Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Stupid Theoretical HHS Tricks

On the one hand, Ms Shecantbeserious relies on licensed (and trained, and who have been background checked) agents to "push" Exchange policies. On the other hand, she's an idiot:

"[Ms Kathy] strongly suggests that agents and brokers not use 'Marketplace' or 'Exchange' in the name of their businesses or websites ... QHPs cannot discriminate based on disability, age or health needs."

As to the first: why the heck not? Far be it from me, a lowly insurance agent, with a measly 30+ years of sales experience, to edumacate The Fair Kathleen on how to market insurance, but that is exactly the kind of product identification you want to encourage. After all, would-be Exchange victims customers are looking for, you guessed it, the term "Exchange."

As to the second, well, that's pretty dumb, too. Here's a dirty little secret, Kathy: as agents, we don't care who buys a plan from us - old, young, fat, skinny, healthy or sick - we want to, you guessed it again(!), sell insurance. Last I looked, no carrier pays us commissions on plans we don't sell.

Perhaps the best part is that these are currently cast as "suggestions." Who wants to bet on their codification?

Anyone?

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