Rep. Chris Van Hollen on MSNBC: ACA Allows Insurance Companies to Renew Current Plans for Next Year

[flpoljunkie]

Thank you, Rep. Chris van Hollen for setting the record straight about what's actually going on here.

HALL: Right, absolutely. Let me ask you, though, about some of your colleagues. Some Democrats, who, as we've played, now, and including Dianne Feinstein, she is co-sponsoring a bill with Senator Mary Landrieu that would require insurance companies to continue offering the existing health care plans that people have. Basically, the promise that the President made, turning it into a reality here. It's seen as an abandoning of ship, if you will, by some Democrats who could be in political peril.

VAN HOLLEN: Well, two things. One, we want to look for ways right away to address the concerns that have been raised. But you want to make sure your remedy is not worse than the problem. And the proposals that have been put on the table, some in the Senate and some in the House, would increase premiums significantly as you go into next year. So, trying to find a way to fix a problem right now by creating an even bigger problem down the road is not the way to go.

The other thing I would point out, Tamron, I think there has been a lot of confusion about this. Which is there's nothing in the Affordable Care Act itself that prevents any of these insurance companies from extending any of their insurance policies for another year, so long as they do it before the end of this year. And so, these notices that are going out from insurance companies are decisions that are being made by the insurance companies. And I think that is the source of much confusion, because those decisions are not being forced by the Affordable Care Act. There are some states that have accelerated the movement in that direction, but the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit those insurance companies from renewing for a year, so long as they do it by the end of this year.

HALL: Right. So then what is the proper fix here that would, if people want to keep their insurance plan, what is the proper fix to make certain that that happens, if that is the goal?

VAN HOLLEN: Well I think one thing we should do immediately is begin to go to the insurance commissioners in the various states and ask them to look into why these insurance companies are not using the authority they have to extend these policies for one more year, so long as they do it before the end of this year? Because a lot of these insurance companies have sent out letters saying that the Affordable Care Act was making them terminate these policies, but that's just not the case. In some cases, you have states that have passed state laws that would prevent that, but the Affordable Care Act does not prevent that, so long as the insurance companies do it this year and it's for one more year.

http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2013/11/14/van-hollen-on-msnbc-aca-allows-insurance-companies-to-renew-current-plans-for-n-a-420257.html#.UoTfZqVBnnY

[TwilightGardener]

1. Why, then, are these insurance co's cancelling a year in advance? Must be that

they're dumping the money-loser old policies early--everything they do comes down to $$$.

[rbixby]

2. Its probably because they don't expect people to make a stink about it

and just blame Obama. Its actually a pretty smart dodge. Definitely doesn't make it right, but this way they get to make more money, and Obama takes the blame.

[bigdarryl]

3. I Obama hadn't been stubborn and listened to his base we wouldn't be in the mess

In stead he made a deal with the devil(insurance companies) trying to please the right

[CBHagman]

5. Since the Affordable Care Act passed only with Democratic votes...

...there isn't much point in talking about the base. We pass legislation with the Congress we have or, in this case, had, and even that took considerable doing.

[elleng]

4. For anyone interested in facts, but it appears many aren't or can't understand.

'Which is there's nothing in the Affordable Care Act itself that prevents any of these insurance companies from extending any of their insurance policies for another year, so long as they do it before the end of this year. And so, these notices that are going out from insurance companies are decisions that are being made by the insurance companies. And I think that is the source of much confusion, because those decisions are not being forced by the Affordable Care Act. There are some states that have accelerated the movement in that direction, but the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit those insurance companies from renewing for a year, so long as they do it by the end of this year.

HALL: Right. So then what is the proper fix here that would, if people want to keep their insurance plan, what is the proper fix to make certain that that happens, if that is the goal?

VAN HOLLEN: Well I think one thing we should do immediately is begin to go to the insurance commissioners in the various states and ask them to look into why these insurance companies are not using the authority they have to extend these policies for one more year, so long as they do it before the end of this year? Because a lot of these insurance companies have sent out letters saying that the Affordable Care Act was making them terminate these policies, but that's just not the case.'