health policy

For Profit Health Sector Mostly Rejoices on Health Care Vote

The New York Times has a fairly good overview piece on which for profit health care businesses will make out like bandits.

With a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system, Congress would be giving the health care industry as many as 32 million additional paying customers in the next few years.

That would mean millions more Americans buying private health insurance and better able to pay for their hospital stays, doctors’ visits, prescription drugs and medical devices.

Over all, the legislation would be a positive for much of the industry, said Les Funtleyder, who oversees health care strategy for Miller Tabak & Company, a New York investment firm.

Here is the great change:

New Obamacare plan online - might hit insurance premium gougers

The Obama administration has unveiled a new plan and put it online at whitehouse.gov.

Ya know the White House needs to reduce their wordiness, especially when it doesn't say much.

One good thing is a rate review of insurance premiums.

One essential policy is “rate review” meaning that health insurers must submit their proposed premium increases to the State authority or Secretary for review. The President’s Proposal strengthens this policy by ensuring that, if a rate increase is unreasonable and unjustified, health insurers must lower premiums, provide rebates, or take other actions to make premiums affordable. A new Health Insurance Rate Authority will be created to provide needed oversight at the Federal level and help States determine how rate review will be enforced and monitor insurance market behavior.