"Some Observers Have Not Ruled Out"

Interesting phrasing.
Insurers say they are losing money on their ObamaCare plans at a rapid rate, and some have begun to talk about dropping out of the marketplaces altogether....

While analysts expect the market to stabilize once premiums rise and more young, healthy people sign up, some observers have not ruled out the possibility of a collapse of the market, known in insurance parlance as a “death spiral.”
"Some observers" apparently means almost all of us, and "have not ruled out the possibility of" means "completely expect."

9 comments:

E Hines said...

I don't know how many young, healthy people are going to sign up. At their worst, the penalties for not wasting money on unneeded health coverage welfare plans (they're not even close to insurance) are a small fraction of the premiums, copays, and deductibles that must be paid before the coverage plan will pay a penny toward its fraction of the health provision costs.

Eric Hines

Eric Blair said...

To paraphrase Glenn Reynolds: "All is proceeding as I have forseen".

A well-off aquaintance of mine differed in opinion and wanted to bet on it. I didn't take the bet (because I don't gamble), but I should have.

E Hines said...

I didn't take the bet (because I don't gamble)....

Sometimes, it ain't gambling.

Eric Hines

Grim said...

That's true both ways. I am a gambling man myself, but I don't generally play in casinos -- it's not gambling when the house edge is so dependable. :)

raven said...

The words "Obamacare", "health insurance", bring up a sort of Pavlovian reaction now, not so much a drooling, but a foaming at the mouth. And a strange desire to possess a halberd, or some sort of warhammer.

"give me my broadsword and clear understanding".

Eric Blair said...

"...and my cross of gold as a talisman.." Heh.

But I'll have to remember that: Sometimes it ain't gambling.

ColoComment said...

HSAs are/were one of the few better strategies for assuming more personal responsibility for health care spending while insuring for the catastrophic/unforeseen medical event. I started one about 10 years ago & have been spending it down since going on Medicare about 5 years ago: for insurance premiums and the routine, planned for, medical/dental expenses & pharma.

Unfortunately, that account has been earning at a negative interest rate since the financial world went to hell in a handbasket. The funds must be held by a trustee who charges $x/month. The interest earned has been <1%, which is less than the fee. Granted, it's a small amount per month, but it still irks me no end. :-(

ColoComment said...

Oh shoot. I was going to link to this:
http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hhs-to-could-effectively-kill-hsas-in-the-exchange/

I must be Friday-addled. Time for a drink.

Ymar Sakar said...

They blow up the bridge, then offer Single Payer National fascist control as the solution. People will jump on board. Or perhaps they are no longer people, just livestock that think they are free.