The Battle for Health Care rages on. . Who's watching?

Keith had as his #5 story last night the "Tale of Medical Loss Ratios". .You know, the kind of subject that makes your eyes glaze over?

This was one of the provisions in the Health Care Bill that convinced us that the Insurance Companies were going to be able to continue ot game the system against us.

Right now in Seattle, there is a meeting of State Insurance Commissioners in whose hands our health care lies.

They are being beset by over 1000 lobbyists from the insurance industry. Where are OUR voices?

The new law said that 80 to 85% of the premium money they take in HAS to be spent on Medical Costs. This is the meeting where the States decide how to define "Medical Costs".

Naturally the lobbyists seem to think that Administrative costs, Executive salaries and, yes Lobbying should be classified as "Medical Costs".. .(not those pesky things like nurses and bandaids)

The "pressure points" on this battle are the State Insurance Commissioners. Do you even know who that is? Does anyone have a list?

Lobbying could be used as expenses in the language of the Bill. This is what I heard from KO. Correct me if I am wrong.

asking for volunteer lay-offs. This person owns homes in 3 states and has scheduled liposuction next week.

Quote:
Right now in Seattle, there is a meeting of State Insurance Commissioners in whose hands our health care lies.

They are being beset by over 1000 lobbyists from the insurance industry.
end quote.

The only difference is that the rich have a few more clients. That's all.

80 to 85% of the premium money they take in HAS to be spent on Medical Costs.

One way to increase profit is to INCREASE medical costs
1. encourage useless tests, don't negotiate the best deals, don't encourage generics, etc.
2. use the increased costs to INCREASE premiums - "costs went up, the law says we can keep 15% so premiums go up by the cost+15%".
3. their 15-20% is more.

Or, if regulators put a cap on premiums, they will say they can only use 80-85% of that for medical costs and use that to deny more care.

Either way (and in other ways) they have a law with a specific number. I expect them to abuse that, not use it to give us a better deal.

Bring me the head of Blue Cross.

http://www.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2009/02/28/blue_cross_ceos_pay_rose_26/



Blue Cross CEO Cleve Killingsworth.


Blue Cross CEO's pay rose 26%

Salary, bonus totaled $3.5m as insurer's net income slid 49%

By Jeffrey Krasner

The salary and bonus paid to Cleve L. Killingsworth, chairman and chief executive of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, increased 26 percent last year, to $3.5 million, even though the health insurer's membership declined and its net income fell 49 percent.


Based on previous years' retirement benefits - which Blue Cross-Blue Shield did not report for 2008 - Killingsworth's total pay package was likely about $4.3 million, making him by far the highest paid healthcare executive in Massachusetts.

The jump came during a tough year in which Blue Cross-Blue Shield's business was affected by the stock market decline, the recession, and the increasing cost of medical care.

Membership at the state's largest health plan declined about 40,000 to just over 3 million.

"The decline in membership had an impact on results," said chief financial officer Allen Maltz. "In addition, many of our customers changed their benefits plans to products that have much lower margins."


* Photo gallery Highest paid CEOs



James Mullen

Company: Biogen Idec Inc.

Industry: Medical supplies

2007 compensation: $10.6 million

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Henri Termeer

Company: Genzyme

Industry: Biotechnology.

2007 compensation: $12.6 million

Adrian Adams

Company: Sepracor Inc.

Industry: Drug maker

2007 compensation: $16.4 million



Arthur Remillard

Company: Commerce Group Inc.

Industry: Insurance

2007 compensation: $13.2 million

Convenient isn't it? Cost of a hospital stay just went way up. The doctor's charges (employees of the hospital) just went way up. Oh dear, your insurance premiums just went way up.

Oh yeah, people who were pushing for a strong public option as the minimum requirement for HCR.

Here is the accompanying kick.

What can a person say? The system is so gamed, and we are so screwed.

time to move along...and heap praise on the Democrats for this historic accomplishment.
or something...

"Remember the reasons behind the Guillotine you greedy bastards!"

Here is a way to contact YOUR State Insurance Commissioner and let him or her know that YOUR needs matter in this fight.. not just the clients of those 1000 lobbyists!

http://personalinsure.about.com/cs/statecommisioners/a/blcommissioners.htm

get a letter out there!