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Saturday, April 29, 2006
Farewell to the Staggering Health Insurance Protection Rackets: Cash Cow Expires
Bush Administration fires back at Washington Post's Sebastian Mallaby on Health Savings Accounts

It seems near impossible to see behind the thick political veil when it comes to healthcare issues in America. The political tussling, spinning and positioning nearly always dooms any attempt at approaching an issue squarely. While career politicians and media elite are busy coveting strategic political gain, the American healthcare ship is sinking. Too bad. It almost makes callous indifference an admirable character trait by comparison.

According to a recently released Commonwealth Fund report, the percentage of working-age Americans with moderate to middle incomes who lacked health insurance for at least part of the year rose to 41 percent in 2005, a dramatic increase from the 28 percent in 2001 without coverage. According to the report, National health care spending is climbing by more than 7 percent per year, outpacing economic growth by a substantial margin and that 'Gaps in health insurance coverage—a problem that has long afflicted lower-income U.S. families—is increasingly becoming an all-American problem.' Key findings (multimedia presentation available) of the survey point out that more than half of the uninsured adults said they were having problems paying their medical bills or had incurred debt to cover their expenses. According to lead author Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., senior program officer and director of the Fund's Program on the Future of Health Insurance, the represent 'an eXplosion of the insurance crisis into those with moderate incomes'.

Somebody, please, step up to the podium and clear the cigar smoke. The bottom line is, network-wide healthcare cost in America is out of control beyond containment. If you or a loved one has ever had an extended hospital stay, you could lament the truth. Marketing, research, technology, IT..... somebody's been draining the American healthcare consumer's lifeblood for too long and been calling it health insurance. It's all about the disposable American dollar and whose got the stealth to pry it loose and leverage it into a foolproof consumer niche pool. Universal, consumer-driven, mandatory.....what's in a name when it all smells the same? Crisis? Avarice-driven, spiralling, network-wide, price-gouged inflationary costs have bankrupted all and the lowly American healthcare consumer is stuck with the tab for the shortfall. Stuck, as always. Only, now, he(she) can't pay or won't; not from those empty pockets. Check the ranks of the uninsured. What's the fix? Network pricing structure? New pockets to pick? The Federali? Hmm. A little more wood for the fire, below.
[globalEyeNews.eXtra.health insurance]


For Immediate Release February 13, 2006
Whitehouse: News and Policices

Setting the Record Straight: The Washington Post's Sebastian Mallaby on Health Savings Accounts

Setting the Record Straight



Setting The Record Straight On The Benefits Of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Mallaby Claims That HSAs Are For "Rich People" And "Healthy People".
"The administration is proposing a new kind of 401(k), and using it as an inducement to quit low-deductible insurance. Rich people, who gain most from the tax breaks on saving, will be first to sign on; healthy people, who subsidize sicker people in company health plans, will be right behind them." (Sebastian Mallaby, Op-Ed, "Ownership Society Redux," The Washington Post, 2/13/06)

  • But Studies Have Shown That HSAs Have Broad Appeal.Enrollment In HSAs Has Tripled Since March 2005.
    " At least three million consumers currently receive health coverage through high-deductible health insurance plans offered in conjunction with health saving accounts (HSAs), according to preliminary results of a new study by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). According to the study, enrollment in the new insurance policies eligible for HSAs has roughly tripled since last March when a similar AHIP survey found that 1,031,000 people were covered by HSA-compatible insurance policies." (America's Health Insurance Plans, "HSAs Triple in 10 Months," Press Release, 1/26/06)

  • Studies Show That Low-Income And Previously Uninsured Americans Are Signing Up For HSAs.
    " These lower-premium plans are an important option, especially for those who might not otherwise be able to afford coverage, Ignagni said, noting that among the companies tracking the information, previously uninsured people purchased 37% of the individual policies. Twenty-seven percent of the policies in the small group market have been sold to employers who did not previously offer coverage to their employees. Shattering the myth that these new products only attract young and healthy individuals, the census indicates that nearly half of people covered by HSA-eligible insurance are over the age of 40." (America's Health Insurance Plans, "HSAs More Than Double In Six Months, New AHIP Study Shows," Press Release, 5/4/05)

  • Survey Finds More Previously Uninsured Americans Enrolled In HSA Programs Than Traditional Health Plans.
    "The survey found that HSA-eligible enrollees are of all ages and of no different health status than people enrolled in traditional coverage. 'This survey finding dispels the myth that HSAs are only for the young and healthy,' said Sullivan. 'In addition, we are also bolstered by the finding that the number of previously uninsured currently enrolled in a HSA-eligible product is double that of enrollees in traditional........More


    • Written at 10:07 AM by globalEyeNews.
    1 comments
    1 Comments:
    Anonymous Anonymous said...
    thanks for pointing out those releases - they provide more info. way to start setting the record straight!

    HSATruth
    http://www.hsatruth.com
    4:59 PM  
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