Comments on: Health benefits agency claims right of prior review and approval of all communcations http://ilind.net/2009/11/24/health-benefits-agency-claims-right-of-prior-review-and-approval-of-all-communcations/ Ian Lind • Online daily from Kaaawa, Hawaii Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:21:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ulu http://ilind.net/2009/11/24/health-benefits-agency-claims-right-of-prior-review-and-approval-of-all-communcations/comment-page-1/#comment-8980 ulu Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:12:11 +0000 http://ilind.net/?p=3761#comment-8980 I have two crumudgeon old doctors I have known for years. Both refused to sign up with HMA. They don't like HMSA, doesn't pay well but they say HMA will suck people into its plan then drive out the sick, forcing them back to HMSA, forcing HMSA to raise its rates and HMA rakes in profits on the young and well. They hate to admit that sometimes a monopoly ain't so bad but they like Hawaii and this was the cost of living here. Crusty old farts, but they have kept me alive through cancer. They butted heads with HMSA and won. This may be the beginning of the end of 'cheap' medical insurance in Hawaii. It was hell for doctors. Now it will be hell for patients. But the free market will have worked as it did on Wall Street. You have been warned. Maybe they will issue suicide pills once we reach 70. I have two crumudgeon old doctors I have known for years. Both refused to sign up with HMA. They don’t like HMSA, doesn’t pay well but they say HMA will suck people into its plan then drive out the sick, forcing them back to HMSA, forcing HMSA to raise its rates and HMA rakes in profits on the young and well. They hate to admit that sometimes a monopoly ain’t so bad but they like Hawaii and this was the cost of living here. Crusty old farts, but they have kept me alive through cancer. They butted heads with HMSA and won.

This may be the beginning of the end of ‘cheap’ medical insurance in Hawaii. It was hell for doctors. Now it will be hell for patients. But the free market will have worked as it did on Wall Street.

You have been warned. Maybe they will issue suicide pills once we reach 70.

]]> By: Larry http://ilind.net/2009/11/24/health-benefits-agency-claims-right-of-prior-review-and-approval-of-all-communcations/comment-page-1/#comment-8968 Larry Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:16:34 +0000 http://ilind.net/?p=3761#comment-8968 Oh, how many HMSA stories there are. If only the denials went down as smoothly as the social media messages. Heart-felt? Deny a PET scan? Deny an x-ray to locate possible cancer? Come on! Oh, how many HMSA stories there are. If only the denials went down as smoothly as the social media messages.

Heart-felt? Deny a PET scan? Deny an x-ray to locate possible cancer?

Come on!

]]> By: ohiaforest3400 http://ilind.net/2009/11/24/health-benefits-agency-claims-right-of-prior-review-and-approval-of-all-communcations/comment-page-1/#comment-8964 ohiaforest3400 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:14:19 +0000 http://ilind.net/?p=3761#comment-8964 Similar experience for my child on COBRA. FYI, if you want to stay with HMSA (and thereby switch to the slightly cheaper, different coverage afforded under the 80/20 plan), you need do nothing. Of course, this is exactly opposite the case of active employees (who must affirmatively elect to switch to 80/20 to saty with HMSA or automatically be rolled over to HMA) and totally unapparent in the mailings from HMSA. HMSA acknowledged the mailing was unclear for COBRA beneficiaries. Yeah, no kidding. Similar experience for my child on COBRA. FYI, if you want to stay with HMSA (and thereby switch to the slightly cheaper, different coverage afforded under the 80/20 plan), you need do nothing. Of course, this is exactly opposite the case of active employees (who must affirmatively elect to switch to 80/20 to saty with HMSA or automatically be rolled over to HMA) and totally unapparent in the mailings from HMSA.

HMSA acknowledged the mailing was unclear for COBRA beneficiaries. Yeah, no kidding.

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