Posted October 27, 2009
Membership organizations have been helpful to many in finding health care benefits. AARP is a household name for senior citizens. This trust seniors have for AARP is based on the assumption that they are advocating for seniors and not swimming in profits like many think that the health insurance companies are. But is that image true or just advertising?
The truth may be surprising to many senior citizens. According to www.washingtonpost.com, "The group and its subsidiaries collected more than $650 million in royalties and other fees last year from the sale of insurance policies, credit cards and other products that carry the AARP name, accounting for the majority of its $1.14 billion in revenue, according to federal tax records. It does not directly sell insurance policies but lends its name to plans in exchange for a tax-exempt cut of the premiums.
The group's dual role as an insurance reformer and a broker has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks from congressional Republicans, who accuse it of having a conflict of interest in taking sides in the fierce debate over health insurance. Three House Republicans sent a letter to AARP on Monday complaining that the group was putting its "political self-interests" ahead of seniors.
Republicans also question the high salaries and other perks given to some top AARP executives, who would not be subject to limits on insurance executives' pay included in the Senate Finance Committee's health reform package. Former AARP chief executive William Novelli received more than $1 million in compensation last year."
Will Medicare Beneficiaries Loose Benefits Under Pending Health Care Reform Legislation and is Obama Trying to Hide Information About the Loss?
Posted October 18, 2009
The pending legislation for health care reform is causing worry to millions of Medicare beneficiaries that are in private Medicare Advantage plans. The concern happened when recently the Obama administration tried to stop insurance companies from telling those Medicare beneficiaries that they may lose benefits due to the pending health care reform legislation backed by the Obama administration and Democrat lawmakers. Then, after pressure from opponents and insurance companies telling the Obama administration that the move to not tell Medicare Advantage recipients about the potential loss of benefits was unconstitutional, the Obama administration backed away from its original order and agreed to not stop the information from being sent to the beneficiaries.
This has obviously sent up a red flag to many that maybe the Obama administration and lawmaking Democrats don't want the public to know something about the loss of benefits. This move has pushed a once cooperative insurance industry further away from the Obama administration on working out health care reform legislation.
Is it Underinsured or Responsibility... What do You Think?
Posted October 4, 2009
With the health insurance reform debate still in full force with the public and lawmakers, one common word keeps coming up: underinsured. These are people who do have health insurance but would or have paid large amounts out of pocket to cover an illness.
People who have high deductible health insurance are considered to be underinsured. Some feel there is nothing wrong with a high deductible plan and feel citizens should have some responsibility vested in their health insurance. Furthermore, high deductible plans do cut insurance costs because one is taking on more financial responsibility for their health insurance. But, at the same time, many with high deductible plans are continuing to file for bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills.
Yes, No Public Option but Still Too Much Government
Posted September 22, 2009
Although there are now more specifics with what is offered in a proposed health care reform bill and the public option has been dropped, republicans still feel like there is too much government intervention.
Mandating every American to purchase health insurance and not enough help in curbing malpractice lawsuits are still hot topics. Also, taxing high-value health insurance plans is not going over well with both parties since that measure will cost union members which have a large middle income and older American population.
Is the Public Option Out?
Posted September 14, 2009
Obama may have helped push the divided Democratic party a little closer together with his prime time speech to America but with Americans still not showing a strong support for a public option, the Democrats may be backing off some too.
The main sign of Democrats backing down from a public option is from Nancy Pelosi's recent comments. Just a few weeks ago Nancy Pelosi insisted that a health insurance reform bill without a public option would not pass the house. But, just a few days ago her tone changed and when talking about a public option she said that they still plan to meet their goal of "affordability and accessibility and quality" but did not strongly speak of a public option as she did before.
Understand the Issue: Obama's Health Care Reform 2009
Need to Know Fact: Insurance Exchange - The term for the new government health care plan proposed by the Obama adiminstration.
Obama's Health Care Reform Proposal
Obama Healthcare Reform and How He Plans to Pay for It
Health Care Reform - Why Will This Work Now?
How The Critics Feel About Obama's Plans to Reform Health Care
