Say Anything Blog

North Dakota Blue Cross Blue Shield has been a target for Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm.  I think that BCBS made some mistakes it in no way justifies the jihad that Hamm’s been on against them. 

But what I read in their website today really angers me.

BCBSND urges reform that will:
Eliminate coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, something we’ve long 1. supported, as long as all North Dakotans are required to have health insurance.
2. Require all North Dakotans to have health insurance coverage with sufficient penalties to assure full coverage.
3. Provide substantial subsidies for low-income North Dakotans and for older North Dakotans.
4. Pay for subsidies honestly through general tax revenues rather than by taxing the cost of health insurance.

Item two stick in my craw.  Who are they to tell us that we must be forced to buy their product.  If I don’t want to buy it that’s my business.  Of course I should expect to face the consequences of that decision.

And who’s going to decide.  How are they going to enforce this law?  Are they going to fine us if we bring our kids to school without an insurance card?  Are we going to have to prove we have insurance when we’re stopped at a DUI checkpoint?

Item three and four, requiring tax paid subsidies for people to buy Blue Cross products is pretty disgusting.  There’s no looking out for their corporate best interests there is there?

Finally I have to question their number one priority.  So somebody doesn’t have insurance coverage for whatever reason.  Maybe they just moved here or maybe they were breaking the law.  So they haven’t been paying in a nickel and we’re supposed to cover them the minute they sign up. 

My family is fairly healthy but I have insurance coverage in case someone gets real sick.  Blue Cross has made money on me every single year I’ve been signed up. Now they’ve set up an incentive to do things the wrong way and have to resort to BIG GOVERNMENT to coerce people to act in their best interest. 

Blue Cross wants to take away the incentive to do things right at the same time they institute fines for doing it wrong.  Talk about a bunch of screwed up jerks.

Right now the pre-existing coverage provision means that if you have coverage at a job you can transfer it to your new job with no problem.  If you’re getting treatment without insurance coverage you do have to wait a year before the insurance will pay for that.  That’s to keep healthy people from buying insurance only when they’re sick. 

Blue Cross has enough problem with government regulators.  If they wind up asking for more interference from the government they deserve what they’ll get.