UnitedHealth warns it may exit Obamacare plans

[Svnla]

Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group dealt a blow to the Affordable Care Act on Thursday when it warned that it may stop offering insurance plans to individuals through the public exchanges established by the reform law.

In a surprise, UnitedHealth (UNH) downgraded its earnings forecast in a sign that ACA, commonly referred to as Obamacare, is taking a toll on the company’s bottom line.

People who purchase plans through the public exchanges are typically heavy users of their plans, draining insurers' profits.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...grade-obamacare-affordable-care-act/76040322/


More problems are popping up. Multiple health exchanges shut down in several states or in the process of shut down and now this?

Not good for ACA.

Stay tuned if Blue Cross Blue Shield will follow UH.

 

[theeedude]

It may stop or may not. Who knows. Someone else will step in and take the money.

 

[Jaskalas]

Obama set this up as an economic failure.
The ONLY possible move from here is single payer, or a lot of hurt Americans.

 

[theeedude]

Single payer is fine, but no way to get there politically without trying this individual mandate thing that Republicans have been advocating for ages, and having it fail first.

 

[Spungo]

This whole thing is a complete disaster. We keep trying to shift who pays for medical care, but we're not working on lowering the cost of that care.

 

[Genx87]

Single payer is fine, but no way to get there politically without trying this individual mandate thing that Republicans have been advocating for ages, and having it fail first.

I despise this crap. A democrat planned passed by democrats is really a republican plan. And when it fails will be republicans fault. This is the problem I have with the useful idiots of these parties. They will never ever take responsibility for their party pushing and passing a failed policy.

 

[theeedude]

This whole thing is a complete disaster. We keep trying to shift who pays for medical care, but we're not working on lowering the cost of that care.

That is an issue. But when someone tries to, Republicans scream "price controls" and "death panels" and do nothing.

 

[fskimospy]

I always despise this. A democrat planned passed by democrats is really a republican plan. And when it fails will be republicans fault. This is the problem I have with the useful idiots of these parties. They will never ever take responsibility for their party pushing and passing a failed policy.

What's weird to me is that by any reasonable metric it has been an enormously successful policy. There may need to be changes in the future, but the idea that it is somehow a failed policy is baffling to me. If this isn't success, what is?

That doesn't mean that there aren't superior policy alternatives like single payer, but let's get real. This thing worked pretty well.

 

[Genx87]

What's weird to me is that by any reasonable metric it has been an enormously successful policy. There may need to be changes in the future, but the idea that it is somehow a failed policy is baffling to me. If this isn't success, what is?

That doesn't mean that there aren't superior policy alternatives like single payer, but let's get real. This thing worked pretty well.

I am on the fence on whether it will be a successful policy. It is early to determine success or failure imo.

My post was in response to senseamp and his ilk. They are already out setting the groundwork for if this fails it wont be the fault of their party that passed it.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

What's weird to me is that by any reasonable metric it has been an enormously successful policy. There may need to be changes in the future, but the idea that it is somehow a failed policy is baffling to me. If this isn't success, what is?

The "fun" is just beginning...give it time.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

I am on the fence on whether it will be a successful policy. It is early to determine success or failure imo.

My post was in response to senseamp and his ilk. They are already out setting the groundwork for if this fails it wont be the fault of their party that passed it.

I think Republicans should do nothing...just let this play out for a few more years.

 

[fskimospy]

I am on the fence on whether it will be a successful policy. It is early to determine success or failure imo.

My post was in response to senseamp and his ilk. They are already out setting the groundwork for if this fails it wont be the fault of their party that passed it.

Yes in the end it could end up being unsuccessful, but so far it has been a success by any metric I can think of.

I do find it amusing how people shape their views around their partisanship though, I agree. It IS originally a republican plan, but it's one Democrats passed. Much as republicans would have been responsible for the continuing status quo had they blocked its passage democrats are responsible for what happens related to it now.

One caveat to that though: any law this large is bound to have problems that need to be fixed. Republicans are going to have to grow up and move past their all out opposition to anything related to the ACA. If they refuse to work constructively to improve it, they are part of the problem.

 

[theeedude]

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/19/health-insurer-unitedhealth-cuts-full-year-profit-forecast.html

Aetna Inc. CEO Mark Bertolini told analysts last month that the nation's third-largest insurer still sees the exchange business as a big opportunity and it was "way too early to call it quits."

The Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer Anthem Inc. also told analysts that it was well positioned for growth in that market once it stabilizes.

Anyways, plenty of fish in that sea.

 

[Jaskalas]

I think Republicans should do nothing...just let this play out for a few more years.

And then offer... what?
I need a concrete plan to oppose single payer.

 

[PokerGuy]

I am on the fence on whether it will be a successful policy. It is early to determine success or failure imo.

In his mind, anything that vastly increases the scope of government and gives it more control over the people is automatically a tremendous success.

My coverage got worse, premiums went up, deductibles went way up, my wait time to see a doctor skyrocketed. Yeah, that sounds like a great outcome for sure

Once these giant bureaucracies are created they can never be taken away because too many people have their hand in the till and are dependent on it..... so we're stuck with this crap.

 

[fskimospy]

I think Republicans should do nothing...just let this play out for a few more years.

It's always amusing to watch people's partisanship trump their concern for their fellow man. Republicans should do nothing if things continue to work well, and they should act to improve them if they don't keep working well.

I can't believe people need to be reminded of this sort of thing. Sad.

 

[PokerGuy]

It may stop or may not. Who knows. Someone else will step in and take the money.

That's assuming there is money to be made. Companies like UHC are not in the habit of leaving money on the table if it's there to be easily made, so we don't know if there's a good way to be profitable in that space. There has been speculation that other providers are considering getting out of the market as well.

 

[fskimospy]

In his mind, anything that vastly increases the scope of government and gives it more control over the people is automatically a tremendous success.

My coverage got worse, premiums went up, deductibles went way up, my wait time to see a doctor skyrocketed. Yeah, that sounds like a great outcome for sure

Once these giant bureaucracies are created they can never be taken away because too many people have their hand in the till and are dependent on it..... so we're stuck with this crap.

More people are covered more effectively and for less money than anticipated. If that's not success I'm not sure what is.

 

[PokerGuy]

It's always amusing to watch people's partisanship trump their concern for their fellow man.

You're assuming (incorrectly as usual) that wanting to get rid of obummercare isn't because of concern for my fellow man. It's not that partisanship trumps the concern, it's that in the long run getting rid of it is better for everyone, even if the medicine tastes bad.

 

[PokerGuy]

More people are covered more effectively and for less money than anticipated. If that's not success I'm not sure what is.

Again, my premiums are up, my coverage is down, my deductible is way up, and my wait time to see a doctor has skyrocketed. How is that better for me?

 

[Sonikku]

People's health just isn't something that fits into a corporations equation for maximum profit.

 

[theeedude]

That's assuming there is money to be made. Companies like UHC are not in the habit of leaving money on the table if it's there to be easily made, so we don't know if there's a good way to be profitable in that space. There has been speculation that other providers are considering getting out of the market as well.

It's their call, but long term, they need to understand that this is the last shot at making private health insurance a part of a solution for covering all Americans. If they don't want to be part of it and just want to cherry pick profitable customers, that may work for them in the near term, but long term it will be suicide by leading to universal single payer. It's their call. I am fine either way.

 

[fskimospy]

Again, my premiums are up, my coverage is down, my deductible is way up, and my wait time to see a doctor has skyrocketed. How is that better for me?

I was unaware it was called the Pokerguy Protection and Affordable Care Act. Guess I should have looked closer.

For the country as a whole it has been very successful. Since we are talking national policy, that's what counts.

 

[TheSlamma]

This whole thing is a complete disaster. We keep trying to shift who pays for medical care, but we're not working on lowering the cost of that care.

It's nice to know some people weed through the political pander talk and actually get to on of the roots of the problem.

Why is an MRI on a GE machine under $1000 in Japan and on the same machine between $7000-$12000 here in the US. Just as good of Doctors, same exact machine.

 

[fskimospy]

It's nice to know some people weed through the political pander talk and actually get to on of the roots of the problem.

Why is an MRI on a GE machine under $1000 in Japan and on the same machine between $7000-$12000 here in the US. Just as good of Doctors, same exact machine.

It's weird that people say that, because there are lots of cost control mechanisms in it. The IPAB is a great example.

I guess this is probably a function of the huge amount of bad information about the ACA out there.