“The answers will be posted next Tuesday. There will be some exciting prizes which we will post with the answers.”

Many Commonhealth blog readers have been looking for the promised answers since Tuesday July 24, 2007. The prizes are not generating that much interest but the serious health policy content is, and that needs to be respected by Commonhealth posting the “Quiz” answers.

Today’s date is August 15, 2007, and still no answers nor a public explanation for the extreme delay.

What gives?

We’ve been sitting of the edge of our chairs for a week, now.

And, can you answer our questions, too?

Thanks.

#2) What will be the expected cost of administration (both State and private insurance costs combined)for this project in the future?

#3) How will they know if you do or don’t have the mandated insurance? Who will keep track of every soul in the state? What will it cost to monitor this?

#4) What if you have insurance on Jan. 1st, but can not afford to keep it and drop it on Feb. 1st? How will they know? What will they do to you and when?

Question 1: If you are a home care agency serving elderly, disabled patients — much of whose care is paid for by the state through MassHealth, which pays you 30% below cost, and your next MassHealth rate increase isn’t scheduled until 2009 – and you need (but can’t afford) to offer health insurance to home health aides making $11 per hour on a work schedule that fluctuates greatly from week to week, how do you ensure that they get coverage?

a) by cutting their hourly wage so you can afford to offer insurance, (but they can’t afford to buy it),

b) by reducing their hours so they don’t qualify for your group plan and can get state-supported coverage,

c) by refusing to accept any more MassHealth patients and concentrating on insurers that pay better rates so you can afford the insurance premiums.

Questions 2: When will the Connector’s Contributory Plan offering be available to employers who want to offer products that simply aren’t available to them in the current marketplace

Question 1: If you are a home care agency serving elderly, disabled patients — much of whose care is paid for by the state through MassHealth, which pays you 30% below cost, and your next MassHealth rate increase isn’t scheduled until 2009 – and you need (but can’t afford) to offer health insurance to home health aides making $11 per hour on a work schedule that fluctuates greatly from week to week, how do you ensure that they get coverage?

a) by cutting their hourly wage so you can afford to offer insurance, (but they can’t afford to buy it),

b) by reducing their hours so they don’t qualify for your group plan and can get state-supported coverage,

c) by refusing to accept any more MassHealth patients and concentrating on insurers that pay better rates so you can afford the insurance premiums.

Questions 2: When will the Connector’s Contributory Plan offering be available to employers who want to offer products that simply aren’t available to them in the current marketplace?

I’m still working on my haiku…

#1) How much money has gone into the creation/administration/advertising for this mess so far?

#2) What will be the expected cost of administration (both State and private insurance costs combined)for this project in the future?

#3) How will they know if you do or don’t have the mandated insurance? Who will keep track of every soul in the state? What will it cost to monitor this?

#4) What if you have insurance on Jan. 1st, but can not afford to keep it and drop it on Feb. 1st? How will they know? What will they do to you and when?

Yes, simple questions from a simple mind…but valid and deserving of clear answers.

Who wins with new law?
Insurance Industry and Hospitals.

Who loses with new law?
Those just above 200% poverty who really can’t afford health insurance and now will be penalized by the tax system.
The taxpayers who will end up paying for a wasteful system.
Those who get sick and find out that they pay the first $2,000, $4,000 or $10,000.

Thanks for making the system worst!!

You guys should approach the state lottery and pursuade them to offer a top prize of health insurance for life, instead of Red Sox tickets for life.

Depending on one’s age, a top notch health policy with a low deductible is probably worth more than winning megabucks.

I couldn’t have said it better. If we don’t all flee for the border, let’s show our demonstrate our opinion of this scam at the ballot box next election.