GAO: Waivers issued to prevent premium increases

[Quantum Windbag]

It seems that Republicans and Libertarians are not the only ones who understand that Obamacare will raise premiums.

For months, it’s been unclear how the Obama administration’s Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO)—the new bureaucracy set up to regulate health insurance under ObamaCare—was deciding whether to hand out waivers to businesses and unions seeking exemptions from some of the law’s requirements. Now, thanks to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), we have a somewhat better idea: The administration was handing out waivers in order to prevent large health insurance premium hikes that last year’s health care would have otherwise caused.
According to the GAO, which prepared its report with the help and guidance of CCIIO, the Obama administration’s new insurance regulators “granted waivers on the basis of an application’s projected significant increase in premiums or significant reduction in access to health care benefits.” It’s not a bright-line test, however; there’s still a discretionary element. As the report’s authors explain, “officials told us that they could not exclusively rely on specific numerical criteria to define a significant increase in premiums or a significant decrease in access to benefits, because applicant characteristics and circumstances varied widely.” So the process is still not fully transparent.
But what’s most important about the report is how it reveals, yet again, that the folks running the ObamaCare show are aware of the effects the law will have on the price of insurance. Like the Obama administration’s decision to grant the state of Maine a waiver from ObamaCare’s medical loss ratio requirement, the GAO’s description of the waiver process is about as straightforward an admission as anyone is likely to get fulfilling ObamaCare’s new insurance requirements does indeed drive up premium prices and/or reduce health insurance benefits.

GAO Report: ObamaCare Waivers Issued to Prevent Premium Increases Caused By Health Law

For those who have a hard time following embedded links.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11725r.pdf

 

[Greenbeard]

GAO: Waivers issued to prevent premium increases

Er, yes. What did you think they were for?

You could've gotten that right from CCIIO's annual limits waiver page:

A class of group health plans and health insurance coverage, generally known as “limited benefit” plans or “mini-med” plans often have annual limits well below the restricted annual limits set out in the interim final regulations.

Since this is often the only type of private insurance available to some workers, HHS has issued temporary waivers to allow workers to keep this insurance. These “annual dollar limit” waivers last for one year and are available only if the plan certifies that a waiver is necessary to prevent either a significant increase in premiums or a decrease in access to coverage. Additionally, health plans that receive waivers must tell consumers if their health care coverage is subject to an annual dollar limit lower than what is required under the law.​

The more significant finding in the GAO report is that it confirms the obvious: the conspiracy theorists alleging bias in the process or politically motivated denials of applications don't have a leg to stand on.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

GAO: Waivers issued to prevent premium increases

Er, yes. What did you think they were for?

You could've gotten that right from CCIIO's annual limits waiver page:

A class of group health plans and health insurance coverage, generally known as “limited benefit” plans or “mini-med” plans often have annual limits well below the restricted annual limits set out in the interim final regulations.

Since this is often the only type of private insurance available to some workers, HHS has issued temporary waivers to allow workers to keep this insurance. These “annual dollar limit” waivers last for one year and are available only if the plan certifies that a waiver is necessary to prevent either a significant increase in premiums or a decrease in access to coverage. Additionally, health plans that receive waivers must tell consumers if their health care coverage is subject to an annual dollar limit lower than what is required under the law.​

The more significant finding in the GAO report is that it confirms the obvious: the conspiracy theorists alleging bias in the process or politically motivated denials of applications don't have a leg to stand on.

Is that the significant thing? I thought Obamacare would bring down health care costs. Does this the same way that Obama is going to halve the deficit? First they go way up, then they come down a little, and he claims it lowered costs?

 

[RDD_1210]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

 

[RDD_1210]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

 

[Trajan]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

find someone capable of explaining it and I am all ears.

Preferably NOT a shill or someone who will start by telling me how paper is milled.

 

[Trajan]

GAO: Waivers issued to prevent premium increases

Er, yes. What did you think they were for?

You could've gotten that right from CCIIO's annual limits waiver page:

A class of group health plans and health insurance coverage, generally known as “limited benefit” plans or “mini-med” plans often have annual limits well below the restricted annual limits set out in the interim final regulations.

Since this is often the only type of private insurance available to some workers, HHS has issued temporary waivers to allow workers to keep this insurance. These “annual dollar limit” waivers last for one year and are available only if the plan certifies that a waiver is necessary to prevent either a significant increase in premiums or a decrease in access to coverage. Additionally, health plans that receive waivers must tell consumers if their health care coverage is subject to an annual dollar limit lower than what is required under the law.​

The more significant finding in the GAO report is that it confirms the obvious: the conspiracy theorists alleging bias in the process or politically motivated denials of applications don't have a leg to stand on.

so the wavier for or to Maine is ONLY for these; “limited benefit” plans or “mini-med” in Maine...I didn't know that, I was wrong, I was under the assumption Maine as in all agencies/operators etc. ala med. plans etc. in Maine had a waiver.....ok then.

 

[RDD_1210]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

find someone capable of explaining it and I am all ears.

Preferably NOT a shill or someone who will start by telling me how paper is milled.

Enjoy.

http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8061.pdf

 

[Mad Scientist]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

1. Collect taxes for 4 years before so called "benefits" are implemented.
2. Give waivers to big campaign donors.
3. Done!

Thataboutrite?

 

[RDD_1210]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

1. Collect taxes for 4 years before so called "benefits" are implemented.
2. Give waivers to big campaign donors.
3. Done!

Thataboutrite?

You forgot

4. Implement communist regime.

 

[Polk]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

 

[Polk]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

You wouldn't ask that if you understood how this legislation was being implemented.

1. Collect taxes for 4 years before so called "benefits" are implemented.
2. Give waivers to big campaign donors.
3. Done!

Thataboutrite?

Where do you guys get this crap?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Quite true, Obama will not be up for reelection then, so he doesn't have to worry about explaining why everyone's premium skyrocketed.

 

[Polk]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Quite true, Obama will not be up for reelection then, so he doesn't have to worry about explaining why everyone's premium skyrocketed.

He doesn't have to worry about it because it won't happen. The reason waivers are necessary right now are because some of the early deliverables (coverage to 26, children can't be denied for pre-existing conditions) would increase the cost of coverage in the absence of the individual mandate.

 

[Greenbeard]

This is news? It's been stated multiple times on this very site that this was a major factor for granting waivers. The short term increase in premiums was too great for these organizations who needed more time to adapt their coverage policies to avoid such increases. Good work Sherlock.

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Indeed. In fact, no more waiver applications will be accepted after September 22, 2011. Thus ends the annual limit waiver process.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Quite true, Obama will not be up for reelection then, so he doesn't have to worry about explaining why everyone's premium skyrocketed.

He doesn't have to worry about it because it won't happen. The reason waivers are necessary right now are because some of the early deliverables (coverage to 26, children can't be denied for pre-existing conditions) would increase the cost of coverage in the absence of the individual mandate.

And the mandate will decrease those costs how?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Indeed. In fact, no more waiver applications will be accepted after September 22, 2011. Thus ends the annual limit waiver process.

The waiver process wasn't authorized in the PPACA, why should I believe they will en them at any point?``

 

[Trajan]

And the short term problem will magically disappear in 2014.

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Indeed. In fact, no more waiver applications will be accepted after September 22, 2011. Thus ends the annual limit waiver process.

Q-
did obama care actually grant authority to give waivers so as to exempt employers from the law’s annual minimum health care coverage requirements ?

 

[Trajan]

That's not a problem. The waivers aren't necessary in 2014.

Indeed. In fact, no more waiver applications will be accepted after September 22, 2011. Thus ends the annual limit waiver process.

The waiver process wasn't authorized in the PPACA, why should I believe they will en them at any point?``

oops didn't see that sorry.....so anyway...


answer please GB?