November 14th, 2013
12:31 PM ET
9 years ago
Obama offers fix for canceled plans
New York (CNNMoney) - Americans may be able to keep their individual insurance plans for one more year, under a fix offered by President Obama on Thursday to address a controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act.
The deal is meant to mollify millions of people enraged after their insurers canceled policies that do not meet Obamacare requirements. The uproar has ensnared the White House for weeks, shining a spotlight on Obama's previous promise that people who liked their insurance plans can keep them.
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Offer early/expanded enrollment in Medicare. Bypass Insurance Companies. Medicare is the most efficient healthcare our country can offer.
Granted, none of this is possible if it has to get past the republican House.
We don't want your dictatorial fix. We want you out of office.
Agree Bill. Getting anything part the House is problem. I wish Reid would just take the nuclear option. Its the only way Anything is going to get done. The President can't even get an appointments passed. All stall until run out of time for anything. Bonehead already said immigration will not make the floor for a vote. If they want to play dirty we need to play hard ball. Sad times. They wave the flag but hate the President more than they love America.
Maybe this will people the opportunity to realize that insurers change their plans all of the time. I have never had an employer provided, medical plan that didn't change every other year or so. Never. Most helath insurance policies are only good for a year, anyway. After a year, the insurance company has had the opportunity to offer a renewal on a revised policy, or to drop you entirely if you cost them too much money.
"The launch of the Affordable Care Act has so far been marred by major technological problems with both the federal and state enrollment websites."
This is erroneous. Retract, please.
Also: don't send me to your horrible "Money" site - it crashes my phone's browser - Chrome - every time I go there.
First, he is was grossly negligent in his duties as Commander-in-Chief – Benghazi – on his watch – four Americans brutally murdered. Then, he orders the IRS to target anyone who does not agree with his policies, then, there is the invasion of privacy on American citizens through phone and internet taps, now, people are left without health insurance, and subsequently without the healthcare they had previously, because of Obamacare. This president has not only broken his oath of office, he has outright lied to the American people and we are suffering because of it. These are all grounds for impeachment.
The President just dug a deeper hole for the Democrats.
bwahahahhahaha!!!! the only 'fix' here is to the re-election of democrats in 2014!!! delaying the disaster so they all don't get the boot in 2014 because of obamacare!!!
this liar in chief is the worse political hack to ever to inhabit the white house. everything he does is politically motivated. he could care less about the american people losing their healthcare plans.
"If you want to keep your crappy substandard plan, be my guest. But you only have a year to keep getting screwed. Don't you idiots realize I'm trying to help you?"
People are furious because their sub standard plans were cancelled and replaced (mind you) with better coverage for the same or less money. Only in America.....
Just by waving a Federal wand doesn't make it so. Each state has regs. about filing and getting plans (including pricing)for health insurance approved, BEFORE being marketed to the public.
If any insurance company has not submitted the exact plan for 2014, that was in existence for 2013 and gotten state approval, there are more hurdles to clear before "if you like your old insurance, you can keep it". (Actually 50 states x number of non-filed and approved plans for 2014)
How does an insurance company determine a price to get a non-filed 2013 plan approved for 2014? Who wants to keep their old plan??
"Obama just proposed to do something that repubs had suggested."
No he didn't. That's not what the GOP/Teatrolls suggested at all. They demanded a blanket delay for everyone, not just for folks who find themselves in a particular negative situation, which is what Obama appears to be offering. There's a difference...but oh look, surprise surprise, you're pretending it's not there.
The only real fix is his resignation. We simply cannot have a pathological liar in the White House.
@Rudy
"Maybe this will people the opportunity to realize that insurers change their plans all of the time. I have never had an employer provided, medical plan that didn't change every other year or so"
So basically you're saying that the "grandfather" clause was a completely bogus and fake promise because, as you have so clearly stated, insurers change their plans all the time. Thank you for the clarification.
So Sorry,
We are making this up as we go along. Can't tell you what will happen next week. But be assured we will think of something! (Gotha Fooled, No).
freedom, you grossly misrepresent facts. Rather, you grossly misrepresent your unsubstantiated Rush-approved talking points as facts when in fact, not a shred of evidence produced by your loser investigative team led by Issa has proven anything you mention.
But thanks for playing...
@Sniffit,
Since you are all-knowing about everything, how will an insurance company adjust their actuaries? Also, I thought the president cared about us. Why is he letting people get their junk policies? I thought they weren't worth the paper they were written on...
"Also, insurers must notify policyholders of the difference in benefits between their policies and the Obamacare plans available on the insurance exchanges. And the companies must inform people that additional policies are available on the exchanges and that subsidies may be available to those who qualify. "
And that's why the GOP/Teatrolls will throw a nutty over this administrative action, because it prevents a game the insurance companies are playing in order to keep people away from the exchanges, where competition lowers premiums. You see, while you might think that simple honesty, common decency and a desire to avoid being accused of defrauding customers, might behoove insurance companies to provide the above information without having to be told to do so...well, guess what?...they're not. In fact, the letters they're sending to people telling them their plan will be cancelled and that they will be "rolled over automatically into this new plan just by doing nothing" are devoid of such information and are presented in a way designed to steer people away from the exchanges. They then roll these people over into plans that are the same as ones they are offering on the exchanges, but they charge more than they're charging on the exchanges, and the poor duped consumer doesn't get a subsidy either. By deliberately withholding pertinent information from their customers, they're trying to make an end-run around the competition the exchanges are creating in order to get higher prices than they could get on the exchanges...A SURE SIGN THAT THE EXCHANGES ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. Humana already got fined thousands for this practice. LifeWise has been caught at it too. You can bet your left eye that most others are deeply involved in that kind of con-game as well. Their customers trust them and they're abusing that trust by withholding pertinent information about their options in order to dupe them into paying more than they really need to.
I am sorry, but President Obama has lost his last and only legacy to his Presidency. He has very little else to show for a 2-term President.
tom l
@Rudy
"Maybe this will people the opportunity to realize that insurers change their plans all of the time. I have never had an employer provided, medical plan that didn't change every other year or so"
So basically you're saying that the "grandfather" clause was a completely bogus and fake promise because, as you have so clearly stated, insurers change their plans all the time. Thank you for the clarification.
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Your argument is bogus. Sooner or later, all health care insurance policies change or expire. Most policies expire annually, forcing you to renew every year, usually under different terms and conditions. Several states have passed legislation requiring that ALL policies sold within the state conform to the ACA, which makes it impossible for you to keep your existing policy.
This is a 2014 ELECTION FIX!!! It "fixes" NOTHING in Obamacare. You are being lied to and conned once again American by this fraudulent con artist of a president.
To put it in perspective for you, think of Obamacare as if the Department of Motor Vehicles has just taken over your health care plan.
The same type of people.
The same type of efficiency.
The same type of customer service.
This is temporary. Anything temporary in the end has to be fixed. If your going to tell the insurance companies to provide to the people who they dropped, then make the insurance company abide by the law. These insurance companies all need to be providing what's in the ACA. This is unfair to everyone, who's being dropped and then re-entered again into the same company that will not be providing what's in the ACA. The people will be doing without services that are in the law of the ACA for a year, that the insurance companies really should be providing!! They are the providers and are the one group of people, who for sure need to be abiding by the law and regardless to what health care insurance company they are. People may pay a few more dollars a month but will be better off in the end.
I hope the states drop, close down or fine all health care providers who don't provide services to the public that are standard new laws for health care in the ACA. Why would anyone want to do business with them??
Health care plans are expensive and so is medical care and the bills that come with it when you get sick or terminally ill ect.., so everyone who is buying insurance needs to be taken care of. This is why all plans need to include the standards in the ACA.
Anyone can go out and buy a health care plan but a new law for health care has been passed and needs to be passed on to the all the health care providers as well, and not just individual mandates, and small business ect...who are going to get fined if they don't comply.
This law will work with everyone working together, some reforming, and peoples patience.
Tom l., insurance companies change plans, not because they are forced to, but because they want to. Obamacare just provides them with a convenient excuse. People who blame Obama for forcing insurance companies to cancel their plans are mistaken. The grandfather clause allows insurance companies to keep existing plans, even if they don't comply with all of Obamacare's requirements. If insurance companies don't use the grandfather clause, it is their choice.
At least four states - California, Idaho, Virginia and Kentucky - are requiring all individual plans adhere to Obamacare rules.
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California, Virginia & Kentucky have state run exchanges that are running smoothly. Therefore there is no reason to extend the enrollment period as anyone who makes even a half-hearted effort to sign up in those states is successful.