[…] Imagine a scenario where the rest of the country still has private health insurance combined with public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, but Colorado has universal health care. What would prevent an influx of sick people from moving to Colorado? […]
universal health care
Daschle And Health Care Reform
[…] The millions of Americans who lack any type of health insurance and the ever-increasing cost of health care are issues that must be addressed. And unfortunately they’re going to have to be addressed during a time when money is squeaky tight. I imagine partisan politics and lack of money will be a far bigger hurdle for health care reform than Daschle’s withdrawl.
Customary Charges Are Not Always Reasonable
[…] Pricing varies from one provider to the next; negotiated reimbursement rates vary within a single health insurance network; patients often don’t know what the price will be until after the fact. And as David Williams pointed out, the prices are often far from reasonable. We can’t do without healthcare, and that’s why unreasonable “reasonable and customary” charges exist.
Hopefully No Need For Offshore Medical Centers
[…] A little government intervention in terms of providing affordable basic healthcare access to all Americans through a tax-funded program is a good idea. But too much government intervention, in the form of a moratorium on private pay healthcare, is a bad idea.
Medicare Buy In Option A Good Idea
[…] I wonder what would happen if they did decide to open Medicare up to anyone who wanted it and was able to pay for it? If the premiums were lower than what you pay now, would you switch? I’m guessing that a lot of the 744,000 uninsured people here in Colorado would be willing to take a chance on government-run health care if they could afford the premiums. […]
Expanding Universal Health Coverage In America
[…] There’s a huge group of people with other serious illnesses who are having to struggle with not only their health condition but also with the status of their health insurance coverage. An expansion of Medicare to cover anyone with a chronic illness makes sense, and would eliminate some of the economic burden currently endured by those individuals.
We Already Ration Health Care
[…] At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we believe that everyone should have equal access to quality health care. And if that means that I would no longer have hundreds of doctors on my health insurance network, or immediate access to care for non-emergency conditions, so be it. A little rationing for all of us, but health care for everyone.
What Issues Concern Debra Bartoshevich?
I was watching our local Colorado news after the DNC tonight. John McCain had a commercial featuring a Hillary Clinton supporter who said she was voting for McCain. The ad said she was a “Former Hillary Delegate” and she claimed she was voting for McCain’s “experience and judgement.” This intrigued me because she was obviously very involved in the political process […]
Health Wonk Review at Health Business Blog
The Health Wonk Review is up at Health Business Blog. The Health Care Blog has an astute commentary on the state of the nation and how lobbying by special interest groups basically eliminates the possibility for meaningful reform in health care and a range of other issues. There’s a great graphic about obesity around the… Read more about Health Wonk Review at Health Business Blog
Demand For Health Care Decreasing
We’re noticing more and more of our Colorado clients requesting high deductible health insurance policies, with prescriptions covered only once the deductible is met. Does this mean that they are more likely to pass on meds? Probably it means that they’ll think twice before going to the doctor or filling a prescription. When an employer sponsored health insurance policy is paying for […]
Running Out Of Benefits
Perhaps all private health insurance could cover up to $5 million, and then for the tiny percentage of patients who need coverage beyond that amount, a government catastrophic insurance policy could kick in. If you end up needing 100 doctor visits a year, and high-end drugs, and weeks in an ICU, you shouldn’t have to worry that your health insurance is going to run out.
Independence Cavalcade Of Risk
the 21st century involves exciting details like choosing an HSA qualified health insurance policy and making sure that we have adequate liability insurance for our cars. Much preferable to sticking my neck out as a traitor against the British Monarchy. Without further ado, the Colorado Health Insurance Insider presents the Independence Cavalcade of Risk […]
Why Would It Not Work Here?
We Stand Firm has written an interesting article about the Colorado Medical Society and their support of health care coverage for Coloradans that should be “universal, continuous, portable, and mandatory.” I’m strongly in favor of health insurance for everyone in Colorado (and indeed, the US) that is universal, continuous, portable, and mandatory. I know this… Read more about Why Would It Not Work Here?
HR676 Headed In The Right Direction
I agree with PICU that it’s tough for individual voices to be heard in the healthcare reform process. Some stares are making an effort at reform – including Colorado – but it’s going to take unified, nationwide changes to really fix our health care system. Unfortunately there is a long line of deep-pocketed special interest groups who are deeply invested in maintaining the status quo […]
A Health Insurance Report Card
Included in the ratings are Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Cigna, Coventry, Health Net, Humana, United Healthcare, and Medicare. In the individual health insurance market in Colorado, we deal extensively with Aetna, Anthem, Humana, and United Healthcare, so I was especially curious […]
Mandatory Health Insurance Not Likely
In Colorado, two of the top five proposals being considered last year by the Blue Ribbon Commission included mandatory health insurance, and they’ve done it in MA – residents there are currently paying fines if they don’t have health insurance in place. But with Clinton out of the race, nationwide mandatory health insurance isn’t likely to come to […]
Individual Health Insurance Won’t Work For Everyone
We work primarily in the individual health insurance market. Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the US, and yet we still have about one applicant in ten unable to obtain coverage. Luckily we have a high risk pool – Cover Colorado – that we can present as a last resort, but the high premiums and out-of-pocket expenses can be a bit off-putting. Although 9 out of 10 applicants […]
Young And Uninsured
Most individual and group health insurance policies drop children once they are no longer full time students, although the rules on that have been changing in recent years. Colorado now allows dependent children to stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until age 25, and many other states have taken a similar position, with some allowing […]
How They Do It In Other Countries
At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we tend to be a little behind the times with our TV viewing. Jay and I just watched Frontline’s “Sick Around The World” – sort of like how we watched and reviewed Sicko months after everyone else. Lots of bloggers […]
Mixing Health Care And Capitalism
At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we’ve written about the financial devastation faced by families when a high-priced medication is not covered by their health insurance carrier. But it seems that it would be even worse to not have the option to at least try to purchase the treatment on your own. These are people’s lives we’re talking about […]
Health Beat Has the Health Wonk Review
In addition to Louise’s article on the new fourth tier here on the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, Maggie also had a recent post where she asks “Who Sets the Price at $100,000” and, does anyone happen to know, “Are These Drugs Effective?”
Government Health Care Is Better Than None At All
I found this article at the Health Care Blog and wanted to share it with our readers. Obviously this doesn’t only apply to McCain. All big-time politicians get government-funded health care. It’s a sweet benefit of working for the government. And there’s no way around the fact that it makes it difficult for a politician… Read more about Government Health Care Is Better Than None At All
Is Mandatory Health Insurance Unconstitutional?
I just came across an excellent article by Karl Manheim and Jamie Court. It presents some compelling explanations of how the idea of making private health insurance mandatory for American citizens may not be constitutional. At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, I’ve come out in support of mandatory health insurance, and also very much in… Read more about Is Mandatory Health Insurance Unconstitutional?