This is America?
The health reform law gave HHS the power to scrutinize “unreasonable” rate hikes in states that didn’t have robust review programs. But “scrutiny” doesn’t give the department power to actually block the rates from going into effect. HHS can use its bully pulpit to publicly shame insurers whose rates don’t pass its sniff test – and HHS has done just that, holding four media calls since November to scold insurers each time it’s made a new “unreasonable” determination.
The title of this article is “Jawboning by HHS Doesn’t Scare Insurers,” but maybe they should be scared.
Curious about what makes some rate hikes “unreasonable” as opposed to others that may be reasonable.
I don’t know about the insurers but it scares me. Seems like there is a lot of room for abuse and vendettas here. Who and how many decide if violations have occured?
To the degree there have been unreasonable rate hikes since the PPACA was passed, the primary reason is the uncertainty surrounding the new federal health care law and what it might do to health insurers long term prospects.
In a competitive marketplace — one where there is national competition and consistent regulations — health insurers would not be able to pass unreasonable rate hikes because consumers would go elsewhere.
Schild und Schwert der Partei.
I’m sorry, are we complaining that the Department doesn’t have that power to act on insurers’ “unreasonableness?” That seems unusual coming from this blog.