The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Most Virginians want consumers - not insurance companies - to run the show when a key provision of the new federal health-care law takes effect in 2014, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The law requires every state to set up a health insurance exchange that helps people shop around for the best, most affordable insurance. Those exchanges must be in place by Jan. 1, 2014.
The survey taken by AARP, the national organization that advocates for people 50 and older, found that more than eight in 10 Virginians think consumers should be a majority of members on the exchange's governing board. Two-thirds of those polled say there should be no insurance company representatives on the board.
"It's a resounding call for a consumer voice," Jennifer Sauer, an AARP researcher, said.
More than four in 10 of those polled said they or someone close to them had been without health coverage at some point in the past two years.
AARP is part of a new coalition, Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare, that plans to lobby for creation of a consumer-oriented health insurance exchange for Virginia.
Under the federal Affordable Care Act, if Virginia does not set up its own exchange, the federal government will do it.
In the current General Assembly session, several lawmakers have introduced legislation to create a state exchange. Gov. Bob McDonnell, however, believes it would be premature, said Jeff Caldwell, a spokesman for the governor.
"There are too many variables and unanswered questions," Caldwell said, noting that the federal law is being challenged in court.
"We still have plenty of time to establish an exchange once the Supreme Court determines the constitutionality of the law."
Some states have said they won't set up exchanges.
"They're apparently banking on the law being overturned," said Bill Kallio, AARP's Virginia state director. "That's kind of risky business."
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Keep state Government Out of it
The last thing I would want to see is Virginia state government putting its hands on my health insurance. I am fine with the federal government which will take a principled, consumer oriented approach. But Virginia state governemnt is in the pocket of corporate business interests and the religious right. That means insurance companies and religious theology will govern what kind of health insurance can be bought.
Health care is what we want
I agree that it is Health CARE we want not Health INSURANCE. Since we do not have the courage to go with a single payer health care system we have to make a hybrid system using the existing Insurance industry. Obama, being the community organizer that he is, was able to weave together a bill with Republican ideas (that they now disown), Insurance industry ideas, and that provides health care to an additional 35-40 million Americans. In the long run I believe health care costs will drop as we spread the risk over many more people. The Insured will no longer pay for the Uninsured. If we can keep the Republicans from destroying this bill just to get at Obama this is a workable system. The Customer must have a major voice to make it work.
Agreed
As it is now, health "care" is just a part of the cost of doing business for the insurance industry. If it shows up on the red side of the ledger, they will find a way to lower it.
It should be the primary reason fortheir existance.
What?
"as we spread the risk over many more people. The Insured will no longer pay for the Uninsured."
These say exactly the same thing.
Either way, I as a payer to health insurance who does not use health care will continue to pay for those who do go to the ER for anything and everything.
obamacare
Obama will destroy himself. He needs no help from republicans. Don't believe me' watch the election results in November. His big baseball stadium coronation for being the liberal nominee will be a big waste of money like solyndra and most of his other initiatives.
Single payer universal care is what we need.
We need to take the profit out of health care exactly like we do police, fire, military and education.
Every industrialized country in the world has universal health care in one form or another, their people are healthier, they live longer and they do it at half the price that Americans pay.
What is this?
France, Italy, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Oman, Austria, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Monaco, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Colombia, Sweden, Cyprus, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Morocco, Canada, Finland, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Dominica, Costa Rica, United States of America.
Answer: World Health Organization ranking of the world
i do not have insurance
my husband lost his job and we lost our insurance. my job does not offer it and his new job will be charging him 978 for a month of insurance that is more then my mortgage.we can not afford that. and that is the standard fee not based on our past history. so we will not have insurance until we are forced to. we are at the point of own our home or own an insurance policy.
Every other industrialized nation in the world
Every other industrialized nation in the world has national health insurance, and they pay HALF per capita what we pay for health care. The French have the best system. It is a combination of public and private insurance. They use cost saving measures such as cheaper medical schools, drug prices negotiated by the government, limited doctor liability, and preventive care. You can read about their system at this link... http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm
"The French have the best
"The French have the best system"
According to whom and using what metrics?
Really?
From Chris’s own article he uses to promote France’s health care:
France’s health care is one of the most expensive in the world.
French citizens pay 21% of their income into their health care program, with employers paying roughly half of that. French employers say these high taxes constrain their ability to hire more people.
Last year, France’s health system ran nearly $9 billion in debt. Although it is a smaller deficit than in previous years, it forced the French government to start charging patients more for some drugs, ambulance costs and other services.
Grass is always greener...