Missouri's clueless Senator, Claire McCaskill

Recently, I received an email from the University of Missouri (as did all it's employees) stating that are health insurance premiums are going up next year, in part, due to the new healthcare bill.

Of course, I forwarded this to our illustrious Senator (Claire McCaskill) who voted for this bill, again, against the wishes of nearly a 2/3 majority in this state. She of course, claimed the bill would make healthcare more affordable... yeah, ocean front property, Arizona, yada-yada...

Sooooo.... here is a portion of the email I received from the Univesity, followed by Claire McCaskill's response to me... just to show how out of touch and clueless some of our elected representatives are.

Email from the University:

to:    Faculty and Staff

There are some external factors that account for a small portion of the increases.  As a result of state-mandated changes and regulations enacted under National Health Care Reform, UM will provide  coverage for dependents not previously covered under the UM Plan, as well as provide benefits for conditions not previously covered.  As of Jan. 1, 2011, faculty and staff will be able to cover adult children up to age 26. UM will also add coverage for treatment of autism for dependents up to age 19.

The university will not ask faculty and staff to bear the burden of the entire increase. The university will increase its contribution to maintain a 73 percent share of the medical plan premium.

The nuts and bolts of the matter, is my rates go up 13% starting January 1st...

I then emailed Claire McCaskil. I was a bit hostile, as I have written no less than 6 letters this past year-and-a-half, expressing my opinion, with nothing more than a form letter back, telling me how and why she is going to vote her way (opposite my opinion) thanking me, and asking for my continued feedback. I told her (actually, most likely her staff) after this increase, which amounts to a 13% increase for me and my family, I would actively do everything in my power to ensure she does not get re-elected when she's up for it, even it if means door-to-door campaigning against her... I may have resorted to a swear word or too finally, after numerous times being patronized by her form letters... Anyways, here is the response I got from her today...

December 1, 2010

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.

Dear Mr. XXXXXX

Thank you for contacting me regarding health insurance premium increases.  I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

It is no secret that over the last decade, health insurance premiums have outpaced wages and inflation by a staggering amount; the majority of consumers have faced double-digit premium increases year after year and employer-sponsored plans have more than doubled their premiums since 2000.

Recently, there have been reports that some insurance companies are blaming premium increases being made this year on the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), even though in most cases these high premium rates were planned long before the law was passed.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that medical inflation is currently projected to be 3.2 percent in 2010, yet several insurance companies have planned increases up to ten times that amount.  In response, Secretary Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter in early September to the National Association of Health Insurers demanding members to stop using misinformation to falsely blame premium increases on the new healthcare law and noted that there will be "zero tolerance" for unjustified rate increases.  The skyrocketing cost of healthcare for families was the impetus for healthcare reform, and the most recent premium rate increases only reiterates that reform truly came at a critical time.

Some states already have the authority and the capacity to review insurers' proposed premium rates, and reject excessive increases.  However many states -- including Missouri -- do not have a rate review authority.  In fact, insurance rates are not currently required to be filed with the Missouri Department of Insurance.  That is why the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes new resources and provisions to strengthen insurance rate review laws and give state insurance commissioners, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, the power to reject unjustified rate hikes.  Through the new law, nearly $46 million in Health Insurance Premium Review Grants have been given to states to help improve the oversight of health insurance premium increases.  Missouri has received $1 million in the first round of grant awards, which will create the authority to establish a robust rate review process.  In the meantime, if you would like to report a problem with your insurance policy, I encourage you to visit the Missouri Department of Insurance consumer complaints website, http://insurance.mo.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm.

In addition to the recent grant award, additional provisions will be implemented over the next couple of years to prevent unreasonable insurance rate increases.  In 2011, insurance companies will be required to publicly justify on their website any unreasonable premium increases.  Another provision requires all insurance companies to spend at least 80% of premium dollars on actual medical costs in the case of individually-purchased policies and 85% of premium dollors on actual medical costs in the case of group (employer-sponsored) policies.  This will ensure that any rate hikes are going toward patient care instead of administrative expenses or salary increases for executives.  If a company is not spending premiums dollars on healthcare appropriately it will have to refund money to beneficiaries.  By 2014, HHS will also be able to deny participation in the insurance market exchanges if private insurance companies unreasonably raise rates above actual healthcare inflation.

Although it will be 2014 before most of these important provisions will take effect, the new healthcare law has several consumer protections that will affect Missourians immediately.  For plan years starting after September 23, 2010 insurance companies cannot discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions. Further, this year children under 26 years old who cannot get insurance through an employer must be allowed to stay on their parents' health care plan.  In addition, insurance companies are barred from rescinding coverage once a consumer becomes sick, and lifetime limits on health care coverage are prohibited.  For more information on these patient protections, I encourage you to visit http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/billofright/patient_bill_of_rights.html.

My absolute favorite part...

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that medical inflation is currently projected to be 3.2 percent in 2010, yet several insurance companies have planned increases up to ten times that amount.  In response, Secretary Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter in early September to the National Association of Health Insurers demanding members to stop using misinformation to falsely blame premium increases on the new healthcare law and noted that there will be "zero tolerance" for unjustified rate increases.

In other words... Social Security recipients did not receive a cost of living adjustment because those increases are tied to inflation, even though obviously, there was some PROJECTED inflation in at least the medical expenses, by over 3%... of course, projected inflation in 2010 is her justification in this response, when her letter is dated 12/1/2010... the END OF THE YEAR??? How much more "projection" do you want to cite before you start using actual data??? My employer is increasing rates based on 2011 projections...

AND THEN???? Oh, sorry, "Dude, Where's My Car" moment... and then she goes on to say some idiot with no enforcement authority wrote a letter "demanding" all these insurers stop telling it like it is, and keep us all drinking the kool-aid...

Go to hell Claire McCaskill.... tick-tock, the end of your term is getting closer.