Blue Cross of Kentucky pulls out of Obamacare

[Honeycombe8]

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, which serves health care consumers across Missouri and Kansas, announced Wednesday it would not participate on the ObamaCare exchanges in 2018.

The company offers plans to consumers across 32 counties and said the decision will affect 67,000 individuals."

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/blue-cross-blue-shield-kansas-173600050.html

BC is owned by Anthem. Earlier on Wednesday, the CEO of the nation’s second largest health insurer, Anthem, expressed uncertainty about whether it would continue servicing consumers next year in the 14 states where it currently operates.

Whoa. The entire health system in the country is falling apart. There is doubt that the govt will even pay its bills that it's obligated to pay under the ACA, if the Republicans aren't able to repeal it.

On top of which are coming millions who will lose health care access via Medicaid, because of Trump's new budget for 2018.

The country is falling apart. What are we going to do? OMG. This is very upsetting.

[Ohioblue22]

1. 1st missouri now this red state

[still_one]

2. This isn't meant to be insensitive, but California is an example of how to do it right.

"The state has recorded some of the nation’s most dramatic gains in health coverage since 2013 while building a competitive insurance marketplace that offers consumers enhanced protections from high medical bills.

Californians, unlike people in many states, have many insurance choices. That means that even with rising premiums, the vast majority of consumers should be able to find a plan that costs them, at most, 5% more than they are paying this year.

And all health plans being sold in the state will cap how much patients must pay for prescriptions every month and for many doctor visits."

That reflects deliberate choices by California state officials who, unlike many states, used the health law to expand the Medicaid safety net and build a marketplace that put stringent requirements on insurance companies.

“California followed the blueprint. They did it right,” said Dr. J. Mario Molina, chief executive of Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare Inc., a leading national insurer that is selling marketplace plans in nine states in 2017.

“What has been lost in all the rhetoric and the politics is that the system can work,” Molina said. Open enrollment begins next month.

California and its Obamacare marketplace, Covered California, still face challenges, including rising costs. Like consumers elsewhere, some Californians, particularly those who make too much money to qualify for government subsidies, are seeing substantial premium increases and narrowing networks.

But while health coverage has faltered in other states where politicians worked to undermine the law, California highlights what can be accomplished if government officials and industry leaders work together to expand insurance, control costs and protect consumers.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obamacare-california-model-20161007-snap-story.html


Well, elections have consequences, and thought states who voted for the politicians who worked to undermine the law, are or will be paying the consequences.

[Honeycombe8]

3. Not insensitive at all! I wish all the states looked to CA for a number of things.

Although each state is different. What works in one state won't work in another. Not enough people, sicker people, poorer people, etc.

Let's all move to California!!!