PPACA was written by insurance for insurance

[Montecresto]

In May 2010, after final passage of the current health care law, Senator Max Baucus, from whose Finance Committee the legislation emerged, stood before the Senate and members of the press to publicly thank the person he credited with making it all happen:

“I wish to single out one person, and that one person is sitting next to me. Her name is Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler is my chief health counsel. Liz Fowler has put my health care team together. Liz Fowler worked for me many years ago, left for the private sector, and then came back when she realized she could be there at the creation of health care reform because she wanted that to be, in a certain sense, her professional lifetime goal. She put together the White Paper last November–2008–the 87-page document which became the basis, the foundation, the blueprint from which almost all health care measures in all bills on both sides of the aisle came.”

So who is Liz Fowler? Prior to joining Baucus’ staff as the senior advisor on health care, she was Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for none other than the aforementioned number two insurance company, Wellpoint. Not to put too fine a point to it, but it would be equivalent to the chief lobbyist for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans), a national trade organization of over 1,300 insurers, infiltrating the Senate Finance Committee and writing a law to benefit not the American people, but the entire insurance industry. As it turns out, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not intended to make health insurance more affordable for the American people. It is designed to make the American people more affordable for the health insurance industry.

 

[TemplarKormac]

No. The PPACA was written by complete idiots.

 

[gallantwarrior]

No surprises here. Look who's making bank with this whole Obamabortion.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

You know, I've been saying this for 4 years now, but everyone keeps claiming that the ACA is a secret plan to bankrupt Insurance companies and lead to single-payer.

 

[KissMy]

You know, I've been saying this for 4 years now, but everyone keeps claiming that the ACA is a secret plan to bankrupt Insurance companies and lead to single-payer.

Single Payer Obamacare H.R.3200 might have bankrupted Insurance companies, but definitely not the PPACA that we got stuck with.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

You know, I've been saying this for 4 years now, but everyone keeps claiming that the ACA is a secret plan to bankrupt Insurance companies and lead to single-payer.

Single Payer Obamacare H.R.3200 might have bankrupted Insurance companies, but definitely not the PPACA that we got stuck with.

Because of the public option?

Possible, but I doubt it.

 

[Bfgrn]

In May 2010, after final passage of the current health care law, Senator Max Baucus, from whose Finance Committee the legislation emerged, stood before the Senate and members of the press to publicly thank the person he credited with making it all happen:

“I wish to single out one person, and that one person is sitting next to me. Her name is Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler is my chief health counsel. Liz Fowler has put my health care team together. Liz Fowler worked for me many years ago, left for the private sector, and then came back when she realized she could be there at the creation of health care reform because she wanted that to be, in a certain sense, her professional lifetime goal. She put together the White Paper last November–2008–the 87-page document which became the basis, the foundation, the blueprint from which almost all health care measures in all bills on both sides of the aisle came.”

So who is Liz Fowler? Prior to joining Baucus’ staff as the senior advisor on health care, she was Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for none other than the aforementioned number two insurance company, Wellpoint. Not to put too fine a point to it, but it would be equivalent to the chief lobbyist for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans), a national trade organization of over 1,300 insurers, infiltrating the Senate Finance Committee and writing a law to benefit not the American people, but the entire insurance industry. As it turns out, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not intended to make health insurance more affordable for the American people. It is designed to make the American people more affordable for the health insurance industry.

REALLY? Then why did they write this into the law??

Medical Loss Ratio

Many insurance companies spend a substantial portion of consumers’ premium dollars on administrative costs and profits, including executive salaries, overhead, and marketing.

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance issuers to submit data on the proportion of premium revenues spent on clinical services and quality improvement, also known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR). It also requires them to issue rebates to enrollees if this percentage does not meet minimum standards. MLR requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% or 85% of premium dollars on medical care, with the review provisions imposing tighter limits on health insurance rate increases. If they fail to meet these standards, the insurance companies will be required to provide a rebate to their customers starting in 2012.

 

[KissMy]

You know, I've been saying this for 4 years now, but everyone keeps claiming that the ACA is a secret plan to bankrupt Insurance companies and lead to single-payer.

Single Payer Obamacare H.R.3200 might have bankrupted Insurance companies, but definitely not the PPACA that we got stuck with.

Because of the public option?

Possible, but I doubt it.

I do not want to see everyone stuck with "single payer" seeing as none of the hundreds of US Government run VA hospitals even place in the top 100 US hospitals.

 

[Montecresto]

In May 2010, after final passage of the current health care law, Senator Max Baucus, from whose Finance Committee the legislation emerged, stood before the Senate and members of the press to publicly thank the person he credited with making it all happen:

“I wish to single out one person, and that one person is sitting next to me. Her name is Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler is my chief health counsel. Liz Fowler has put my health care team together. Liz Fowler worked for me many years ago, left for the private sector, and then came back when she realized she could be there at the creation of health care reform because she wanted that to be, in a certain sense, her professional lifetime goal. She put together the White Paper last November–2008–the 87-page document which became the basis, the foundation, the blueprint from which almost all health care measures in all bills on both sides of the aisle came.”

So who is Liz Fowler? Prior to joining Baucus’ staff as the senior advisor on health care, she was Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for none other than the aforementioned number two insurance company, Wellpoint. Not to put too fine a point to it, but it would be equivalent to the chief lobbyist for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans), a national trade organization of over 1,300 insurers, infiltrating the Senate Finance Committee and writing a law to benefit not the American people, but the entire insurance industry. As it turns out, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not intended to make health insurance more affordable for the American people. It is designed to make the American people more affordable for the health insurance industry.

REALLY? Then why did they write this into the law??

Medical Loss Ratio

Many insurance companies spend a substantial portion of consumers’ premium dollars on administrative costs and profits, including executive salaries, overhead, and marketing.

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance issuers to submit data on the proportion of premium revenues spent on clinical services and quality improvement, also known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR). It also requires them to issue rebates to enrollees if this percentage does not meet minimum standards. MLR requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% or 85% of premium dollars on medical care, with the review provisions imposing tighter limits on health insurance rate increases. If they fail to meet these standards, the insurance companies will be required to provide a rebate to their customers starting in 2012.

Peanuts. My wife and I each have a $10,000 deductible. I have spent $7,000 on medical this year, my premiums for the two of us is $650.00 per month. That's $8,000 a year additional. We received a $365.00 rebate this year. So, so far I'm $15,000 into it. The insurance companies in good shape.


Also, did you notice that insurance stocks soared this week. PPACA will NOT be bad for insurance. There are 'some' improvements for the insured to be sure. But this will be a boon for insurance. Just watch how they perform, and then we'll be here comparing patient complaints against that, as time rolls on.

 

[Montecresto]

A new report out from Bloomberg Government, Despite Predictions, Health Insurers Prosper Under Overhaul, confirms many of the predictions I have made in on this blog about the positive impact the Patient Assistance and Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on the insurance industry. I have made these predictions not just because they were obvious if you looked at the facts, but because bogus health care reform groups like Health Care for America Now, Health Access, and Families USA, and other groups involved with health care reform like SEIU, continue to push for ACA implementation by claiming it’s a blow to health insurance companies. News articles discussing this report and these groups also continue to overstate insurance industry opposition to the ACA.

According to the Bloomberg report, the largest for-profit insurance companies saw their average operating profit margins expand to 8.24 percent in the six quarters since the overhaul became law, compared with 6.88 percent for the 18 months before it was passed. Although not focused on the (nominally) non-profit insurers like Blue Cross, the report notes that “the recent performance of the largest nonprofit … plans closely parallels that of the largest publicly traded insurers”. Their future strategic plans assume the full implementation of the ACA.



http://turiano.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/258/

 

[dblack]

In May 2010, after final passage of the current health care law, Senator Max Baucus, from whose Finance Committee the legislation emerged, stood before the Senate and members of the press to publicly thank the person he credited with making it all happen:

“I wish to single out one person, and that one person is sitting next to me. Her name is Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler is my chief health counsel. Liz Fowler has put my health care team together. Liz Fowler worked for me many years ago, left for the private sector, and then came back when she realized she could be there at the creation of health care reform because she wanted that to be, in a certain sense, her professional lifetime goal. She put together the White Paper last November–2008–the 87-page document which became the basis, the foundation, the blueprint from which almost all health care measures in all bills on both sides of the aisle came.”

So who is Liz Fowler? Prior to joining Baucus’ staff as the senior advisor on health care, she was Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for none other than the aforementioned number two insurance company, Wellpoint. Not to put too fine a point to it, but it would be equivalent to the chief lobbyist for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans), a national trade organization of over 1,300 insurers, infiltrating the Senate Finance Committee and writing a law to benefit not the American people, but the entire insurance industry. As it turns out, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not intended to make health insurance more affordable for the American people. It is designed to make the American people more affordable for the health insurance industry.

Yep. Sad thing is, it doesn't seem like either 'side' really gets this.

 

[Steven_R]

No. The PPACA was written by complete idiots.

Actually, I don't think it has ever been figured out who wrote the initial draft of the bill. Who sponsored it, yes, but not who put pen to paper in the first place.

 

[dblack]

No. The PPACA was written by complete idiots.

Actually, I don't think it has ever been figured out who wrote the initial draft of the bill. Who sponsored it, yes, but not who put pen to paper in the first place.

As the OP points out, Baucus has acknowledged that it was insurance industry insider, Liz Fowler:

Obamacare architect leaves White House for pharmaceutical industry job | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | theguardian.com

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/09/08/liz-fowlers-plan/

 

[Montecresto]

No. The PPACA was written by complete idiots.

Actually, I don't think it has ever been figured out who wrote the initial draft of the bill. Who sponsored it, yes, but not who put pen to paper in the first place.

Liz Fowler of WellPoint wrote the original 87 page draft! It's in the op.

 

[TemplarKormac]

No. The PPACA was written by complete idiots.

Actually, I don't think it has ever been figured out who wrote the initial draft of the bill. Who sponsored it, yes, but not who put pen to paper in the first place.

Liz Fowler of WellPoint wrote the original 87 page draft! It's in the op.

87 pages? Just how did it turn into a 2,700 page monstrosity? At any rate, I guess the insurance industry has a death wish...

 

[dblack]

Actually, I don't think it has ever been figured out who wrote the initial draft of the bill. Who sponsored it, yes, but not who put pen to paper in the first place.

Liz Fowler of WellPoint wrote the original 87 page draft! It's in the op.

87 pages? Just how did it turn into a 2,700 page monstrosity? At any rate, I guess the insurance industry has a death wish...

Ever heard the old Uncle Remus story of Br'er Rabbit and the Briar Patch?

 

[TemplarKormac]

Liz Fowler of WellPoint wrote the original 87 page draft! It's in the op.

87 pages? Just how did it turn into a 2,700 page monstrosity? At any rate, I guess the insurance industry has a death wish...

Ever heard the old Uncle Remus story of Br'er Rabbit and the Briar Patch?

Uncle Remus is a legend in these parts. I went to his museum in Eatonton, GA. Of course I know the story. It was originally named Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

 

[dblack]

87 pages? Just how did it turn into a 2,700 page monstrosity? At any rate, I guess the insurance industry has a death wish...

Ever heard the old Uncle Remus story of Br'er Rabbit and the Briar Patch?

Uncle Remus is a legend in these parts. I went to his museum in Eatonton, GA. Of course I know the story. It was originally named Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

But you get the point, right? Insurance lobbyists aren't idiots.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Ever heard the old Uncle Remus story of Br'er Rabbit and the Briar Patch?

Uncle Remus is a legend in these parts. I went to his museum in Eatonton, GA. Of course I know the story. It was originally named Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

But you get the point, right? Insurance lobbyists aren't idiots.

Well seeing as how the law is currently imploding on itself, I beg to differ.

 

[dblack]

Uncle Remus is a legend in these parts. I went to his museum in Eatonton, GA. Of course I know the story. It was originally named Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

But you get the point, right? Insurance lobbyists aren't idiots.

Well seeing as how the law is currently imploding on itself, I beg to differ.

It's seems to be chugging along. How is it imploding, exactly?