Minnesota Finds a Way to Slow Soaring Health Premiums.
'Last fall, as consumers in Minnesota were facing health insurance rate increases of 50 percent or more, Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, said the Affordable Care Act was no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people. The states top insurance regulator said the Minnesota market was on the verge of collapse.
The outlook now is much better. Rate increases requested for 2018 are relatively modest, thanks in part to a new program under which the state will help pay the largest claims. The program, known as reinsurance, and the efforts that led to its creation hold lessons for other states where rates are rising rapidly, and for Congress, where lawmakers are considering the introduction of a similar program.
The individual insurance market is stabilizing under the program here, said Allison L. OToole, the chief executive of Minnesotas state-run insurance marketplace. Health plans are very happy about it.
State officials and insurers say that, as a result of the program, premiums next year will be about 20 percent lower than they would otherwise have been. The program for which Minnesota has budgeted about $270 million in each of the next two years potentially benefits all of the 160,000 people buying insurance on their own, not just those with large claims.
But the program will be invisible to consumers. They will not have to file additional paperwork or do anything different from what they would ordinarily do.'>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/us/politics/minnesota-health-care-reinsurance.html?
dflprincess
(28,075 posts)The DFL had to agree to lift the ban on for profit HMOs to get the Republicans to go along with doing something that actually helps people.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Wondering when the full out assault on the HMO numbers was going to happen.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)explain to me WHY Americans are not lobbying the politicians in DC about THEIR healthcare? WHY do they have special healthcare, yet pass the crappy Trumpcare program they expect others to sign on for? We should DEMAND that if they insist on this health plan, that THEY have to enroll and their families too. What makes them think they DESERVE special treatment? They have done next to nothing for the last 8 years, apart from bitch about President Obama. Why are we expected to subsidize their healthcare plan? They are mostly millionaires, getting welfare (it is what subsidized healthcare for them is) yet will be forcing regular, working people to choose between rent, food and healthcare. It is disgraceful. Useless as their orange leader.
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Hortensis
(58,785 posts)They hoped to "prove" to people who wanted to keep the ACA that it was "collapsing" inevitably, as MN's Paul Ryan grabs every chance to claim. All around the nation legislatures are now needing to reverse course as MN is doing and rescue the markets they were trying to destroy.
Btw,
It was an easy-sounding question, asked at the end of a friendly Republican candidate forum at Minnesotas state fair. To the pleasant surprise of Democrats, four of five Republicans seeking to flip House seats next year declined to support the speaker of the House, offering instead criticisms of Paul D. Ryans leadership.
If you're drawing a parallel between this potential party-cide and anti-Democrat leftists trying to take out California's leadership, particularly Pelosi, you're not alone. The WaPo writers see it clearly.