ObamaCare and Al Franken Saved Nearly 80 Million Families $3.4 Billion on Premiums

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/12/16/obamacare-win-al-franken-saved-80-million-families-3-4-billion-premiums.html

ObamaCare and Al Franken Saved Nearly 80 Million Families $3.4 Billion on Premiums
By: Sarah Jones
Monday, December, 16th, 2013


Senator Al Franken released figures today highlighting more benefits of ObamaCare, including Franken’s own rule that if insurance companies don’t meet the new standards established by the ACA, they have to send consumers a rebate. “In 2012, more than 9,000 consumers in Minnesota benefited from an average rebate of approximately $300 per family,” Franken’s office said in a statement.

Where’s that money coming from? CEO salaries, marketing, administrative costs, and profits are a few of the sources. Franken’s rule forces insurance companies to spend “at least 80-85 percent of premium dollars on medical care and efforts to improve the quality of care, instead of things like marketing and CEO salaries.”

Here’s the real kicker in Franken’s Medical Loss Ratio provision, per Franken’s figures:

In 2012, nearly 80 million families saved $3.4 billion upfront on their premiums because of Sen. Franken’s rule, along with other ACA programs. And insurers sent 8.5 million enrollees an average rebate of approximately $100 per family.

“Minnesotans’ health care premium dollars shouldn’t be spent on marketing or huge bonuses for executives—they should go toward paying for actual health care,” said Sen. Franken. “Making sure we keep the cost of health care in check has been a top priority of mine since coming to the Senate. I’m very pleased that so many people in Minnesota and across the country are benefiting from the cost-saving measure I authored.”

We are all making sacrifices, eh insurance executives? Now you know why the insurance industry has spent so much money — and is still spending so much money — opposing ObamaCare and being quoted as a nonpartisan source criticizing ObamaCare. (The media was very impressed with the “concerns” of the insurance company lobbyists.)

It’s about time that someone looked out for the people – and that is precisely what ObamaCare does. It is not perfect – but it is good, it is necessary, it is the law, and it is something Democrats should be proud of.

[MindMover]

1. LOL, Al saved the day again ...

[Scurrilous]

2. K & R

[loudsue]

3. I'm 64 years old. United Health Care (group policy for local government) DENIED my flu shot!!!

Just about an hour ago, I went to Walgreens to get my flu shot, and the pharmacist (whom I know, and I know his family) looked at me, puzzled, and said, "United Health Care won't pay for it. They just turned you down."



Last week, they told my doctor that they wouldn't cover another prescription she wanted me to take. They told her she had to prescribe a drug that they WANTED to cover.

Granted, United Health Care is as close to the WORST in the world, but no flu shot for a senior citizen? Thank god that Al Franken and Obama were on the same team on this. We need more & more regulations on the insurance industry, and we need to get that industry the hell out of health CARE.

[babylonsister]

5. No flu shot is blowing my mind when

they're not that expensive even out of pocket.

And now they can dictate what drugs you should take? omg!

I am looking forward to having insurance; bet it won't work that way either. Yes, it's way past time.

[loudsue]

7. I'll get the flu shot, one way or another. It just blew me away that they turned it down,

and I feel fortunate that I CAN pay for it out of pocket. There are many who cannot.

And, yes, my doctor was really put off by them telling her what to prescribe for me, yet again. One of the doctors in the same practice won't even SEE patients that use United Health care, because he is so mad at them....with good reason. There is not one doctor at United Health care that has ever examined me...or, evidently, looked at my history. The drug they recommended is one that did me no good a few years ago, before United Health care got the low bid for local government insurance.

[Trekologer]

8. They likely want you to go to your doctor for the flu shot

And most likely the copay for an office visit is more than the $20 Walgreens charges for the shot so unless you were going for your annual physical (no copay, thanks to the ACA), you're better off that way.

And yes, UHC is (or close to) the worst. They routinely told providers that my co-pay was higher than it actual was. When I called to get them to correct the error, I was always given an attitude about it. Once the rep asked, "So why don't you think you should be responsible for the co-pay?"

My company switched to Horizon BCBS two years ago and they seem more competent.

[mwooldri]

18. I'm having issues with United Health.

Granted, it's my employer that's paying for the insurance (I do contribute but they self-insure their employees)... and the employer gets to set what is and isn't covered... but United Healthcare - especially on the behavioral front - have not exactly been very friendly to the providers in our area. The practice which I go to for treatment has several providers, and they all are signed up to take insurances individually, not as a practice. Some of those providers gave United the shove off, and advised patients that they don't take United. More providers did the same.

So although I have coverage for certain benefits, no-one is taking the carrier company's (United in this case) insurance.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. K&R

[dionysus]

9. why you kickin at me?!?!? them's fightin actions! time for some kickboxin!

<--kickboxin'

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. Hey dion! You still "kickin"?

[dionysus]

21. you point that karate choppin' hand at me, and i will deploy the power fist!11!

<-- power fist

[freshwest]

6. Meanwhile, RW Watch reports on wingut's concerns for Obama's state of health and mind:

Last edited Mon Dec 16, 2013, 10:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Erik Rush: Obama Might Be On Drugs

by Brian Tashman - 12/12/2013

WorldNetDaily’s Erik Rush, who last year called for journalists to be imprisoned for their “treasonous collusion” with President Obama, has recently been urging the media to “expose” Obama’s crimes, such as his plot to nuke America.

On his radio show today, Rush celebrated a letter prominent photojournalists sent to the White House last month protesting the “limits on access currently barring photographers who cover the White House,” which Rush says is proof that journalists are no longer afraid to “complain about our precious first black president.”

Rush said that such limits are due to Obama’s “pathological, compulsive, narcissistic need to control,” but also his drug use: “Part of it has to do with the president’s general instability at large, I think that there is — I’m not the only one to postulate that he’s spread pretty thin mentally and emotionally and that there may be pharmaceuticals involved in keeping him going. Of course he does have a history of drug use.”

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-obama-might-be-drugs

Yes, that's more important than Americans saving billions of dollars to get healthcare.

Not sure, but Obamacare may be able to help him out with his uh... ODS, you know.

[dionysus]

10. LOL, rush, a straight up junkie... brings up drugs...

[Cha]

11. I imagine that.. we just got told on this board the other night that

betting on Obamacare to be successfull is "not a wise bet"~!

thanks babylonsistah~

[babylonsister]

12. Ha! Opinions obviously differ.

Not a cool thing to say around here.

[Holly_Hobby]

13. I personally saved $5,316 in premiums this year

Premiums 2011 & 2012 - $1,211/month for me and my husband

Premiums 2013 - $768/month for both of us

for a policy with a $400 deductible, $20 doctor visits and $10 drugs

Without the cut in premiums, we wouldn't have health insurance at this point. We killed our annuity paying those premiums in 2011 and 2012.

[Ikonoklast]

23. That's equal to new a car payment every month you saved.

Wow.

[Holly_Hobby]

24. I'd love to know what they did with the

extra $443 a month they got from thousands of union employees. Where did it go? I've asked the plan admin, but he says that information is confidential!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. Obama and Franken....great team!

Who'da thunk, back when we ww re watching Al on Saturday night live? ??

[sheshe2]

15. Kudos to Obama and Franken!

[ffr]

16. It's like lower taxes. I love lower taxes!!!

So let me get this straight. The talking heads in the media parroting that the ACA will bankrupt the country are not only a little wrong, but PROBABLY COMPLETELY WRONG?

Huh. That never happens.

[ProSense]

17. More benefits of

Obamacare will become known as it's implemented.

One Of The Biggest Drug Companies In The World Will Stop Paying Doctors To Promote Its Products
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024188608

[geardaddy]

19. I love my junior senator.

[mdbl]

22. Still have a long way to go.....

"at least 80-85 percent of premium dollars on medical care and efforts to improve the quality of care, instead of things like marketing and CEO salaries.”

That is way too much. 15-20 cents on the dollar going to BS instead of policyholders' needs is awful. Social Security is 3-5 cents on the dollar. When is the public going to wake up to the insurance scam? The only problem SS has is waste and abuse, which, as the insurance companies have shown, can be handled. Just don't pay any claims.

[ananda]

25. +

More applause here.

[Berlum]

26. Suck it, RepubliBaggers

[SidDithers]

27. DU rec...nt

Sid