How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare

[nathanm]

You do realize the waivers go away in 2014, right? The point of them is to give companies that would otherwise stop offering coverage to some of their employees altogether an out until the exchange system gets up and running.

[Gaspar]

You do realize the waivers go away in 2014, right? The point of them is to give companies that would otherwise stop offering coverage to some of their employees altogether an out until the exchange system gets up and running.

You do realize that that's not what I am talking about, right?  AARP is also also one of the nation's largest insurance providers.  They just received an exemption to the rules governing insurance price regulation under Obamacare.  They and other GAP providers are now free to raise their prices on patients without the regulation levied on other health insurance organizations.

They did not receive a waver for coverage, they received an exemption from regulation!

[nathanm]

It would be fantastic if I could find something specific to AARP that doesn't come from some LGF equivalent site. Maybe tomorrow the mainstream press will pick up on Rush's BS and I can actually understand what it's about.

AFAIK, AARP markets insurance plans, but does not offer them itself. Perhaps I'm mistaken. I am, after all, not eligible for any of their services.

[Red Arrow]

I am, after all, not eligible for any of their services.

Wait a few years.

[Gaspar]

It would be fantastic if I could find something specific to AARP that doesn't come from some LGF equivalent site. Maybe tomorrow the mainstream press will pick up on Rush's BS and I can actually understand what it's about.

AFAIK, AARP markets insurance plans, but does not offer them itself. Perhaps I'm mistaken. I am, after all, not eligible for any of their services.

Wow Nate.  The AARP is the nation's biggest seller of Medigap policies through United Healthcare.  Royalty revenues from these sales now comprise more than half (60.3 percent) of all AARP revenues.  In 1999, Medigap royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization's total revenues.  So in a little over 10 years AARP went from a member supported organization to an insurance sales organization.

AARP lobbied for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150 billion, and now we understand why.  Their income from the royalties on the sales of unregulated Medigap plans is massive.  Medicare Advantage plans are required under Obamacare to pay out 85% of premium revenues as claims.  AARP lobbied to make sure that the Medigap plans were only required to pay out 65% of premium revenues as claims.  Now with this exemption, Medigap plans such as the ones AARP markets under UHC don't even have to meet that requirement.  This is sure to make AARP the most powerful insurance sales organization in the US.

You are correct.  I am fairly sure that most of the media will pay little attention to this.  That we can count on.

Just because Katy, Brian, or Jon are instructed not to discuss something doesn't make it any less true.  The exemption was signed on Thursday of last week.

[nathanm]

Marketing insurance and selling insurance is not the same thing, but you can keep beating the drum of lies if you like. If you want to rail against something, at least try the truth.

And personally? I'd like to see Medicare Advantage plans canned entirely. They cost Medicare more and give the consumer less. They're a large part of the Medicare funding problem, actually. I don't know enough about Medigap plans to comment. At first read, it looks like they work as the name implies, covering certain things that Medicare doesn't cover. Not exactly what the health care law was aimed at in the first place. Perhaps my mind will change on that with new information.

I guess you'll take any port in a storm, though.

Oh:

"But this story's mischaracterization of the senators' letter and the new rules is inexcusable.  In fact, the senators acknowledged that Medigap rates are regulated at the state level and encouraged Secretary Sebelius to work with governors and state insurance commissioners to build new consumer protections.  Nowhere do the senators ask the Secretary to include Medigap in the regulations issued this week because they know states regulate rates for these insurance policies, not the federal government.

[Gaspar]

Marketing insurance and selling insurance is not the same thing, but you can keep beating the drum of lies if you like.

60.3% of AARP's total revenue comes from the sale of Medigap plans. 

Selling, marketing, modeling, representing, lobbying, snorting, vomiting, or excreting, you pick the term.  I could care less what Nate wishes to call it.  The majority of revenue AARP receives are from the SALE of Medigap plans to senior citizens who do not receive adequate coverage under Medicare.

[Gaspar]

"But this story's mischaracterization of the senators' letter and the new rules is inexcusable.  In fact, the senators acknowledged that Medigap rates are regulated at the state level and encouraged Secretary Sebelius to work with governors and state insurance commissioners to build new consumer protections.  Nowhere do the senators ask the Secretary to include Medigap in the regulations issued this week because they know states regulate rates for these insurance policies, not the federal government.

Hey, that's kinda funny too, where'd you get that?

The reason it's funny is because states actually regulate ALL rates for supplemental insurance policies.  The Obamacare regulations are what changes that, not the other way around! 

[Gaspar]

Nevermind I found it.  Easier to understand in context.  It's AARP's response.

AARP spokesman Jim Dau responds to TheDC's story:

"AARP supported the health care law's provisions to review insurance premium increases, just as we supported the law itself.  And we agree with Senators Reid, Kerry and Baucus that more consumer protections are needed in the Medigap market, which was not addressed in the law. It's why we've endorsed Sen. Kerry's bill to ensure people in Medicare can't be denied a Medigap policy because of their health history.

"But this story's mischaracterization of the senators' letter and the new rules is inexcusable.  In fact, the senators acknowledged that Medigap rates are regulated at the state level and encouraged Secretary Sebelius to work with governors and state insurance commissioners to build new consumer protections.  Nowhere do the senators ask the Secretary to include Medigap in the regulations issued this week because they know states regulate rates for these insurance policies, not the federal government.

"To be clear, AARP is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a membership. While there are insurance products that carry the AARP name, they are underwritten by insurers such as Delta Dental, UnitedHealth Group, and Aetna and others—not AARP.  We work to ensure those products meet our standards and provide value to our members.

"We would applaud members of Congress from either side of the aisle who put forward legislation to strengthen consumer protections in the Medigap market, just as we welcomed Sen. Kerry's common sense legislation."

[nathanm]

60.3% of AARP's total revenue comes from the sale of Medigap plans.  

Selling, marketing, modeling, representing, lobbying, snorting, vomiting, or excreting, you pick the term.  I could care less what Nate wishes to call it.  The majority of revenue AARP receives are from the SALE of Medigap plans to senior citizens who do not receive adequate coverage under Medicare.

You have a very strange definition of 'adequate.' I've never known it to be a synonym for 'perfect.' Keep spinning the good spin, my man!

It's an utter lie to say that 'AARP' got an exemption from the law, just as it would be a lie to say that my mortgage broker was exempt from a law that does not apply to them, but does apply to the banks whose loans they broker. Or the same way it would be a lie to say that I'm subject to HIPAA regulations because some of my clients are.

UnitedHealth pays AARP to use their name to help sell smile to old people, just like many other companies do. The facts don't support your rant. Take your lumps and move on.

[Gaspar]

You have a very strange definition of 'adequate.' I've never known it to be a synonym for 'perfect.' Keep spinning the good spin, my man!

It's an utter lie to say that 'AARP' got an exemption from the law, just as it would be a lie to say that my mortgage broker was exempt from a law that does not apply to them, but does apply to the banks whose loans they broker. Or the same way it would be a lie to say that I'm subject to HIPAA regulations because some of my clients are.

UnitedHealth pays AARP to use their name to help sell smile to old people, just like many other companies do. The facts don't support your rant. Take your lumps and move on.

AARP receives a commission for every policy sold under the AARP name and on the AARP Insurance Sales website.


These royalties make up 60.3% of AARP revenue.

Interpret that as you wish. 

[nathanm]

You can keep repeating yourself, but you still have failed to even assert that they're an insurance company, much less that they are subject to the Affordable Care Act, except as an employer. In other words, you're still lying.

[Conan71]

60.3% of AARP's total revenue comes from the sale of Medigap plans. 

Selling, marketing, modeling, representing, lobbying, snorting, vomiting, or excreting, you pick the term.  I could care less what Nate wishes to call it.  The majority of revenue AARP receives are from the SALE of Medigap plans to senior citizens who do not receive adequate coverage under Medicare.

I think what he's referring to is AARP is not the "insurance provider".  AARP is effectively the sales agent, much like FMC sells or markets insurance for Hanover and a number of other companies but she is NOT the provider though. 

Pretty interesting read you provided and it certainly does seem to illustrate a good motive for the way AARP has maneuvered in lobbying for Obamacare, then wanting to be waived from it.

[nathanm]

Pretty interesting read you provided and it certainly does seem to illustrate a good motive for the way AARP has maneuvered in lobbying for Obamacare, then wanting to be waived from it.

They can't be waived from the specific provisions the wingers (and Gaspar) are talking about unless they are in fact an insurance provider. You'd think that Gaspar could come up with some evidence that they are in fact in that business by now.

Oh, and he also fails to mention that AARP is a non-profit. The insurance broker, if you want to call it that, is a for-profit wholly owned subsidiary, but AARP still has to use that money for whatever it is their mission is.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4767498_aarp-corporate-structure.html

[Conan71]

They can't be waived from the specific provisions the wingers (and Gaspar) are talking about unless they are in fact an insurance provider. You'd think that Gaspar could come up with some evidence that they are in fact in that business by now.

I hear the sound of splitting hairs here.

But AARP could lobby on behalf of UHC, Delta, Aetna, and whomever else's insurance they market to their members so they can get a waiver.

He actually provided information they are non-profit in the citation he used.  Non-profit is misleading anyhow.  Lots of big salaries being doled out at that non-profit, as well as millions spent on lobbying.