Right to Opine

There were a number of grandiose promises made during the push to pass ObamaCare, among them that millions of uninsured Americans would gain access to health insurance and that those who were underinsured would receive comprehensive insurance. Not so fast.

The health law passed in March says insurers must have a medical-loss ratio of between 80% and 85%, meaning they must spend at least that proportion of their revenue on actual care.

A couple months ago, McDonald’s and a few other large employers were granted waivers to the medical-loss ratio rules under threat of tens of thousands of employees losing their medical coverage entirely. Now the Department of Health and Human Services has announced

the agency plans to release “a special methodology that takes into account the special circumstances of mini-med plans in determining how administrative costs are calculated” for medical-loss ratio purposes.

So HHS is now changing the rules so that mini-meds can continue to operate as is. Did we really need to pass a trillion dollar healthcare bill just to leave the underinsured underinsured? Brilliant legislative work, that.