Wendell Potter's Blog, page 29

Finally, Plain English From Health Insurance Companies

ObamaCare rule says policies must be written in language we can understand. You probably missed it because of the media’s focus on the fiscal cliff, but a provision of ObamaCare took effect on January 1 that can help you avoid making costly mistakes when you sign up for health insurance. At the very least you’ll [...]

Insurance Scare Tactics

They’re warning of ‘premium shock’ in hopes you’ll help them gut protections. One of the most ill-advised promises President Obama made during the health care reform debate was this: “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.” He should have known better. First, insurance companies and employers are far [...]

Don’t Raise the Medicare Eligibility Age

Change sounds good, but the unforeseen consequences are many. Over the past couple of years I’ve met many people who, as my mother would suggest, were wishing their life away. But I quickly understood why. These were folks in their early 60s—and even some in their 50s—who couldn’t wait until they turned 65. They were [...]

The Need for Tougher Regulation

Insurers navigate gaps in existing law to charge higher premiums for coverage. I’ve often said that the Affordable Care Act is the end of the beginning of health reform.  It addresses many problems associated with health insurance, but more must be done to control costs and access real universal coverage. And flaws in the law [...]

The Behind-the-Scenes Battle That Could Subvert Obamacare

Complex state level battle over stop-loss coverage could eliminate crucial consumer protections. I’ve written before about the tight relationships between health insurance companies and organizations that claim to represent the interests of small employers, specifically the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business. Those two groups have accepted hundreds of millions [...]

Giving Thanks for Regulation of Insurance Industry Greed

Obamacare rules will help keep health insurance affordable and available. Although it’s a few days past Thanksgiving, I’m still feeling grateful, even to much maligned federal employees. Last week bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services did us a big favor by resisting pressure from insurance company executives. Those executives wanted to keep [...]

‘Disrupt’ the New Buzzword of Obamacare Opponents

Disruption. Get ready to hear that word many times in the coming weeks, especially if you hang out inside the Washington beltway. “Disruption” will be the new buzzword in an upcoming advertising campaign aimed at scaring us. The campaign is selling the idea  that millions of Americans will face higher premiums and possibly be forced [...]

Translating Insurance-Speak

What the industry says about Obamacare isn’t really what it means. Health insurers invested a lot of what you paid them in premiums in an effort to get more of their friends elected to Congress. As the Center for Public Integrity reported last month, the political action committees of the 11 largest health insurers and [...]

A Bit of Truth-Telling on Obamacare

The Affordable Care Act’s benefits are hidden beneath the alarmist rhetoric. Wouldn’t it be great if our candidates had to take a dose of truth serum every morning before hitting the campaign trail? If they did, those of us who will be voting tomorrow wouldn’t be nearly as confused about what Obamacare is and what [...]

Who wins With Medicare Advantage?

The big five health insurance companies have begun reporting their third quarter 2012 earnings and so far, they are pleasing their shareholders with profits that are better than Wall Street expected, in large part because they are doing especially well in one key area: Medicare. Over the past several years, the largest insurers — Unitedhealth, [...]