Second largest health insurance group backs GOP ObamaCare repeal plan
Source: The Hill
Americas second-largest health insurer voiced its support for the ObamaCare repeal and replacement bill proposed by GOP House leaders in a letter to lawmakers this week.
Anthem is urging lawmakers to launch the ObamaCare repeal process as quickly as possible, Politico reported Friday.
It addresses the challenges immediately facing the individual market and will ensure more affordable health plan choices for consumers in the short term, Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish wrote to the chairmen of the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees Thursday, the same day both panels advanced the repeal legislation.
These provisions are essential and must be finalized quickly to have the intended impact on products and prices to benefit consumers, he added, citing the bills repeal of ObamaCares health insurance tax, tax credits for customers off the ObamaCare exchanges and temporarily keeping the laws cost-sharing subsidies. Anthem, which is the largest insurer in the ObamaCare exchanges, said it was formulating rates and making decisions for 2018.
Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/health-reform-implementation/323520-key-health-insurer-backs-gop-obamacare-plan
FU Anthem
Bigredhunk
(1,351 posts)The comments section under the thread is pretty good!
SunSeeker
(51,685 posts)still_one
(92,387 posts)expanded Medicaid need to continue, and if this isn't resolved quickly, they will pull out of the 14 states where they offer plans under the ACA because they don't want to risk the uncertainty
However, they are still greedy assholes
In addition, the majority of insurers do NOT approve of the republican proposals on the ACA repeal/replace, and major medical organizations and lobbying groups are against it also
Some because they realize this will hurt a lot of people, others because they realize the whole thing could implode, and that would affect their bottom line
airplaneman
(1,240 posts)"expanded Medicaid need to continue, and if this isn't resolved quickly, they will pull out of the 14 states where they offer plans under the ACA because they don't want to risk the uncertainty"
More specifically they are saying if the ACA funding for Medicaid does not continue they will surgically exit (county by county - think if they are making money they stay and if they are losing money they leave) from the 14 states mentioned above. They are also saying the whole market situation is currently deteriorating because of uncertainty and if it is not made clear soon (within about a month) that money will be available that the market will be headed for collapse and they will act accordingly. I think this was more a warning than a vote of support.
-Airplane
still_one
(92,387 posts)Roy Rolling
(6,933 posts)No CBO score, no details. All they know is their CEO and executives get gigantic tax windfalls.
underthematrix
(5,811 posts)I am what I consume and killing my fellow Americans is not consistent with who I am.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Kittycow
(2,396 posts)DreamSmoker
(841 posts)Its about Profits Period. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Over Our Kids, Moms, Dads, Grandma, Grandpa, and All Our loved Ones Lives...
Tanuki
(14,920 posts)in 2015. Under Obamacare, they could only get a tax write-off for $500k in CEO salary, but now they'll pass along to the taxpayer whatever exorbitant amount they feel like stealing from patients' healthcare dollars. One of the GOP kleptocrats admitted under committee questioning that the new ACA rules would allow the insurance companies to write off $100 million or more in CEO annual compensation if they felt like it. No wonder the Anthem CEO thinks this is a good thing. I'm sorry journalists are giving him a pass on such blatant conflict of interest and disregard for the wellbeing of patients.
http://www1.salary.com/Joseph-R-Swedish-Salary-Bonus-Stock-Options-for-ANTHEM-INC.html
"Joseph R. Swedish
Executive Compensation
As Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer at ANTHEM INC, Joseph R. Swedish made $13,604,681 in total compensation. Of this total $1,298,077 was received as a salary, $1,668,678 was received as a bonus, $2,599,957 was received in stock options, $7,800,073 was awarded as stock and $237,896 came from other types of compensation. This information is according to proxy statements filed for the 2015 fiscal year.
Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer
ANTHEM INC
View local and national averages for
salaries
$13.6
MILLION
$1,298,077
Base Pay
$1,668,678
Bonus + Non-EquityIncentive Comp
$2,966,755
Total Cash Comp
$7,800,073
Stock Award Value
$2,599,957
Option Award Value
Posting Anonymously
(32 posts)I'm not an expert in history but in France didn't they chop the heads off of people who stole $13,604,681 from the community?
The key question is why are people who steal vast, indeed unimaginable, sums of money from others not safely ensconced in prison so that the community is protected? That's a mystery.
These large scale thefts, combined with the FACT that the normal operation of a "business" is indistinguishable from organized crime, is why the system now has BELOW zero legitimacy.
I'll be really intrigued to see the response of the population when people realize that "slavery" is not always really "obvious". What I mean is the difference between slavery in Feudal times and the modern slave state is you get to talk on an iPhone in your off hours....LOL.
The Walton family has more wealth than the combined bottom 40% of families. That means that the U.S. is, in reality, running a modern day version of Feudalism where the majority work for one of the "owners" of the economy. In economic terms, the U.S. may be the biggest and longest running scam in history, if the measure is the amount stolen from people who work and given to people who "own".
And, blah, blah, blah...wake me up when the riots start.
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)1) Health Executives get a huge tax break.
2) Insurers can raise premiums as much as they want for those with pre-existing conditions making insurance for those folks price prohibitive again. If they don't have to cover the sickest Americans, their profits will soar.
Bengus81
(6,932 posts)This will end up like banks and Oil companies---4 or 5 RULE the US and the World. Trump and his minions really want this passed for those merger to go through. If your in you late 50's,early 60's get ready for $1500---$2,000 per month premiums once they merge for just covering one person. And of course much higher as you age and then just cut you off.
BTW....here's Aetna's CEO. Does this asshat look like he CARES whether you live or DIE?? He called off their merger with Humana,watch how fast that merger gets fast tracked when Republicans repeal the ACA.
Health insurance companies Aetna and Humana have called off their planned merger, citing a federal court ruling last month that blocked the deal. "While we continue to believe that a combined company would create greater value for health care consumers through improved affordability and quality, the current environment makes it too challenging to continue pursuing the transaction," Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said in a statement.
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)Curry favor with the 45th Admin, and sweet-talk into a merger.
In the bigger scheme of things I don't see this as a problem. It'll be easier to nationalize Anthem-Cigna, United Blue-Cross-Blue-Shield-HealthCare for the national single payer option.
WhoWoodaKnew
(847 posts)Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)The fact that the hated it is a good thing.
Kimchijeon
(1,606 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)CBHagman
(16,987 posts)...who, I'd note, mentions the short term in his statement. In health care, the short term can mean death for those without options.
[url]http://www1.salary.com/Joseph-R-Swedish-Salary-Bonus-Stock-Options-for-ANTHEM-INC.html[/url]
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)Chief Exec of NHS England is on around £195,000 = $240,000 in post-Brexit dollars, about $290k pre-Brexit.
Blue Idaho
(5,057 posts)Not much different from Aetna's CEO's "Death Spiral" pronouncement after their failed merger with Humana and one billion dollar breakup fee.