Friday, March 16, 2012

Shecantbeserious takes a Padawan

"The federal government ... will probably be running health care exchanges in many states."

So sayeth HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious acolyte Sandy Praeger, Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Ms Praeger also leads the NAIC's (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) Health Care and Managed Care Committee.

Nothing but the big guns here.

On Ms Preager's world, each state's Exchange "is going to have a different flavor"

Uh-hunh.

She believes, for example, that each state will have the autonomy to define its own package of "essential health benefits," conveniently forgetting that ObamneyCare© is a Federally mandated plan. Does she also think that each state gets to define convenience items "birth control?" If so, she's in for a (very) rude awakening.

Shecantbeserious, Jr also believes (naively) that states will themselves "perform many functions for HHS, especially including the rate and form review and network adequacy functions" including the SERFF Program. The (ironically-named) SERFF is a "System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing;" its purpose is to generate income for the NAIC "streamline" various state-based ratings and filings.

As if to prove that one need not be self-aware to have an opinion, Ms Praeger doubles down, averring that "there could be some sort of memo of understanding between the federal government and the states with regard to integrating the SERFF system within the exchanges."

Were the stakes not so high, this would be laughable: haven't the Feds proven enough how determined they are to run the whole shebang?

Apparently not on Ms Praeger's home world.

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