ObamaTax goes to the dogs (Literally!)

From the "You Can't Make This Up Department:

"Fort Collins resident Shane Smith told KDVR he received a letter last week informing his dog,Baxter, that a health insurance account had been opened for the pup through Connect for Health Colorado."

It seems that Mr Smith used his pet's name for one of the "security" questions at the site, which then applied this information on his behalf.

The good news is that the canine now has "Affordable" Health Care.

The bad news is that his owner doesn't.

When reached for comment, HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious acknowledged "woof!"

Unclear on the Concept

From the official Exchange Certification curriculum:

Protecting Information

There are three key elements to protecting information:

Confidentiality: Protecting information from unauthorized disclosure to people or processes.

In addition to protecting your computer and related systems, it is critical that you protect various media forms as well ...  

Protect Your Area - Recognize, politely challenge, and assist people who do not belong in the work area to avoid potential security attacks, such as "Shoulder Surfing" or "Social Engineering".

Arrange Workstations so that the computer screen is not visible to individuals standing at a door or when first entering the room (e.g., "Shoulder Surfing"). Utilize privacy filter screens as necessary. [emphasis added]

And now here's Ms Shecantbeserious & Friends crashing a sign-up (courtesy of the Free Beacon):



Leaving aside the (unsurprising at this point) HC.gov site crash, notice anything else, um, amiss?

Flood warning update

Flood warnings remain in effect in the following counties: Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason and Thurston, with some gale warnings and small craft advisories offshore.

Here's the complete list from the National Weather Service office in Seattle.

One step forward, one step back [UPDATED]

For a certain value of "forward," of course:

Thanks to FoIB Jeff M, we learn that the Tar Heel State Blues are willing to extend an olive branch to current policyholders:

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has fiIed the necessary documents with the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) to allow most of its non-grandfathered individual customers to keep their current health plans for another year."

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE: That extension comes with a price, however:

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said Tuesday that it will raise rates as much as 24 percent on 2013 individual health insurance plans that are being extended next year"

Still, that's probably a much better deal than they'd get with an Exchange policy.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has ruled out such a move for residents of the North Star State:

"Dayton's decision not to grant the one-year extension on existing plans followed harsh criticism of the proposal by major Minnesota insurance companies."

So what do they know that the Carolina Blues don't?

It's Time That The Insurance Industry and Regulators Begin Accommodating Ride-Sharing Services

Uber, a San Francisco-based company estimated to be worth $17 billion (U.S.) is aiming to shake up the taxi business in Toronto.

Uber is reported to operate in more than 140 cities in 40 countries around the world, offering taxis, limos and car-sharing services, allowing customers to bypass traditional taxi companies and brokerages to request a ride using their smartphones.

When Uber first set up in Toronto in 2012, city of Toronto officials informed the company that it needed to get a brokerage licence. Uber disputed the request and has been insisting that it is not a taxi service, but rather a technology company, and therefore not subject to licensing requirements. The city has since hit Uber with 35 bylaw infractions and now the city is headed to court in an attempt to get an injunction to shut down the service. 

Toronto Mayor-elect John Tory is correct.  Uber and similar ride-sharing services aren't going anywhere.  Consumers like these new services and that's why there are using them.  Using a smartphone app, you will be told when the vehicle will arrive, who is the driver, the rating of the driver, the cost of the ride with tip and will allow you to pay for the ride without handling any cash.  No need to be standing in the cold or wet on a street corner waving your arm frantically trying to get a passing cab to stop.

The current regulated taxi model is archaic and costly.  The city limits the number of plate owners which has created wealth for plate owners who are often not the drivers. The dispatcher system is out of date when technology allows drivers and consumers to link up directly.  However, there is a lot of money tied up in the current system.  To make matters worse, the regulators appear to be very tied to the existing model.

The one thing that Uber is not short on is money.  They will fight this court battle as they have in other jurisdictions.  They typically come out on top.  Regulators should be designing new regulatory models to accommodate new technologies not fight them.  For example the Ontario Ministry of Transportation is working on a regulatory framework for driverless vehicles.  The insurance regulator and the insurance industry needs to develop insurance products that reflect these new technologies whether it is driverless cars or ride-sharing services.  

The insurance industry needs to recognize that ride-sharing is likely here to stay and properly underwrite these risks to protect drivers and their clients.

Got Cancer?

Got cancer? You may not want #Obamacare.   

Much has been said about "If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it. Period".

Not so much about "If you like your doctor, you can keep them. Period."

Until now . . .

Since March 2007 United Healthcare has paid $1.2 million to help keep me alive, and it has never once questioned any treatment or procedure recommended by my medical team. The company pays a fair price to the doctors and hospitals, on time, and is responsive to the emergency treatment requirements of late-stage cancer. Its caring people in the claims office have been readily available to talk to me and my providers.

But in January, United Healthcare sent me a letter announcing that they were pulling out of the individual California market. The company suggested I look to Covered California starting in October.

WSJ

Covered California is the state run Obamacare health insurance exchange.

UCSD has agreed to accept only one Covered California plan—a very restrictive Anthem EPO Plan. EPO stands for exclusive provider organization, which means the plan has a small network of doctors and facilities and no out-of-network coverage (as in a preferred-provider organization plan) except for emergencies.

If you like your doctor, you CAN'T keep your doctor . . . if you buy an exchange plan.

But if you buy OFF the exchange . . . 

According to a popular insurance brokerage website there are 19 PPO plans available in San Diego. By design, PPO plans have broader networks that include most doctors and hospitals nationwide.

Perhaps Edie Littlefield Sundby needs to talk with a real insurance agent in her area rather than a navigator.

#EdieLittlefieldSundby

#CoveredCalifornia

#Obamacare

#Ifyoulikeyourplanyoucankeepit

My new article is up...

At Answers.com:

"Annuities can be an effective cash accumulation tool, and offer tax advantages during both the accumulation and payout stages. They also offer the unique ability to provide a lifetime income stream."