300000 Individual Insurance Policies Canceled by one Insurer in Florida, many more across the Nation

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[quote]Florida Blue, for example, is terminating about 300,000 policies, about 80 percent of its individual policies in the state. Kaiser Permanente in California has sent notices to 160,000 people – about half of its individual business in the state. Insurer Highmark in Pittsburgh is dropping about 20 percent of its individual market customers, while Independence Blue Cross, the major insurer in Philadelphia, is dropping about 45 percent.[/quote]

[quote]The main reason insurers offer is that the policies fall short of what the Affordable Care Act requires starting Jan. 1. Most are ending policies sold after the law passed in March 2010. At least a few are cancelling plans sold to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

By all accounts, the new policies will offer consumers better coverage, in some cases, for comparable cost -- especially after the inclusion of federal subsidies for those who qualify. The law requires policies sold in the individual market to cover 10 “essential” benefits, such as prescription drugs, mental health treatment and maternity care. In addition, insurers cannot reject people with medical problems or charge them higher prices. The policies must also cap consumers’ annual expenses at levels lower than many plans sold before the new rules.

But the cancellation notices, which began arriving in August, have shocked many consumers in light of President Barack Obama’s promise that people could keep their plans if they liked them. [/quote]

[quote]Both Independence and Highmark are cancelling so-called “guaranteed issue” policies, which had been sold to customers who had pre-existing medical conditions when they signed up. Policyholders with regular policies because they did not have health problems will be given an option to extend their coverage through next year.

Consumer advocates say such cancellations raise concerns that companies may be targeting their most costly enrollees.

They may be “doing this as an opportunity to push their populations into the exchange and purge their systems” of policyholders they no longer want, said Jerry Flanagan, an attorney with the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog in California.

Insurers deny that, saying they are encouraging existing customers to re-enroll in their new plans.[/quote]

[url]http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/October/21/cancellation-notices-health-insurance.aspx[/url]

[Rocko's]

Oh damn, I hope my grandparents aren't one of them, they are under Florida Blue Cross, they can't go without that.

[Agoat]

Ugh. This shit sucks.

[Van-man]

[QUOTE]
Consumer advocates say such cancellations raise concerns that companies may be targeting their most costly enrollees.

They may be “doing this as an opportunity to push their populations into the exchange and purge their systems” of policyholders they no longer want, said Jerry Flanagan, an attorney with the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog in California.

[B]Insurers deny that, saying they are encouraging existing customers to re-enroll in their new plans.[/B][/QUOTE]

Yeah, right.

[Missing User]

My grandfather lost his from IBM, but here in Illinois. I believe it was blue cross.

[gonedead0]

Shit, my mom and I are under Kaiser Permenente here in California. I hope that doesn't include us.

[myon]

Dick move.

[Mr. Someguy]

This is why we should have never gotten rid of the public option. They're gonna raise hell over the ACA, and we're at their mercy. Fuck privatised healthcare, fuck it to hell.