The Better Texas blog reminds us that as the Affordable Care Act fully kicks in next year there are things that need to be done in Texas to be compliant
It's constitutional - deal with it
[W]hat I hope to see are bills that prepare Texas for 2014 market changes to help keep premiums reasonable, encourage competition, and ensure that the Texas Department Insurance (TDI) can protect Texas consumers.
Starting in 2014:
- Insurers can no longer deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions or charge sick people, women, and small businesses more;
- Subsidies will be available to help Texans above the poverty line buy private health coverage in the new exchange;
- New risk adjustment mechanisms kick in. They aim to eliminate incentives for insurers to avoid enrollees in poor health, while keeping any one insurer from bearing more than its fair share of risk from sicker enrollees; and
- Many policies must contain “essential health benefits,” a new floor for coverage.
In light of these sweeping market changes, TDI needs appropriate tools to protect health insurance consumers. First, TDI needs to be able to reject unreasonable rate increases. Insurers will incorporate all of the changes listed above will into health insurance premiums. Consumers will benefit if the experts and actuaries at TDI check that insurers have made reasonable assumptions about costs and savings that come from these changes and have authority to deny excessive rate increases.
Second, TDI needs clear authority to enforce new consumer protections, such as no more pre-existing condition exclusions. Unless Texas updates its Insurance Code to reflect consumer protections that take effect in 2014, conflicting state and federal laws will create confusion for consumers and insurers alike. And if TDI isn’t authorized to enforce new consumer protections, federal regulators may step in.
Well, the feds are going to be running our insurance exchanges, so why not let them handle consumer protection, too? How much do you trust Rick Perry’s TDI to get this right? The irony here is that not giving TDI the tools to enforce the new insurance regulations might be seen as poking a finger in the feds’ eyes when in fact it’s opening the door for them, much as the refusal to implement insurance exchanges was. The logic sure is hard to understand sometimes.
This is why Greg Abbott needs so much campaign cash–to make people forget how many times he’s challenged the federal government and failed. This will be one more quixotic opportunity for Greg to challenge the law of the land (and again lose). Greg’s opponent will be able to highlight his abortive efforts, not to mention waste of taxpayers’ money, to make voters realize what an ineffective blowhard he really is.
Rick Perry couldn’t pass a 3rd grade logic class. (What, those don’t exist?)
He doesn’t like the feds doing things; local is better. (unless it’s Houston managing their own port, but that’s another story)
So, he refuses to do the work himself, requiring the feds step in. Once again punching himself to spite Obama’s face.