I think I've discovered one thing we can all agree on.
Despite health insurance reform, health insurance premiums are only going in one direction--up, up and away.
If you ask me, that's gonna be a bitter pill for politicians to sell to recession shocked Americans. But I guess this is why I'm not a politician.
But we must rejoice.
We Americans at long last, have joined the rest of the industrialized world. We now have "health insurance reform" and a law called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This law firmly entrenches the for-profit insurance corporations into the heart of our 21st century healthcare system.
We Americans, will have down the road, starting in 2014, affordable healthcare or is it affordable health insurance? Something will be affordable we are assured. But for now, confusion reins.
We have a long wait and two elections between now and the day we arrive at healthcare Valhalla. But I'm willing to believe that there will be a rainbow at the end of the road.
I'll focus on my own state, New York, because I know how bad things are here and I know that millions of New Yorkers will see no relief for many long years and will wonder where is our reform and our rainbow.
But, sadly what is happening in New York, is far from unique.
How are you coping with rising premiums, co-pays and deductibles and shrinking benefits?
How will you get through between now and when you see some "reform" in 2014?
Whatimmediate benefits are you expecting?
Please tell your stories.
What's happening in your state?
Do voters in your state recognize that for the most part, they will just have to suck it up, and hope that by 2014 they will be able to drink the cup of health care reform? Or will they ask their Democratic representatives, WTF, I need "reform", I need healthcare now. Well, I suppose they can always go to a free health clinic.
But the Free Clinics just can't take everyone.
Before I go any further. Here is a link to regulations.gov. This is where you will find over 1000 comments to HHS relating to how medical loss ratios are defined.
Over the coming weeks and months, slinkerwink and I will keep you updated on the direction HHS is moving on regulating the predatory industry which remains at the heart of of for-profit healthcare system.
In the meantime, here's what's happening where I live, in New York State.
New York is health insurance hell. We are the pay or die state.
The success of health insurance reform hinges on "bending the cost curve". Insurers must be regulated in order for meaningful cost controls to be enforced.
New York has the highest health insurance premiums in the nation because in New York State, insurers are unregulated when it comes to setting premiums. This is destroying middle class families in my state.
New York State is in the end game of the classic insurance death spiral. As such, the state has become ground zero for pay or die healthcare.
New Yorkers need the politicians to do their jobs and regulate this predatory industry. But they are asleep at the switch.
We have what is called guaranteed issue and community rating in New York. This means in theory, the insurance corporations must sell to anyone. This is true, but you have to be very rich to buy insurance in New York, this is why we are the PAY OR DIE STATE.
As a resident of New York (what I laughingly call one of the more merciful states in terms of your right to buy health insurance), health insurance and by extension health care is available, but, but, but, only to the affluent, to those who can pay the huge monthly premiums, the highest in the nation. As I said, we are the pay or die state.
New York is the most expensive state for small group and individual insurance.
And per the New York Times, "New York has the highest average annual premiums for individual policies: $6,630 for single people and $13,296 for families in mid-2009, more than double the nationwide average."
These are the huge unregulated rate hikes for HMO's (which are cheaper than say a PPO-preferred provider policy) by county.
This leaves an older and sicker population buying insurance in New York, and if we know one thing, the for profit insurance industry, only likes to insure the young and the healthy who never file any claims.
Between 2000 and 2009, New Yorkers with job-based health insurance saw their premiums increase by 92%, while their earnings only increased by 14% during the same period.
I know how bad it is in New York State, because I am a victim of premium rate hikes of 30% and more. But unlike say, California, where the insurance department is empowered to challenge insurers and their predatory rate hikes, and sometimes even win, in New York State the insurance commissioner is neutered.
It seems New Yorkers have been kicked under the bus. We've been told by Crain's, New York leading business magazine that no help is on the way.
With no end in sight to health insurance premium increases in New York's small group market, small businesses will be hit this year with hikes of, on average, 15-20%, according to brokers.
As more small businesses bail out of traditional health insurance plans in favor of cheaper high-deductible plans, costs are rising even faster for the traditional version. Some businesses have reported increases topping 40% a year.
Insurers say costs are rising; any features of the new health reform bill that might help lower costs are still years away from bearing fruit.
Here's how these three small businesses are coping with the turmoil in the market.
Here again are the immediate benefits of the PPACA.
Who will get the immediate benefit of the High Risk Pool? God knows, maybe they'll do a lottery.
Yesterday, I told you that Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said the money for the High Risk Pool is woefully inadequate.
Message to political class: Don't promise more than you can deliver.
I've made multiple requests to Senator Gillibrand to focus her attention on the catastrophe in New York. To date, I have not had a response.
Are your elected officials helping you?