Roy Ramthun has written a great paper on HHS’s proposed-final regulation on Medical Loss Ratio, and how it will impact HSAs and other Bronze Plans in the exchanges:
The final medical loss ratio (MLR) regulations will likely create a vacuum for affordable coverage that cannot be filled by Bronze plans under the state insurance exchanges. If the “essential benefits” and “actuarial value” requirements are equally as discriminatory, there will be no affordable options available and the cost of subsidies will skyrocket. As a result, millions of Americans that have policies today that could have qualified as Bronze plans will be forced to change their coverage or drop coverage because they can no longer afford it.
Ramthun’s paper is here.
My last RedState post, which is on this exact subject, is here.
Roy has outlined how you can help, by commenting on the HHS rule — but you must comment by the January 6, 2012 deadline!
Moe Lane
PG DeFreese
Victoria Coates
Daniel Horowitz
Dan Spencer
Dan Perrin
lineholder (Diary) Thursday, December 29th at 4:41PM EST (link)Re: the mention of “essential benefits”, how may the recent decision made by Sebelius to pass responsibility for defining “essential benefits” to the states play into this situation?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/12/23/sebelius_masterful_muddle_112506.html
Could states define “essential benefits” in a way that minimizes the impact of the medical loss ratio and/or preserves HSAs? If so, how could this be done?
Good articles at the links! Thanks for posting them.
I so wish a Presidential candidate would talk about this
JSobieski (Diary) Thursday, December 29th at 4:53PM EST (link)the public debate on Obamacare focuses almost exclusively on the mandate issue, while this is far more damaging in that it will impact more people.
Most people have insurance. The mandate only impacts the relatively small group of people without insurance.
This issue will rob many people of their existing insurance and will destroy market based approaches like HSAs.
My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.
STOP THE MADNESS!
A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!