Let me see if I get this straight. Governor Culver is “disappointed” that Wellmark’s rate increases were justified.
Hmmm.
I’d like to ask the Governor just what disappointed him the most? That Wellmark wasn’t trying to cheat customers and actually knows how to price health insurance?
Or was it the fact that Wellmark actually does need an 18% increase runs counter to the only narrative he subscribes to—that the health care problems in this country are due to greedy insurance companies, not due to the rising costs of health care itself.
Newsflash, governor! When 90% of premiums go to pay for actual medical care, premium increases are required when the cost of care goes up.
But by focusing on insurance companies, instead of what actually drives health care costs up, he’s contributed to the ridiculous political environment that exists today and that resulted in 2,500 pages of national insurance reform that will do nothing to actually lower costs.
Look, some health insurance reform was needed. But what was needed could have been written in two pages instead of 2,000. (e.g., no more underwriting, pre-ex, or rescissions). Then, the rest of the law could have been devoted to reforms that would actually lower costs—things like tort reform, real wellness subsidies (50% of health care costs are attributable to preventable behaviors), and outcome-based reimbursement strategies.
Maybe what Governor Culver should be disappointed about is that his politically motivated charade deflected attention from the real issues that need to be addressed. Or that he gave false hope to thousands of Iowans. Or that he cost Wellmark perhaps $500,000 in administrative costs and over $5,000,000 in lost premium to comply with his pointless request. I wonder who will end up paying for that?
It’s unfortunate that Wellmark needs an 18% increase. And today’s high health insurance premiums create real hardships for individuals and businesses alike. No one understands that better than I do. But if we are ever going to find real solutions—solutions that would lower costs and improve quality—we need to focus on the real issues. And stop with the political nonsense.
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