Yesterday I posted this about the bomb that Anthem laid concerning healthcare under Obamacare rules – and the rules laid down by our own State bureaucrats:
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield confirmed that nearly half of the hospitals in its network will not be taking part in the program. Understanding what the rules are at the Insurance Department around network adequacy, we determined we had to come up with an appropriate balance between access and affordability,” said Paula Rogers of Anthem.
Well, as I figured, a little more came out today:
“We are well aware the concept of a narrow network is new to New Hampshire,” Rogers said. “Do we need 26 hospitals to serve our plan? We decided we didn’t.” The network for Anthem individual policy holders who do not purchase through the exchange will be limited as well when current policies expire.
I have no problem with a private company making decisions in how it runs that business – after all, it is “private property” which the owners control and the First Amendment gives them the Right to associate with whom they wish – and who they don’t. If a Free Marketplace truly existed, there would be competition in a heartbeat to fill the vacuum left by this decision to join up the OTHER 1/2 of the hospitals left out of Anthem’s plan. Unfortunately, as opposed to Progressives trying to mask the government control over healthcare by making it seem that there is a “real marketplace”, there isn’t one and anyone who says otherwise is either woefully stupid or crassly lying to you. Anthem has this to do CYA:
Appearing before the Joint Health Care Reform Oversight Committee Wednesday, Anthem officials said the company did a national survey and found people overwhelmingly preferred lower prices over access to health care.
You know, I read polls all the time – no expert, but I also know that HOW the poll is structured and how the questions are worded can give completely different answers, one to the other. And yes, they can be set up to give the result that is desired beforehand. But this? I dub this mendacious from the get-go in that large swaths of NH’s population, when making a local decision based on national answers, that would leave them uncovered. Doesn’t matter if the care is cheap if it is not accessible, is it? And just think of the new IRS army, just waiting to zing you for not buying an “affordable” policy that is worthless because the actual care providers are unacessable, is it?
So, what IS the problem, before everyone starts screaming at Anthem? Look back above and see if you spot it. Then there is this:
The network plan is expected to be approved by federal regulators within the next two weeks, according to Maria Proulx, Anthem NH’s senior legal counsel. State regulators have already recommended Anthem’s offering to the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
Insurance Department legal counsel Jennifer Patterson said the plan meets the state’s network standards, but said department rules require the details to remain confidential until it goes into effect — Jan. 1 — or when the company announces details.
And from above: “Understanding what the rules are at the Insurance Department around network adequacy“. Is this, perhaps, a case of Crony Capitalism? I dunno as I wasn’t part of the process (er, gotta work for a living). Maybe yes, maybe no. But what I do see is not so much fault with Anthem – in fact, it does seem that they are hemmed into a given space. One that is not set by consumers in a Free Market but by bureaucrats every which way from Sunday. The actual legislation, although running almost 3000 pages, gave much control to the Executive Branch and the last estimate I’ve seen is that the regulations that bureaucrats have created is north of 20,000 pages – and they aren’t done. Ask yourself – how much freedom, how much choice, is left when you are surrounded by all that “you will do this” and “you cannot do that” at every turn? Even here in NH, we now see the Progressive end goal – the Administrative State in which control and power drifts from our elected representatives to unelected (and therefore, unaccountable) ones. And we get results like this where our elected officials start to complain:
…The two Republican senators on the committee, Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, and Andy Sanborn, R-Bedford, criticized both the Affordable Care Act and state regulators for not being willing to discuss the details of Anthem’s planned network.
… Sanborn said. “It is troublesome that the executive branch knew about these network reductions back in July and, despite what they would mean to patients, still saw fit to approve these contracts.”
Look, these are two Repubs; frankly, it doesn’t matter WHICH party they belong to – the greater issue, the bigger problem, is why don’t they know what is going on? And why aren’t THEY making these kinds of decision as to how these departments are to be operating? Why are our elected officials allowing themselves to be outsourced? Sure, they write the laws but they are also to have oversight over the Executive Branch – and it obviously ISN’T HAPPENING! This is a sad state of affairs – I want my elected officials, be they Repub, Dem, or Libertarian. Heck, look at the end run around the departments did to get Planned Parenthood monies – they basically thumbed their noses at the Legislature – just like the IRS is doing to the Legislature in DC. Or the EPA? Or the Interior Department? Or lately, the intelligence services where the head spook outright lied in an official Congressional hearing?
Is it all that our elected officials can do, or willing to do, is merely sputter? Egads, look at the Constitution and just merely do what it says for you to do!
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For the record, here are the currently “out” hospitals:
The hospitals not in the network are Concord Hospital, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, Alice Peck Day Hospital in Lebanon, Androscoggin Valley Regional Hospital in Berlin, Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, Littleton Regional Hospital, Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont and the state’s two for-profit hospitals, Parkland Medical Center in Derry and Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
