Maine gets Obamacare waiver

[ed1066]

Seems no one wants this shitty piece of unconstitutional, illegal and just plain bad legislation fouling up their state, their business or their personal life. Can't say I blame 'em...

www.cnbc.com/id/41978227

PORTLAND, Maine - The federal government Tuesday granted Maine a waiver of a key provision in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, citing the likelihood that enforcement could destabilize the state's market for individual health insurance.

The U.S. Health and Human Services department said in a letter it would waive the requirement that insurers spend 80 cents to 85 cents of every premium dollar on medical care and quality improvement. Instead, the letter said, the state could maintain its 65 percent standard for three years, with the caveat that HHS intends to review the figures after two years.

The decision makes Maine the first state to receive a waiver of the requirement. Similar requests are pending from Kentucky, Nevada and New Hampshire.

[deziloooooo]

I see it as another tweaking of the program as the States look at it closely and try to figure out the ramamfications of it as it pertains to their particuler situations. I expect a bit more tweaking, even some major changes possible as more and more parts are ready to go into affect..

[ed1066]

LOL!

[Angel!]

I actually find this unfortunate. Part of the purpose of this bill was to ensure more premium money was actually spent on medical care. Although, it does look like in the article that only something like 40,000 people have individual policies & they are split between several companies. If this is a low number to be insured compared to other states, then I could see the problem in the spending due to overhead costs by insurance companies. Frankly, I don't know enough about the insurance market to know whether it was feasible or would actually lead to the collapse of the market. But, I don't like these types of waivers being given out..

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Add a whole state to the list of over 1,100 companies and organizations-- mostly union-- that are getting to opt out. I have a serious question: as a business owner, how can I be required to comply with this law? At this point, I contend I don't even need a waiver. And in truth, I've already instructed my accountant not to comply with the financial requirements. We're not participating, and I'm willing to be arrested if that's what it comes to.

[mmhmm]

It would seem to me that it's quite reasonable to expect a company providing insurance, and collecting premiums to provide same, be required to spend 80 to 85 percent of collected premiums toward coverage and quality improvement. If they can't do it, they probably don't belong in that business.

[workpublic]

they threatened to close up shop and leave maine. they will have to get it up to 60% by 2014

so far this year

premiums up
costs to doctors/hospitals up
cost to tax payers up

if this is obama care, it is a failure.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Their margins are their margins. What if 50% of their revenue is spent defending frivolous lawsuits? Conspicuously absent from ObamaCare is any kind of tort reform. Then there's the problem of malinvestment-- as every insurance company in the country starts to play around with the definition of "medical care". This is one of the worst provisions of the bill-- unless their objective is to takeover insurance companies, run them into the ground, and establish a single payer system:

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

It's called the "Equal Protection" clause of the Constitution. This is yet another move that undermines the legitimacy of ObamaCare as a law. This thing is coming apart at the seams. There's no way it's legal to treat 49 states differently, or treat 1,100 companies as somehow special.

[ed1066]

Conspicuously absent from ObamaCare is any kind of tort reform.

That's the John Edwards special right there. Sleazy ambulance-chasing trial lawyers are huge contributors to the Democratic Party, as are Wall Street bankers and dirty union bosses. All are benefitting from the exemptions being handed out as payback for services rendered...

[Deleted]

"please sir, can I have a waiver?"

[workpublic]

why did unions back it and then want, and get waivers?

[Deleted]

I am about one fax away from getting my old job back. Can't WAIT to see how cab companies are going to handle this. Waivers for all companies that cover welfare vouchers?? LOL-- I do not do that crap-- but the company sure does. Fun, fun, fun.................

But--I am guessing AZ is not on the short list for exemptions, since we are all racists, etc. My life is cracking me up right now.
;D

[Angel!]

Mar 9, 2011 13:28:10 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Add a whole state to the list of over 1,100 companies and organizations-- mostly union-- that are getting to opt out.

They are not all otping out of the same requirements, nor opting out of the entire bill.

I have a serious question: as a business owner, how can I be required to comply with this law? At this point, I contend I don't even need a waiver. And in truth, I've already instructed my accountant not to comply with the financial requirements. We're not participating, and I'm willing to be arrested if that's what it comes to.

So you have no idea what you are refusing to participate in? How are you so certain something is bad, when you don't even know what it means for your business.

I am assuming that you have less than 50 employees & probably don't offer health insurance, so I don't think this bill will have a major impact on you at all as far as insurance. If you did offer them insurance, then you would be eligible for a large tax credit for your portion of the premium.

[floridayankee]

Mar 9, 2011 15:15:37 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Mar 9, 2011 13:28:10 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Add a whole state to the list of over 1,100 companies and organizations-- mostly union-- that are getting to opt out.

They are not all otping out of the same requirements, nor opting out of the entire bill.

I have a serious question: as a business owner, how can I be required to comply with this law? At this point, I contend I don't even need a waiver. And in truth, I've already instructed my accountant not to comply with the financial requirements. We're not participating, and I'm willing to be arrested if that's what it comes to.

So you have no idea what you are refusing to participate in? How are you so certain something is bad, when you don't even know what it means for your business.

I don't believe Paul was asking how to comply....just how he can be required to comply with a federal law when others are not.

[Angel!]

I don't believe Paul was asking how to comply....just how he can be required to comply with a federal law when others are not.

And my point was...there is nothing that he has to comply with. He is not an insurance company, so he doesn't have to worry about the 85% spending. He doesn't have enough employees to be required to provide coverage, so he doesn't have to worry about what annual limits he is able to provide.

Also, someone correct me if I am wrong - those companies getting waivers actually self-insure & that is why they are having problems meeting the annual limits. So, it isn't the average company that is running into issues.

[ed1066]

why did unions back it and then want, and get waivers?

Because they are engaged in a very old quid pro quo arrangement with the Democratic Party. Do you think it's a coincidence that the person who visited the White House most frequently during Obama's first year was Andy Stern, formerly of ACORN and one-time head of the SEIU, who now works for Obama, by the way?

[Deleted]

If there are waivers for some, but not all-- I predict this whole crappy thing will be thrown out. YEAH--- give your unions, etc, waivers, and let the rest of us go down for non-compliance? I don't think so. LET your unions fight the states, and everything else team Obama signs them on to fight-- it is no good, and the transparency is on the opposite side of the so called transparent people.
What is it with you Obamacare lovers that you cannot digest this?

[Deleted]

"65 percent standard"

... the standard is to pay almost a THIRD of all money that comes into to something OTHER than CARE ?

[deziloooooo]

Mar 9, 2011 15:38:48 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

If there are waivers for some, but not all-- I predict this whole crappy thing will be thrown out. YEAH--- give your unions, etc, waivers, and let the rest of us go down for non-compliance? I don't think so. LET your unions fight the states, and everything else team Obama signs them on to fight-- it is no good, and the transparency is on the opposite side of the so called transparent people.
What is it with you Obamacare lovers that you cannot digest this?

I really have a problem with your reasoning , anger and your continue haranguing of the "Obama care " Krickett.

As you have said, numerous times , so not picking on you, giving out privately held information, you personally are out of work, no income, possible under the table, baby sitting , but nothing official and since you were a private contractor when you were driving a cab, when let go, no unemployment insurance.
You have no health insurance personally, the same for your family, daughters, grand kids. If a injury or a sickness, your only recourse is a ER visit. In fact , as you posted recently, your Daughter recently had to go to the ER for a problem, and the bill was about $7,000.00 which you all don't have, so hospital is stuck for it unless they get the $ from the state, which means tax payers, and since ER visit, they do not do real follow up as a private practice family physician would , so your daughter may know whats wrong with her but no follow up, treatment, monitoring. If taking medications prescribed to her by ER Physicians , no follow up to see how she is progressing, meds the correct ones, all the things follow up looks for in trating a condition.

Under 'Obama Care ", when fully in effect, if all stayed the same for you and yours, income, family situation, you would have full medical care, ability to have a family physician, follow up care , not having to go to ER for normal care, and it would be paid for.
You , your daughters, grand children would be fully covered with their own medical program/coverage.
You might have to wait a bit to see the Physician, but you do so in the ER now and in private physicians offices , to wait is not unusual.

Yet you are against Obama care and I don't understand your attitude. I have tried to , really I have, yet it does not make any sense.
Possible you don't understand it? The program?
Possible because some have attached "Obama " to the program, not what is the official name , something that it seems th opponents of it have put on it and seems to be becoming the standard way of referring to it, see your header.

Back to you, yours, Krickett.

For you to be against it makes no sense, can you explain your objection since you and yours will benefit heavily from it, those beautiful grand kids of yours, really trying to understand here.

[floridayankee]

Mar 9, 2011 15:34:30 GMT -5 Angel! said:

I don't believe Paul was asking how to comply....just how he can be required to comply with a federal law when others are not.

And my point was...there is nothing that he has to comply with.

What are you talking about....Obamacare is loaded with costly requirements for business regardless of what their line of business is.

[Deleted]

My family does not qualify for free stuff, and we barely get by. This means, of course, that we will not qualify for FREE Obamacrap..excuse me, care.. so--- where will that leave us?? With fines?? Not able to pay our bills?? OR will we be forced on to Obamacrap..excuse me, care.. then offered some food stamps to make up the difference?? Nope-- you can keep you not free insurance. We do not want to be indentured slaves to the Democratic party. We are all progressing as well as we can on our own. The more the stupid gov't gets out of the way and lets us grow the sooner we will be able to afford our own healthcare. My family does not want to be on any gov't list besides the IRS-- which is, also, not optional.
Enough is enough, and taxes are enough as it is. You guys go line up for gov't healthcrap, excuse me, care-- if you want, but leave us alone.

[workpublic]

Under 'Obama Care ", when fully in effect, if all stayed the same for you and yours, income, family situation, you would have full medical care, ability to have a family physician, follow up care , not having to go to ER for normal care, and it would be paid for.
You , your daughters, grand children would be fully covered with their own medical program/coverage.
You might have to wait a bit to see the Physician, but you do so in the ER now and in private physicians offices , to wait is not unusual.

you honestly believe that?

cause i still can't afford, or have free care available. when does this utopia begin?

i self pay(i'm unemployed and can't afford the COBRA options) and the only available policy I can afford is at $191 a month and is an indemnity plan.

i have no doubts that in December it will go up like my previous, various types of health insurance policies have every year for the last ten at least.


I started with an HMO, then PPO. now indemnity.

[Deleted]

Try to understand this, dez-- we are not sheeples, and do not want to be, no matter what bones you throw us. We WORK, then we WORK more, and more, and more-- as much as it takes. No one in my family wants to be a fatass welfare rat sucking the hard earned $$$$$ of others. Hard to understand, isn't it?? Entirely possible, though, depending on where your work ethic is, and your pride, and your morals.
Now-- let me make sure I said nothing you can run report to moonbeam.
Here's betting she wishes everyone would just fight in peace and leave her alone.

[hello fromWarsaw]

Actually, the deal Obama gives small business is so good thousands of them are signing up NOW. But keep repeating Pub/Foxcrappe...

[workpublic]

Actually, the deal Obama gives small business is so good thousands of them are signing up NOW. But keep repeating Pub/Foxcrappe..

link?

[privateinvestor]

Mar 9, 2011 17:01:00 GMT -5 workpublic said:

Actually, the deal Obama gives small business is so good thousands of them are signing up NOW. But keep repeating Pub/Foxcrappe..

link?

LOL

[workpublic]

to me health care "reform" means reform, fix the system. not provide free health care off the back of the taxpayers, workers and company owners to "everyone".

[ed1066]

Actually, the deal Obama gives small business is so good thousands of them are signing up NOW

Best laugh I've had all day, please don't stop providing material...

[hello fromWarsaw]

Pub dupes- have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. At the moment, medicaid (free!! but you paid taxes for it...)in NY is for those making less than $800/month. After 2014, for up to $14k, 29K for family of 4- also subsidies for above that up t0 88k family of 4- Still cheaper then ER care, as you found out ...Jeez!!