The Massachusetts Association of Underwriters (MassAHU) supports Health Care Reform and the noble goal of providing health insurance for all citizens of Massachusetts. Health insurance brokers are an integral part of the health insurance system and have become part of the Commonwealth Connector’s distribution network. However, we are concerned about the Connector’s determination to write group health insurance plans, which we fear may contribute to the unraveling of the entire health care system.
We realize that the Massachusetts Legislature worked diligently to write the enabling legislation, and we all recognize that significant progress has been made. But, the evolving role of the Connector continues to concern us. Specifically, in July, 2008, the Connector is planning to market Commonwealth Choice plans to Massachusetts employers – even employers who already have existing health insurance policies for their employees through one of the major health plans in Massachusetts including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim. The solicitation of existing policyholders will cause significant disruption to the current distribution model and lead to tremendous instability in the pricing of small group plans.
Unnecessary rising premiums will result in a dangerous backlash by local carriers and small businesses. The ensuing instability will bring negative attention nationwide, undermining the great strides that already have been made. The long-term success of health care reform depends upon all stakeholders pushing in the same direction.
It is imperative that the Connector return to its true mandate of insuring the uninsured, instead of attempting to insure groups that already are covered. The direct intervention of our elected leaders is needed to redirect the Connector’s purpose and to prohibit it from marketing to or accepting business from Massachusetts employers who already have coverage.
Jean Russell, President, MassAHU
I 1000% agree with you.
I thought the goal was to provide affordable health care to those without coverage. How can it be legislatively acceptable for the Connector to offer products to those entities with coverage? Not only this but how does the Connector believe it will continue to maintain the goodwill and cooperation of the health plans that it will compete with for the insured business? Doesn’t make sense – it needs to return to the mission of providing a distribtion vehicle of affordable products to those without insurance.
I still don’t have insurance and cannot afford the insurance and the state house or Governor or Commonwealth Connector does not care.This whole health reform law from the beginning has been on the wrong side.The insurance companies are dictating what we should pay and it should be the other way around.We need to get rid of private insurance it’s the only way we will have fair and affordable insurance.Medicare for all.
It is ashame that Massachusetts doesn’t just follow the model that has been working successfully in 80% of the country — outside of the northeast. In the northeast states (except for Connecticut and New Hampshire) seem bound and determined to reinvent health care and they are failing miserably. In Virgina and states south and Pennsylvania and states south and west have a high risk health insurance pool in the individual (non-group) market which enables the highest risks to get quality coverage in the pool and the rest of the general public has access to hundreds of plans from dozens of carriers in the private market at low affordable rates. The high risk health insurance pool is the guarantee issue mechanism. Without a high risk health insurance pool, states like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maine and Vermont and Rhode Island will continue to have the highest rates for health insurance for individuals who have to pay for their own coverage and the fewest carriers even doing business in these states. As the past president and legislative chairperson for the Rhode Island Association of Health Underwriters I know what facilitates a successful individual health insurance market in a state and what only makes it worse. The northeastern states above with new “reforms” intended to help are only making things worse. It’s ashame these states refuse to see their legislative efforts aren’t working and finally simply model their individual health insurance markets after states with much more vibrant markets where health insurance is widely available and affordable. New Hampshire has one of the most successful high risk health insurance pools and an improving individual maket ever since it was established. States in the northeast should follow their example.
Emily Harding is an insurance broker leeching off of our obscenely expensive dysfunctional health care system.
The best contribution that Emily and her ilk could make to solving the health care crisis is to GO AWAY
P.S. Regarding my above comment, even though it should be obvious I’ll point out that the same goes for Jean Russell, wbur’s “invited author” of this post.
You’re a leech. Go find something useful to do.