The Whole Truth

A few weeks ago the Obama Administration announced that they were deferring the Employer Mandate component of the law. This created much buzz in the industry as to what would be the next shoe to drop.

A. Individual mandate?
B. Exchanges?
C. Subsidies?

Our answer is D. none of the above.

If you are a skeptic and believe that Obamacare is nothing more than a ploy to bring the country to a single-payer system, then why would they drop any of the above? Imagine if the Administration gets its wish and all the uninsured join an exchange. The Administration can then toot their horns and tell everyone how between Medicare, Medicaid and the Exchanges, Government has its hand in providing coverage to 75% of Americans. How difficult would it be to extend that to 100%?

While we’re on the issue of governmental control, isn’t it interesting that NYS announced two weeks ago the plans and rates on the exchange. Isn’t it interesting that two weeks later we don’t know what the networks will be?

Will high cost specialty hospitals like Memorial Sloan Kettering (Cancer) and Hospital for Special Surgery (Orthopedics) be included in the networks? Why is this information being kept from the public? I think we know the answer. The reason the State can advertise a 30% rate reduction for non group coverage is because the networks will be much narrower than what is currently available.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog. We hope to hear from you and please let us know any topics you’d like us to address in the future.