Special Investigation: How Insurers Are Hiding Obamacare Benefits From Customers

[applegrove]

Special Investigation: How Insurers Are Hiding Obamacare Benefits From Customers

by Dylan Scott at Talking Points Memo

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/insurance-companies-misleading-letters-obamacare

"SNIP..........................



Donna received the letter canceling her insurance plan on Sept. 16. Her insurance company, LifeWise of Washington, told her that they'd identified a new plan for her. If she did nothing, she'd be covered.

A 56-year-old Seattle resident with a 57-year-old husband and 15-year-old daughter, Donna had been looking forward to the savings that the Affordable Care Act had to offer.

But that's not what she found. Instead, she'd be paying an additional $300 a month for coverage. The letter made no mention of the health insurance marketplace that would soon open in Washington, where she could shop for competitive plans, and only an oblique reference to financial help that she might qualify for, if she made the effort to call and find out.

Otherwise, she'd be automatically rolled over to a new plan -- and, as the letter said, "If you're happy with this plan, do nothing."

If Donna had done nothing, she would have ended up spending about $1,000 more a month for insurance than she will now that she went to the marketplace, picked the best plan for her family and accessed tax credits at the heart of the health care reform law.


..........................SNIP"

[hollysmom]

1. doesn't it all balance out in the end

with them having to give back the profits over 20%?

[applegrove]

2. Except that they sold a more expensive plan to someone who could

have got a better deal. No saying whether the insurance company would have had a big enough numbers of clients to make a bigger profit if they are selling an inferior $1000 plan. Would seem to me they would sell less because their plan is inferior but more costly. Then again they might sell more insurance plans to unsuspecting repeat customers. Can't really say if there would be much of a rebate.

[CoffeeCat]

3. I just spoke with a friend today, and her experience shocked me

A friend of mine who has her own successful business called the California exchange to find out about coverage and how she could sign up. The woman on the phone told her to pick the insurance that she wanted, and that the rates would later be disclosed to her.

WHAT???

My friend paraphrased back to the woman on the phone, "So you're telling me that you want me to pick my coverage without knowing what the price is? If that's so you can forget it. I'm not selecting something or purchasing insurance without knowing the cost."

The woman on the phone apologized and said that the insurance carriers would not be releasing any prices on the health-insurance until the beginning of December. AT that time the prices would be disclosed.

Lovely huh? These health-insurance leeches are holding back crucial information about pricing. Who in the hell is going to purchase health insurance without knowing the price? NO ONE! They're doing this to dissuade people from participating and signing up.

My friend said she will call back in December when the prices are issued by the health-insurers.

Isn't that just crazy? Someone needs to do in-depth reporting on these insurance carriers and how they are engaging in scurrilous tactics that make it impossible for people to participate. These insurance companies are doing this so Obamacare will fail, or their sign-up numbers will be lower--so they can all suggest that Obamacare is a failure.

They are messing with Obama big time.