■ As we noted last month, it looks like the Feds are getting serious about cutting Short Term Medical plans off at the knees. Thanks to a tip from Insurance Services of America, we have some new details:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed major changes to short-term, limited duration insurance plans:
• Short-term health policies could be written for no longer than three months, instead of up to a year as is now allowed.
• Consumers would not be able to rewrite the policies.
Just more proof that the ACA was never about insuring people, just controlling them.
Consumers (and of course, agents) can comment on the new regs until early August.
■ Co-blogger Bob tips us that Palmetto State officials "warn the Obamacare health insurance marketplace is on the verge of collapse." Currently, most South Carolina counties have exactly one choice of insurers: Blue Cross. And it looks like they may be the only one left standing statewide for 2017.
■ Direct Primary Care continues to make inroads. In Cleveland, a local hospital network is offering their own take. Via co-blogger Patrick:
"On Wednesday, [MetroHealth] rolled out a program aimed in part at catering to people unhappy with the cost and complexities of their Obamacare plans. The program, called Select Direct, will allow patients to get primary care services by paying a fixed monthly fee ... You pay the amount and we'll take care of all of your preventive and health maintenance needs"
Which sounds great, since plans are available for as little as $40 a month. It's intended to supplement high deductible plans, or even as an ObamaPlan substitute. It's not clear from the article, but one presumes that it qualifies as an excepted benefit, and thus able to dodge thetax penalty fine.
As with all of these plans, of course, how one pays the oncologist and cardiac unit remains the big question.
Consumers (and of course, agents) can comment on the new regs until early August.
■ Co-blogger Bob tips us that Palmetto State officials "warn the Obamacare health insurance marketplace is on the verge of collapse." Currently, most South Carolina counties have exactly one choice of insurers: Blue Cross. And it looks like they may be the only one left standing statewide for 2017.
■ Direct Primary Care continues to make inroads. In Cleveland, a local hospital network is offering their own take. Via co-blogger Patrick:
"On Wednesday, [MetroHealth] rolled out a program aimed in part at catering to people unhappy with the cost and complexities of their Obamacare plans. The program, called Select Direct, will allow patients to get primary care services by paying a fixed monthly fee ... You pay the amount and we'll take care of all of your preventive and health maintenance needs"
Which sounds great, since plans are available for as little as $40 a month. It's intended to supplement high deductible plans, or even as an ObamaPlan substitute. It's not clear from the article, but one presumes that it qualifies as an excepted benefit, and thus able to dodge the
As with all of these plans, of course, how one pays the oncologist and cardiac unit remains the big question.
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