Going forward we have to ask the question of why is it that only 58% of US counties only have one or two insurance companies to choose from. In fact, less choices than you have in the private sector. because quite frankly most companies only bid the urban areas and not the rural areas.”
Maine had 4 companies offering 9 different policies. Pathetic but some choices.
ReplyDeleteNow there are 2 offering 3. And one of the choices is of no use for out of a VERY restricted network (ZERO out of state) procedures or doctors.
Therefore if you are traveling out of this state, only Anthem exists for you.
I understand there are places with more competition and therefore prices might better, but the repeal and replace crowd offers no solution YET for the MANY MANY rural states. NH has only ONE company. When we lived there, there were 15-20. And 40% of the hospitals will not accept O'care patients.
Why not USE the commerce clause to insist if a company wants to sell insurance outside it's own state, they MUST offer in every state? There WERE 1310 companies before O'care. I don't know how many are going to drop now, but SURELY 30-40 competitors in each state would drive prices down.