Submitted by Jason Ramsey on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 08:54
With Obama taking oath as the President of America everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what changes he will make, particularly in the area of health reforms. While the people are hopeful for a reprieve the health insurers are wary.
The recession that’s taken a hold of the country has brought many laid off people face to face with health insurance and soaring costs. There only hope is that Obama will change policies and thereby make it easier for them to afford medical insurance. The health insurers on the other hand worry that Obama might shift the onus of health care costs from the people onto them.
Speaking on the subject were representatives of Florida’s biggest health insurers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Humana and Aetna. “We think every American is entitled to have health insurance,” said Glenn Baker, vice president of sales and account management for UnitedHealthcare’s small-business sector in Orlando. But “to make any major changes is going to take real intestinal fortitude because there’s going to be winners and losers.”
The insurance companies biggest fear is that under the new ruling they will have to cover people with pre-existing illnesses which would essentially mean that they have a heavier financial burden to bear. They feel it would be offset if Obama were to make health insurance mandatory which he has been reluctant to do. Stephen Birtman, Humana’s Florida government relations director, said, “How we get there, I don’t know,” referring to the difficulty in enforcing such a mandate.
Peter Diniaco, vice president of sales and service for Aetna’s Jacksonville and Tampa offices said the Government could help by signing up people who qualify for government-subsidized programs like Medicaid and Medicare but who remain uninsured. For the remainder, “we as an industry can develop products to serve that population,” he said.
Under present regulations a worker who is laid off is entitled to extended health coverage from the former employer for a period of 18 months under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). In COBRA the individual pays the entire premium without the company’s help and these are often more than double of what a premium cost while employed.
Reid Rasmussen, an insurance carrier relations manager with Dallas-based BenefitMall, a resource for employee-benefits brokers said, "Health insurance policies are like different flavors. Maybe the biggest company doesn’t have the flavor for your situation."
Also a member of the Dallas Association of Health Underwriters, Rasmussen recommends getting an insurance broker to help navigate through different options after a layoff. "That’s what they’re there for," Rasmussen said. "Without them, you might end up paying too much or buying more insurance policy than what you need."
Ann Rote, Aetna Inc.’s Southwest region general manager of consumer business said, "Make sure your benefits don’t lapse. Somehow, get coverage. A lot of people make the mistake of running naked for a few months."
Adding a word from an insurer’s point of view Bill Newton, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network said, “The principles we see is that it covers everybody. And it’s affordable,” he said of the Obama plan. Insurers, he added, “need to stop grousing and try to help create a pragmatic solution to the problem.” (Additional reporting by Harkiran)
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