomplish: protect Grandma from losing the shirt off her back, and cost. But it was a very popular failure. Conservatives have wondered for years how to rid the nation of this albatross. Thankfully John Kerry has struck the first blow for freedom:"Meanwhile, John Kerry found another way to raid the health care system. The Senator...

Well Duh! then how much higher?

Bob discussed a WSJ blog explaining why rates are going to go up. Forbes has a hint just how bad it might be and early discussion of pushing back some of the expensive parts:"A California insurance broker, who sells health plans to individuals and small businesses, told me that she’s prepping her clients for a sticker shock. Her local carriers are hinting to her that premiums may triple this fall,...

Well Duh!

Central to ObamaCare are requirements that health insurers (1) accept everyone who applies (guaranteed issue), (2) cannot charge more based on serious medical conditions (modified community rating), and (3) include numerous coverage mandates that force insurance to pay for many often uncovered medical conditions.Guaranteed...

Cavalcade of Risk #175: A Lighter Side of Risk

Julie Ferguson hosts a light-hearted edition of our bi-weekly collection of risky posts. There's little risk that you won't be amused and enlightened.So drop by for a laugh, and stay for an insight (or three)....

Schooling the ObamaTax

As we reported in November, higher education employment opportunities are on the chopping block thanks to the ObamaTax. In just a few short months, the ripple effect has continued to grow:"A handful of schools, including Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania and Youngstown State University in Ohio, have curbed...