Help us support the first meaningful step in healthcare reform. Action Alert!
The Labor Department recently released its proposed regulations to implement President Trump’s executive order by expanding association health plans.
You’ll recall from our previous coverage that the executive order expands association health plans, also known as small group health plans. The idea is that individuals with a common profession or interest should be able to band together and count as a “large group” for health insurance purposes. Importantly, these plans are exempted from certain Obamacare requirements, such as covering “essential health benefits.” Large-group plans also have more leeway in setting premiums, which can be based on the health of the group (currently barred under the Obama-era rules). Associations that gain large-group status could therefore offer less expensive, less expansive coverage if they were made up mainly of healthier members.
The Labor Department estimates that as many as 11 million Americans could get coverage under this proposal, which moves toward establishing the parallel, consumer-driven health care system that ANH advocates.
We are also awaiting rules that will extend the duration of short-term health plans, which do not have to adhere to Obamacare regulations, from 90 days to one year. This rule will also give Americans more choices with lower rates.
Action Alert! Write to the Labor Department and tell them you support expanding access to association health plans as a means of providing more freedom of choice in health care. Please send your message immediately.
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Insurance works best when it is universal and mandatory like car insurance etc.
Absolutely not.
Reason?
Mr. Trump, when did you start posting here?
Absolutely yes.. those association plans are cheaper because they are underinsurance policies that lead to non covered costs which leads to the prevous high rate of bankruptcies related to heathcare bills. Thus the costs are. Paid by all of us in higher hospital and health insurance premiums to make up for those losses.
Of course, it is a question of simple math.
That sounds like the logic of a Ponzi scheme . . .
Look up the definition of a ponzi scheme?
it would be nice to have plans that support alternative care which is less expensive and most of the time works better with no side effects. the insurance companies are missing out on a way to save money. guess they’re bought and paid for by the AMA and the drug companies.
Hear, hear!!
The way to get there is THRU UNDERWRITING HISTORIES of people who practice those IDEAS as part of their ‘association’ rules.. Then the insurers will be OBLIGATED to take notice and lower premiums… <> under these TRUMP Executive Orders…
then the ax falls as the insurers WANT TO LOOK WHOLESOME and so they will advertise that such IDEAS are worthy of premium REDUCING OPTIONS… like in car insurance… then we’ve got FRANKENSTEIN AND ROCKEFELLER BY THE THROAT….
GO FOR IT… AMONG YOUR GROUPS, set up an AGENDA TO FORM AN OFFICIAL ASSOCIATION for Health Ins…… and spread it
Obamacre has many flaws, but the essential health benefits are not part of those flaws, and ANH should know better. And, if insurance rates can be set based on health then we are back where we were before Obamacare, i.e., insurance companies excluding or ripping off customers based on health history. I am disappointed with ANH’s apparent position in this matter. If anything, ANH should advocate for the inclusion of alternative care, whether chiropractic, osteopathic, herbal, acupuncture, etc., into insurance policies.
yay! There’s movement in the works in the Labor Dpt to fix their rules to match the TRUMP / RandPAUL initiative to bring REAL ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON HEALTH CARE INSURANCE and costs..
TRUMP’s Executive Order allows this change so that groups of people who share an ‘ASSOCIATION’ — of whatever kind, work, lifestyle, alt-med etc — can get their own health insurance package with the POTENCY RULES THAT BIG GROUPS DO– namely with some accumulated history, the ‘associations’ can USE THEIR OWN UNDERWRITING CLAIMS HISTORY AS THE BASIS FOR THEIR PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTS… <> Lower premiums for those who do their own preventive measures….
so lifestyle choices, including alt-med use can BRING PREMIUMS DOWN and wake up the world……..
This link will take you to a LETTER (adjustable for your views) that will go to the Labor Dpt official IN SUPPORT OF SUCH RULE CHANGES…
The same policies for everyone means that NO ONE HAS ANY LEVERAGE, REGARDLESS OF HOW INGENIOUS THEIR SOLUTIONS ARE…… OBAMACARE, MEDICARE, ALL STRAIGHT-JACKETS!!
Our democracy is the leverage. And we had those association policies and they were not a good solution