If Van Hollen is right and the entire law is tossed out, Wisconsin would not have to implement the law requiring states to create insurance marketplaces known as health care exchanges. States also wouldn't have to expand Medicaid coverage or oversee new rules on private insurers.In other words, they're hoping they don't have to provide health care coverage for all those unworthy poor, disable and/or elderly people. What better way to redistribute all that money to wealthy CEOs than to allow deny people affordable health care?!
It could also give Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers greater power to cut existing state health care programs, such as Badger Care Plus, to fix the state's budget deficit. Walker last week created a new Office of Free Market Health Care that will fight health care reform. Walker's spokesman praised Vinson's ruling in a statement Thursday.
If Van Hollen is wrong and Wisconsin doesn't carry out parts of the health care law, the state could lose federal money and face a federal takeover of some activities.
But today, word comes out on what it could mean to people with their own health insurance:
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that 12.8 million Americans will benefit from $1.1 billion in rebates from insurance companies this summer, because of the Affordable Care Act’s 80/20 rule. These rebates will be an average of $151 for each family covered by a policy.Is it any wonder why Koch Brother employees are rooting for SCOTUS to rule against healthcare reform? If it is allowed to stand, Big Insurance would no longer be allowed to gouge us to make their CEOs even more filthy rich.
However, the fate of the Affordable Care Act is still subject to a Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality. That ruling is expected to be announced soon.
The health care law generally requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of consumers’ premium dollars on medical care and quality improvement. Insurers can spend the remaining 20 percent on administrative costs, such as salaries, sales, and advertising. Beginning this year, insurers must notify customers how much of their premiums have been actually spent on medical care and quality improvement.
Insurance companies that do not meet the 80/20 standard must provide their policyholders a rebate for the difference no later than Aug. 1, 2012.
The HHS Department today said that Wisconsin consumers will receive nearly $10.4 million in rebates from insurers that did not meet the 80/20 standard. Individual market consumers in Wisconsin will receive $649,028 in rebates, the small group market in Wisconsin will receive $2.95 million in rebates and the large group market will receive $6.77 million in rebates.
They just can't allow the common folk to have a few bucks. We're not worthy to have money.
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If the Affordable Care Act is struck down then the only option left will be some form of single payer as the issue will have been forced. The corporate Democrats will have no more excuses, no more third-way compromises. Sometimes when a society has it's back to the wall an outcome that is otherwise unforseeable results.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd that a market based health insurance scheme that was originally proposed by Republicans as a defensive measure against greater reform is now considered some form of Muslim socialism.
The ownership class does not realise it yet but they have developed such an absolute sense of entitlement through corrupt business and political practices that they are only hastening their exit from the sweet paradise of the endless grift and scam.