Sebelius to insurers: "zero tolerance" for misinformation

[HuckleB]

Source: ModernHealthcare.com

Federal regulators plan to order government reviews of all "potentially unreasonable" insurance premium hikes under a forthcoming rule this fall and publicly disclose the insurers' responses to the inquiries, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.

In a two-page letter to industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans on Thursday, Sebelius said insurers have been falsely telling their members that the reforms contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will cause premium increases in 2011. Sebelius warned the insurers that the administration will have “zero tolerance” for misinformation.

"Simply stated, we will not stand idly by as insurers blame their premium hikes and increased profits on the requirement that they provide consumers with basic protections," Sebelius wrote.

HHS will issue a regulation this fall that will order reviews of questionable rate increases by either state or federal officials. Any insurer who shows a record of imposing unjustified rate increases could be frozen out of the federally mandated health insurance exchanges that are scheduled to start operating in 2014, the secretary wrote.

Read more: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100910/NEWS/309109975#

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It's about time.

[RKP5637]

1. About time they started kicking ass IMO. n/t

[HuckleB]

14. Absolutely!

[gratuitous]

2. Or else . . . what?

Make no mistake, I'm glad HHS is watching this. However, seeing the general lack of action taken against large industry concerns that thumb their nose at governmental regulation, I don't know if this letter is going to have any of the big boys shaking in their boots. It's time and past time to use the hammer instead of endlessly pointing out that it's behind this door, and if you don't shape up, and soon, boy, ooooh, just you wait if'n I get the hammer out, because you might be very sorry then.

[depakid]

5. Exactly

Coming from an administration that's not exactly :cough: known for its "tough accountability" standards for anyone (except perhaps teachers and progressive advocacy groups) the threat rings hollow.

Based on the record.

[madokie]

7. Wouldn't that be referring to the past administration more than this one

As the man said it is going to take time to make the changes we all are wanting.

[HuckleB]

9. True enough.

We're 20-months in, and, while most of us are not happy that the administration hasn't held some parts of the scam society liable, it has proved to be a very different world in many arenas.

I spent this summer exploring wilderness areas that did not exist as wilderness areas until Obama came into office, for example.

[area51]

8. +1

For a long time now, insurers have basically been like serial killers or mafiosi; they add nothing to the health care mix except excessive overhead. They kill people by denying claims, pure & simple, and force others to live diminished lives due to claims denied. Also, as they only pay a portion of medical fees, they force people into bankruptcy. When are the people in this country going to wake up that it doesn't have to be this way? We have multiple models in other countries on how to deliver health care without fattening CEOs wallets. Single-payer is one. But no other country leaves health care to for-profit corps that are basically unregulated. There's a good reason for that -- they want their citizens to live. Our government does not.

[ingac70]

3. I dropped my health insurance today for this very reason.....

bought it last year, never used it, not once, and the little bastards spring a 25% increase on me come renewal. I called to cancel my policy, and this is the very line I was fed.

[HuckleB]

4. Is it a personal policy, outside of employment?

Just curious.

Cheers!

[ingac70]

11. Yes. n/t

[HankyDubs]

6. Some good people

opposed her nomination, but Sibelius knows this issue like the back of her hand and was a wise choice, considering how important regulation of unfair practices will be in the near future.

[Proud_Lefty]

10. Can someone help me with this?

Our office manager met with their insurance brokers who warned them that when Obama Care takes effect, all small businesses and individuals are going to be hit hard on their health insurance rates. I never heard of this before, so I didn't know what to say. Is this what Sebelius is talking about? Are the insurance agents telling the public the truth?

[ingac70]

12. That is exactly what Sebelius is talking about!

The insurers are jacking up the rates because everyone will be required to have it, so they see this as an opportunity to fuck us all.

[Proud_Lefty]

13. Thanks for clarifying

I don't know many people that are happy with Obama Care, but I didn't know enough about this part to respond to her. I hear so many people complaining about Obama, the same people that will be benefitting greatly from what he's trying to do for them once he does it if they'll stop trying to stop him. I just keep wondering if these idiots will ever put two and two together without Glen Beck's help. It seems the right wing is going out of their way to screw Obama, even if it ruins the country.

[Kringle]

15. there is a simple workaround for the insurance co's

stop doing business in a state

change name, come back a year later

charge whatever you want