Comments for Patient Power Now

Comment on Health control bill will drown businesses in 1099 tax forms by neo darren

neo darren — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

health care bill should be one of main concern for congress

Comment on Colorado may cancel state-run “Prescription Drug Monitoring Program” by Nathalia Hashiguchi

Nathalia Hashiguchi — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Thank you Janee1234. Many people just want to keep abusing prescription drugs indefinitely. I wonder if they care about children who are dealing prescription drugs at schools. You are an ethical professional. Unfortunately not all health providers do the same.

Comment on United States Health Care ranking by Maxwell Cotter

Maxwell Cotter — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:49:00 +0000

The US health system has rated lower then 37th in a more recent study. More recent studies rated the US much lower. It is a cause for concern. We need Universal Health Care.

Comment on New HHS Regs Endanger HSAs, High-Deductible Plans, #thanksobamacare by Surgery Center of OK

Surgery Center of OK — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

You are correct. Check out my last blog at blog.surgerycenterok.com about the medical loss ratio. My high deductible plan will simply not be available if this insanity stands. Medical loss ratio will more likely describe mortality statistics than insurance payment formulas when this is all over.
G. Keith Smith, M.D.

Comment on San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center spreads flawed justifications for mandatory insurance by Sandra Stephens

Sandra Stephens — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you for the thoughtful and incisive analysis.

Comment on Colorado House Bill 1021: Mandatory maternity coverage by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:37:00 +0000

Regarding the drop in premiums, I was surprised too! (A spontaneous decrease in premiums from an insurance company–unheard of!) I do strongly urge you to read this very well-reasoned article from Forbes though, which discusses how insurance companies have been able to profit from Obamacare: http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/05/23/more-solid-proof-that-obamacare-is-working/

As for the accusation that I’m simply reveling in the additional benefits that I, personally, receive as a result of this bill: before this bill was passed, those with group insurance through their employers all had maternity coverage (women and men alike in group policies were already all chipping in to pay for the pregnancies and childbirths within the group), while those of us with individual, self-purchased health insurance policies had no maternity coverage or any reasonable option to purchase such coverage. This bill merely gives those of us who must buy our own insurance the same benefits as those with employer-provided health insurance. Furthermore, I will probably never benefit personally from maternity coverage because I plan to adopt children rather than give birth! It is nice to have the option though.

Comment on Colorado House Bill 1021: Mandatory maternity coverage by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 04:49:00 +0000

I'm surprised your premiums decreased. I suppose you're lucky. Regarding how you benefit from the mandated maternity coverage, I expect that you're among the few who benefit from it, at the expense of many others who pay higher premiums. (Unless their premiums also decreased.) In his book, The Machinery of Freedom, economist David Friedman discusses how special interest politics works:

Special interest politics is a simple game. A hundred people sit in a circle, each with his pocket full of pennies. A politician walks around the outside of the circle, taking a penny from each person. No one minds; who cares about a penny? When he has gotten all the way around the circle, the politician throws fifty cents down in front of one person, who is overjoyed at the unexpected windfall. The process is repeated, ending with a different person. After a hundred rounds everyone is a hundred cents poorer, fifty cents richer, and happy.

Comment on Colorado House Bill 1021: Mandatory maternity coverage by Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:04:00 +0000

I’ve had an individual policy through Anthem BCBS of CO for three years. After steep price hikes in 2009 and 2010 (without a single claim filed), this year, my premiums actually decreased a healthy 15% (and this was the first year I had filed a claim). This decrease comes after Obamacare and after the mandatory maternity coverage went into effect.

As a 29-year-old married, successfully self-employed female, I am extremely grateful for the mandatory maternity coverage. Prior to this bill, I would have had to pay an extra $600+/month for a maternity rider to be added to my individual policy, and the rider had to be effect for 12 months before the coverage took effect. So basically, if I ever had decided that I wanted to start a family, I had a pricey one-year waiting period before I could start trying, and then I had to just hope that pregnancy happened fast (and that it happened at all). Pregnancy seemed like a pretty dreadful prospect to me before this bill was passed (a $600 a month rider, on top of a $3000 deductible and no paid maternity leave–yikes!). I’m glad that things have become fairer for those of us in the minority who have to buy our own insurance.

Comment on Mass. authorities fine bankrupt couple for having illegal health plan by LorraineL

LorraineL — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:53:00 +0000

“Because, Herman explained, the state must establish if her family could afford other, better insurance, and that affordability is determined “not, unfortunately, from your perspective but from the state agency’s view.””

That should be in a new Rick Perry ad tomorrow. Unbelievable.

Comment on Mass. authorities fine bankrupt couple for having illegal health plan by John Rogers

John Rogers — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:04:00 +0000

I pay $1140 for BC/BS that increases 20-30% annually> To Save Money Bc/BS recycles the same anonymous form letter justifying the increase. Total family healthcare expenses (family of five, adults over 55), including prescription meds do not equal one deductible. BC/BS received $20 mil rebate from the state for payment of sales tax. My monthly premium notice has never indicated a sales tax fee. Slight of hand, slick lobbying? The state insurance commissioner and representatives couldn’t give a rats ass over the matter.
As a healthcare provider who bills BC/BS, I or my colleagues have not received 20-30% increase over the past 10 years. It’s all we can do to maintain what we have. (which ain’t much)

However, the green fees at Sea Island and St. Simons Island have increased correspondingly. The Vets and Dentists might have it right.