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Do You Think This Might Impact the Cost of Vacation?
Where will you go on vacation next year? Some place close by or maybe take an airplane to some exotic isle? Or maybe just a fun place to play a round or more of golf.
You might want to buy your ticket now before the price goes up.
$100 million isn't peanuts.
With any self funded plan, including Delta, the PLAN design can have a major impact on the number of claims paid as well as the total dollars spent on claims.
If a plan has to cover more things (such as birth control at no cost to the insured) that cost directly impacts claims and is passed on in the form of higher premiums.
All these free and wonderful things Mr. Teleprompter wants us to have come with a price.
You might want to buy your ticket now before the price goes up.
large employers who self-insure should be exempt from most of Obamacare’s most onerous regulations. It turns out, however, that even America’s largest companies face higher costs due to the health law. A recently-leaked letter from Delta Air Lines to the Obama administration states that the “cost of providing health care to our employees will increase by nearly $100,000,000 next year,” much of it due to Obamacare.Forbes
$100 million isn't peanuts.
Self-insurance works a different way. Many large employers, instead of paying premiums to an insurance company, cut out the middleman and pay directly for the health costs that their workers incur. This involves additional financial risk for the employer, but the company saves money that would otherwise go to an insurer’s overhead.This is important.
With any self funded plan, including Delta, the PLAN design can have a major impact on the number of claims paid as well as the total dollars spent on claims.
If a plan has to cover more things (such as birth control at no cost to the insured) that cost directly impacts claims and is passed on in the form of higher premiums.
The law charges Delta a “reinsurance fee” that goes toward funding the law’s subsidized insurance exchanges. But Delta employees get coverage from Delta, not from the exchanges; hence, the fee is effectively a $10 million tax on Delta for other government purposes.Just another of those hidden Obamataxes.
“More than 8,000 (adult) children [have been] added to our rolls resulting in a permanent increase in our overall costs of about $14 million per year.”That's the provision requiring health insurance plans to cover "children" up to age 26.
All these free and wonderful things Mr. Teleprompter wants us to have come with a price.
Se Habla Obamacare?
If you ever wondered why the government is spending so much money and effort to SELL us on a plan that is law, this will make you scratch your head.
Recent polls show that 2/3 of those here legally do not want Obamacare. So what is the plan now?
Recruit people from outside the country to come here so they can get government subsidized health insurance.
Did you follow that logic?
Only with immigration reform, AKA amnesty, will they have enough people covered by Obamacare to make it popular.
Recent polls show that 2/3 of those here legally do not want Obamacare. So what is the plan now?
Recruit people from outside the country to come here so they can get government subsidized health insurance.
"Well, the (Obamacare) bill is crafted in such a way that those who are undocumented will not have access to the tax credits or shopping in the (health insurance) marketplace. That has been limited, which is, frankly, why -- another very keen reason why we need comprehensive immigration reform," Sebelius told a gathering of Latinos in Philadelphia.CNS News
Did you follow that logic?
Only with immigration reform, AKA amnesty, will they have enough people covered by Obamacare to make it popular.
Mid Friday Good news, Bad news
First, from our friend Holly R, the good news:
"5 Body Parts Scientists Can 3-D Print"
As we've mentioned before, this tech is a potential game changer for dealing with diseased or damaged organs, blood vessels, even bones.
Now the bad:
"Gallup surveyed 1,021 U.S. adults ages 18 and older in mid-August, it found only 15 percent of all participants “were very familiar” with PPACA. Eighteen percent said they were “not too familiar,” and 12 percent admitted they were “not all familiar” with the law."
Now admittedly, this is only "bad news" to proponents of the train wreck. That is, after all the money and efforts thrown at educating the public about the (supposed) benefits of the ObamaTax, for its most crucial demographic to be this uninformed is quite amusing.
Oh, and this just in: President Obama's promise that premiums would decrease 3000% under the ObamaTax appears to be coming true:
"The average employer-provided family health insurance premiums have climbed $2,976 since 2009"
This from the right-wingers at the Kaiser Family Foundation, so there's that.
"5 Body Parts Scientists Can 3-D Print"
As we've mentioned before, this tech is a potential game changer for dealing with diseased or damaged organs, blood vessels, even bones.
Now the bad:
"Gallup surveyed 1,021 U.S. adults ages 18 and older in mid-August, it found only 15 percent of all participants “were very familiar” with PPACA. Eighteen percent said they were “not too familiar,” and 12 percent admitted they were “not all familiar” with the law."
Now admittedly, this is only "bad news" to proponents of the train wreck. That is, after all the money and efforts thrown at educating the public about the (supposed) benefits of the ObamaTax, for its most crucial demographic to be this uninformed is quite amusing.
Oh, and this just in: President Obama's promise that premiums would decrease 3000% under the ObamaTax appears to be coming true:
"The average employer-provided family health insurance premiums have climbed $2,976 since 2009"
This from the right-wingers at the Kaiser Family Foundation, so there's that.
First Big Brown, now the Cavaliers
Bob noted yesterday that UPS was on the bleeding edge of employers dumping spousal coverage. Today we learn that - surprise! - the domino's are starting to fall:
"The University of Virginia said Wednesday that it will stop offering health insurance to some employees' spouses because of rising costs under ObamaCare."
But remember folks, "if you like your current insurance plan, you can keep your current insurance plan."
Until you can't.
"The University of Virginia said Wednesday that it will stop offering health insurance to some employees' spouses because of rising costs under ObamaCare."
But remember folks, "if you like your current insurance plan, you can keep your current insurance plan."
Until you can't.
He's only MOSTLY dead.... [UPDATED]
Here's something you don't see every day:
"After showing no signs of life for 45 minutes and being declared dead, a 37-year-old Ohio man suddenly came back to life ... doctors treated Yahle with every medicine they could for 45 minutes, but he didn’t respond and was officially declared dead."
Mr Yahle had had some breathing problems earlier in the day, which had prompted a 911 call and ambulance ride. After hearing that his father had been pronounced dead, his 17-year-old son rushed to his side, yelling “Dad, you’re not going to die today."
Turned out he was right.
Which by the way brings up an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: given that he was pronounced dead by a licensed physician at an accredited facility, is his wife eligible to file a claim on his life insurance? Generally, that requires a death certificate, but if he was legally pronounced dead.... [ed: see update, below]
On the other end of the spectrum, here's some good news for folks who are having problems conceiving a child:
"European and American scientists say a simplified version of the entire procedure aimed at developing countries could be done for about 200 euros ($265) with generic fertility drugs and basic lab equipment that would fit inside a shoebox."
Currently, IVF is an expensive proposition (although, to be fair, a whole lot less than actually raising one's progeny), so this may be the breakthrough for which anxious parent-wannabes have been waiting.
UPDATE: On a hunch, I posed this question to the claims folks at our primary carrier. Good sports that they are, they replied:
"NO Claim. We would require a certified death certificate, and there wouldn’t be one issued because they are not dead."
Oh, well - easy come, easy go.
"After showing no signs of life for 45 minutes and being declared dead, a 37-year-old Ohio man suddenly came back to life ... doctors treated Yahle with every medicine they could for 45 minutes, but he didn’t respond and was officially declared dead."
Mr Yahle had had some breathing problems earlier in the day, which had prompted a 911 call and ambulance ride. After hearing that his father had been pronounced dead, his 17-year-old son rushed to his side, yelling “Dad, you’re not going to die today."
Turned out he was right.
Which by the way brings up an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: given that he was pronounced dead by a licensed physician at an accredited facility, is his wife eligible to file a claim on his life insurance? Generally, that requires a death certificate, but if he was legally pronounced dead.... [ed: see update, below]
On the other end of the spectrum, here's some good news for folks who are having problems conceiving a child:
"European and American scientists say a simplified version of the entire procedure aimed at developing countries could be done for about 200 euros ($265) with generic fertility drugs and basic lab equipment that would fit inside a shoebox."
Currently, IVF is an expensive proposition (although, to be fair, a whole lot less than actually raising one's progeny), so this may be the breakthrough for which anxious parent-wannabes have been waiting.
UPDATE: On a hunch, I posed this question to the claims folks at our primary carrier. Good sports that they are, they replied:
"NO Claim. We would require a certified death certificate, and there wouldn’t be one issued because they are not dead."
Oh, well - easy come, easy go.
The ObamaTax doesn't affect you
Well, unless you call theft "affecting me."
As Bob pointed out yesterday, large companies aren't stupid - they simply find ways to manage the stupidity raining down on them from Capital City. Sometimes, though, it's not just raining, but pouring.
Case in point? Delta Airlines:
"The [ObamaTax] requires large employers to pay an annual fee of $63 per covered participant in 2014. For Delta’s roughly 160,000 enrolled active and retired employees and their family members, this represents more than $10 million added to the cost of providing health care next year."
Remember also that employers don't pay this fee: customers do. So next time you fly. remember to tip your friendly TSAgroper agent and stop grumbling about the extra few bucks you're transferring to folks who - unlike you - actually get those subsidized health insurance rates thanks to the $63 slush-fund Pre-Existing Condition Fee.
As Bob pointed out yesterday, large companies aren't stupid - they simply find ways to manage the stupidity raining down on them from Capital City. Sometimes, though, it's not just raining, but pouring.
Case in point? Delta Airlines:
"The [ObamaTax] requires large employers to pay an annual fee of $63 per covered participant in 2014. For Delta’s roughly 160,000 enrolled active and retired employees and their family members, this represents more than $10 million added to the cost of providing health care next year."
Remember also that employers don't pay this fee: customers do. So next time you fly. remember to tip your friendly TSA

