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Jessie White and Highmark

 
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george
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:21 pm    Post subject: Jessie White and Highmark Reply with quote

I read Jessie Whites article on Highmark a few days ago. He was ranting about a letter he recieved letting him know Highmark was halting voluntary subsidizes for its health insurance and would begin charging the rates as set forth by the PA Insurance Commission. Mr White stated that Highmark was cutting peoples health insurance. They were not, they would be charging rates as regulated by PA.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Jessie White and Highmark Reply with quote

george wrote:
I read Jessie Whites article on Highmark a few days ago. He was ranting about a letter he recieved letting him know Highmark was halting voluntary subsidizes for its health insurance and would begin charging the rates as set forth by the PA Insurance Commission. Mr White stated that Highmark was cutting peoples health insurance. They were not, they would be charging rates as regulated by PA.


what would the difference be in price to you and me if we had Highmark?
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ellipses
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Within the context of the CHIPS program...
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ellipses wrote:
Within the context of the CHIPS program...


Heard of it and understand it to be a very good program, but know nada about funding.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Highmark subsidized the policies that were used to offer chips coverage to children at below-market prices... Their decision to stop subsidizing chips coverage means that, potentially, the cost of chips coverage would increase. If the cost of chips coverage increases, one can assume that some families would not be able to afford the higher premiums. Then, when their now-uninsured child gets sick, they may be less likely to take the child to a doctor or the hospital due to the possibility of receiving an impossibly high bill. So no, highmark isn't taking care away from anyone directly... but by contributing to the higher cost, some people may not get care as a result.
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Professor
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't agree with Highmark's decision to increase costs, but the woman that prompted Jesse White's letter (below) stated that she had 4 daughters and that Highmark had denied her 2 school age children low cost coverage, which by their guidelines would only occur if these children were over the age of 18 or her modest income exceeds $77,370.00.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=153815740836
https://www.highmarkblueshield.com/socialmission/CHIPCentral/central/income_guidelines.pdf
https://www.highmarkblueshield.com/socialmission/CHIPCentral/central/cost.html
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george
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Professor wrote:
I don't agree with Highmark's decision to increase costs, but the woman that prompted Jesse White's letter (below) stated that she had 4 daughters and that Highmark had denied her 2 school age children low cost coverage, which by their guidelines would only occur if these children were over the age of 18 or her modest income exceeds $77,370.00.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=153815740836
https://www.highmarkblueshield.com/socialmission/CHIPCentral/central/income_guidelines.pdf
https://www.highmarkblueshield.com/socialmission/CHIPCentral/central/cost.html

It was never Highmarks responsibility to provide coverage to those it volunteered to subsidize. It is the parents responsibility.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I disagree. Highmark has made a fortune gouging its customers and since they are unwilling to cut their rates they should give something back to those less fortunate in return.
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george
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Professor wrote:
I disagree. Highmark has made a fortune gouging its customers and since they are unwilling to cut their rates they should give something back to those less fortunate in return.

I disagree with you. We need to wean people off the handouts. We do that to our childern. Its called growing up and being responsible for your self!
A lot of people still need to grow up.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see single payer as a handout... If you work, you pay taxes... those taxes pay for single payer health care...

You could make the argument that some people don't work... fine, but those people are NEVER going to work... it's not like going to a doctor is a shiny new iPod or something that people look forward to buying... if they aren't working now, they won't work then or ever... Hell, covering them would be LESS of a burden on me since some of them won't go to ER to get their foot cut off from not taking care of their diabetes...

Insulin is a lot cheaper than amputation
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

george wrote:

I disagree with you. We need to wean people off the handouts. We do that to our childern. Its called growing up and being responsible for your self!
A lot of people still need to grow up.


George - That may be true for some, but not 47.5 million people!

Apparently you've either been blessed with a job that has benefits or one that pays well enough for you to buy your own insurance and I sincerely hope for your sake that your good fortune continues, but I know a lot of folks who can't afford insurance and their inability to pay has nothing to do with growing up!
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good old George. It's "grow up or die," you lazy so-and-sos.
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george
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Professor wrote:
george wrote:

I disagree with you. We need to wean people off the handouts. We do that to our childern. Its called growing up and being responsible for your self!
A lot of people still need to grow up.


George - That may be true for some, but not 47.5 million people!

Apparently you've either been blessed with a job that has benefits or one that pays well enough for you to buy your own insurance and I sincerely hope for your sake that your good fortune continues, but I know a lot of folks who can't afford insurance and their inability to pay has nothing to do with growing up!

It may have alot to do with their priorities. The major problem is the cost of health care. Bring that down and the cost of insurance will come down as well. That would require fighting the hospital's unions and that won't happen.

The cost of health care is too high, so is the price of a new car. To lower the cost the unions (suppliers, utilities) will have to take another hit. I know the UAW took some cuts but new car cost are still way too high. I don't see any politicans lining up to fight the unions.
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

george wrote:
The major problem is the cost of health care. Bring that down and the cost of insurance will come down as well.


Why would insurance companies lower their costs?
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ellipses
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cylinsier wrote:
george wrote:
The major problem is the cost of health care. Bring that down and the cost of insurance will come down as well.


Why would insurance companies lower their costs?


Also, the cost of "care" would decrease if insurance re-imbursement were lower for services... in Japan, an MRI costs 85 bucks... why? Because that's what the national health insurance plan pays for an MRI...

Get a single payer plan, and the cost of care is whatever the plan will pay...

Why does aspirin cost 10 bucks in a hospital? Because the insurance company will pay 10 bucks for an aspirin. If they'd only pay a nickel, then aspirin would cost a nickel.
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