now its the insurance companies

[Raven]

Insurance Companies need plenty of Bashing

they are Lying- back stabbing -thieves
(most of the time...but not always)

and are never or rarely held accountable

they are ABOVE the law

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Raven

Insurance Companies need plenty of Bashing

they are Lying- back stabbing -thieves
(most of the time...but not always)

and are never or rarely held accountable

they are ABOVE the law

so, then there must be a huge opportunity for competition, no? Obama is saying they all are raising rates, you're disatisfied with their service, sounds like a great market to enter! Look at the BIZZILIONS pumped into dot.coms by venture capital in the 90s. There was a compelling business justification. Why not health insurance? Surely some of the brilliant investors in the US can pull together loads of cash and offer low cost insurance? Great customer service? Right?
Wrong!! its a pyramid scheme that barely squeaks by! Only the government would make such a dumb investment and it looks like they will!

[Fishpart]

RIJ is right, th eway you get the insurance companies under control is to allow them to compete across state lines and open up COMPETITION at worst service will stay where it is and rates will go down.

Need an example???? Look at your phonebill, since MA Bell got broken up prices have come down considerably, I remember paying $1.00/minute from Boston to Providence in the 80's...

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

RIJ is right, th eway you get the insurance companies under control is to allow them to compete across state lines and open up COMPETITION at worst service will stay where it is and rates will go down.

Need an example???? Look at your phonebill, since MA Bell got broken up prices have come down considerably, I remember paying $1.00/minute from Boston to Providence in the 80's...

The difference is that there are very little differences is providing the service in terms of your costs compared to location. A phone call in MA shouldn't be that much different that one in Okl.

With insurance, the costs depend greatly on where the service is provided. Do you think an insurance company is going to let someone living in NY buy insurance at Okl. rates or are they going to charge the NY rates to the Okl. residents?

[buckman]

Originally Posted by PaulS

The difference is that there are very little differences is providing the service in terms of your costs compared to location. A phone call in MA shouldn't be that much different that one in Okl.

With insurance, the costs depend greatly on where the service is provided. Do you think an insurance company is going to let someone living in NY buy insurance at Okl. rates or are they going to charge the NY rates to the Okl. residents?

Why are the rates different? I'm convinced the reason they are is because companies now have the ability to screw the state of their choosing without fear of cross-stateline compitition.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by buckman

Why are the rates different? I'm convinced the reason they are is because companies now have the ability to screw the state of their choosing without fear of cross-stateline compitition.

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

[Backbeach Jake]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

Not for profit? I pay over 200 a week with a 2k deductible if I'm Hospitalized. They're not making money? Really?

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

The luxuries of working for a not-for-profit - I deal with them (different not-for-profits) on almost a weekly basis. They all act like they don't have two pennies to rub together.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

Ask Joe Kennedy

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

B/c is still needs to be managed the same as a for profit company of the same size. If you want good people to run a not for profit, you have to pay them comparable salaries. The people who work there aren't doing it out of generosity, but b/c they need a job.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Why does a not for profit company the BCBS of MA pay their CEO millions of dollars a year to manage a not for profit organization?

because if you didnt, you get some hack greenpeace wannabe with a liberal arts degree being the only one who would take the job at a lesser salary

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by buckman

Why are the rates different? I'm convinced the reason they are is because companies now have the ability to screw the state of their choosing without fear of cross-stateline compitition.

Higher costs associated with higher medical and drug claims. The cost of a procedures/services (which has nothing to do with the ins. co.) can much different in different locations. If there is no competition in an area (think Alaska or Wy for example) the bills could be much higher than somewhere where there is comp. and the insurance co. can negotiate better discounts.

It's not that hard for big insurance companies to get approved in muliple states if they want.

Don't forget that most of an insurance co. costs are claims. Sure they have exp. and profit, but the vast majority are claims (75%???). If you look at a bill, an insurance co. takes what the Dr. charges and applies a negotiated disc. to the charge. Those disc. can be as high as 60% of the Drs/hosp. charge. W/o an insurance co., the Drs. bill would be like 2x as high.

[spence]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Need an example???? Look at your phonebill, since MA Bell got broken up prices have come down considerably, I remember paying $1.00/minute from Boston to Providence in the 80's...

That has more to do with the technology becoming a commodity than anything else...

-spence

[Fishpart]

When you increase competition, people come up with innovative ways to cut costs.....

With only 2 carriers in RI, you can't tell me they don't wink wink "manage" the pricing and delivery........

Next step is capping what you can get out of a frivilous lawsuit...

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Next step is capping what you can get out of a frivilous lawsuit...

Bingo!

Some OB/GYN doctors pay over $100k or more for their malpractice.

This article is a bit dated, but it demonstrates the ridiculousness of that situation.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Bingo!

Some OB/GYN doctors pay over $100k or more for their malpractice.

This article is a bit dated, but it demonstrates the ridiculousness of that situation.

My wife's head of ob/gyn at Mt Auburn was payin 200K in 97

[scottw]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

When you increase competition, people come up with innovative ways to cut costs.....

With only 2 carriers in RI, you can't tell me they don't wink wink "manage" the pricing and delivery........

Next step is capping what you can get out of a frivilous lawsuit...

health insurance companies don't want to do business in RI....over 1000 state mandates regarding coverage...that's why it's so expensive...creeps at the state house tell you what you MUST cover and then demand paola on top of that.....hardly worth the effort for a company to come in and set up shop....if you want to know where your jobs and options and freedoms are going...they're being run out of town by these elected maniacs that mandate, legislate and tax "everything that moves and everything that doesn't"...

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by scottw

health insurance companies don't want to do business in RI....over 1000 state mandates regarding coverage...that's why it's so expensive...creeps at the state house tell you what you MUST cover and then demand paola on top of that.....hardly worth the effort for a company to come in and set up shop....if you want to know where your jobs and options and freedoms are going...they're being run out of town by these elected maniacs that mandate, legislate and tax "everything that moves and everything that doesn't"...

Sounds like business as usual in RI. No wonder every business is hitching a ride out of town and the state has one of the worst unemployment rates.