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The Maryland Health Care commission is entertaining a unique proposal. Under this proposal the Maryland Health Insurance Exchange would be created and employers, employees and individuals could all purchase their own coverage.
Health insurance companies would file their plans with the exchange commission so competition would still be alive and brokers would still be paid at a commission of no less than 5% (which is what current group pays.)
The difference is employees would own their plans, not the employer.
Thoughts:
1) Employers should never own the coverage of their employees. In certain situations employees keep jobs they'd otherwise leave just because of health benefits.
2) This still allows companies to compete for key employees by offering the level of reimbursement for the plan. ABC company could advertise "we'll pay 75% of your health plan" while a competitive company could say "we'll pay 80%."
3) No more messing with Cobra.
All in all I kinda like this but would like to see the specifics. If competition is still fostered, agents still get compensated and people own their own plans I don't see a lot of downside.
Health insurance companies would file their plans with the exchange commission so competition would still be alive and brokers would still be paid at a commission of no less than 5% (which is what current group pays.)
The difference is employees would own their plans, not the employer.
Thoughts:
1) Employers should never own the coverage of their employees. In certain situations employees keep jobs they'd otherwise leave just because of health benefits.
2) This still allows companies to compete for key employees by offering the level of reimbursement for the plan. ABC company could advertise "we'll pay 75% of your health plan" while a competitive company could say "we'll pay 80%."
3) No more messing with Cobra.
All in all I kinda like this but would like to see the specifics. If competition is still fostered, agents still get compensated and people own their own plans I don't see a lot of downside.