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In reply to the discussion: Obama administration quietly approves new Obamacare loophole benefiting insurance companies. [View all]pnwmom
(109,032 posts)in some small part, if you don't provide the public comment that the government is asking for.
This is all a work in progress, and they're asking for public comment. And they don't mean public comment on DU. Anyone who feels strongly about this should be submitting comments about this to the regulatory agency. That's how things work.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/259489931.html
A recent policy ruling from the administration went to unusual lengths to acknowledge concerns, saying the pricing strategy "may be a subterfuge" for "otherwise prohibited limitations on coverage."
Nonetheless, the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services said reference pricing could continue. Plans must use a "reasonable method" to ensure "adequate access to quality providers." Regulators asked for public comment, saying they may publish additional guidance in the future.
HHS spokeswoman Erin Shields Britt said in a statement that the administration is monitoring the effects of reference pricing on access to quality services and will work to ensure that financial protections for consumers are not undermined.