Insurers get around covering the very sick

[3Rfan]

An article in our paper today explains how big insurance is finding ways to get around the law that says they HAVE cover people with pre-existing conditions that are very expensive to cover such as cancer or HIV. This is a story by Tom Murphy and AP business writer, maybe one of you guys that know how to do such things can find and post the article. Part of it is simply limiting the number of doctors and hospitals in their network so these people would look elsewhere for coverage so they don't have to pay out of network rates. Another is playing the waiting game.The nations largest health insurer, United health Group, sold coverage on only 4 exchanges in 2014, in 2015 they will sell coverage in 24 exchanges. The delay in growth could be a savvy way to avoid some of the sickest patients who likely rushed out to sign up for insurance this year. There is more in the article about ways they can keep from covering the sickest people wanting coverage.

 

[millerbleach]

Originally posted by 3Rfan:
An article in our paper today explains how big insurance is finding ways to get around the law that says they HAVE cover people with pre-existing conditions that are very expensive to cover such as cancer or HIV. This is a story by Tom Murphy and AP business writer, maybe one of you guys that know how to do such things can find and post the article. Part of it is simply limiting the number of doctors and hospitals in their network so these people would look elsewhere for coverage so they don't have to pay out of network rates. Another is playing the waiting game.The nations largest health insurer, United health Group, sold coverage on only 4 exchanges in 2014, in 2015 they will sell coverage in 24 exchanges. The delay in growth could be a savvy way to avoid some of the sickest patients who likely rushed out to sign up for insurance this year. There is more in the article about ways they can keep from covering the sickest people wanting coverage.

WHAT!!!!!
Obamacare cured all our healthcare ills!

 

[Bogey Man]

Here's a statement I remember from a 60 Minutes piece in the past year regarding medical costs in the US;

80% of all medical costs in the US come from keeping the terminally ill alive the last year of their life.

I'm not suggesting that we just let the terminally ill die without trying to treat them. I just found that to be a phenominal statistic.
This post was edited on 8/30 6:57 AM by Bogey Man