Status Quo Health Insurance Broker Leading His Clients
By Bill Rusteberg
The Land of Lemming is better than the Land of ICHRA” is a common belief. But is it?
With the rising tide of more government interference in private health care finance with all the punishing mandates and sanctions that go along with it, plan sponsors are becoming increasingly frustrated with a system they know they can’t continue to survive in much longer.
Uncle Sam has signature rights to their company checkbook. His minions carrying guns and badges hide behind thousands and thousands of pages of government regulations imbued with the power to destroy any business that doesn’t conform to their diktats whether on purpose of not. These nocturnal beasts are a power unto themselves suffering no oversight. In police terms – They are “badge heavy.”
Insurance and pharmaceutical companies operate under manmade conditions crafted to their advantage. Health insurance in its truest sense isn’t insurance anymore; it’s a government regulated utility. Insurance companies have become defacto government contractors profiting off an eroding base of middle-class taxpayers. They bear no risk. They always win and never lose. The government guarantees it.
More employers are seeking solutions to escape a system that works against them. Some have succeeded but most haven’t. The former have put managed care networks to pasture, replaced with direct provider contracts, cash pay strategies and other schemes including Reference Based Pricing and Direct Primary Care. Their success brings hope but few followers. The latter haven’t done any of that, adopting a “Hope & Change” strategy – Hope that a change in carriers will slow the continuing erosion of company assets.
The truth about American group health insurance is self-evident. It can be fixed but few have the independence of mind and critical thinking skills needed to make that happen. The majority of plan sponsors are lemmings following the pack towards a cliff of no return.
But the path ahead has branched in two. As the horde of status quo lemmings race blindly behind others few see the fork ahead. “What’s that ahead!” says one lemming to another, “No one told us about that. That fork must not be a good one since few seem to be taking it!“
As the now curious lemming scurries closer, and against all traditional lemming protocols, he hesitates, taking his eyes off the ass in front of him to read a passing sign. “If your reading this sign go right.”
So he does. After all he’s lemming.
“Welcome to the Land of ICHRA!” says the welcoming committee. “You will no longer have to worry about the uncertainty of economic ruin of higher health insurance costs, punishing government mandates and sanctions enforced by badge heavy, gun toting and faceless bureaucrats.”
“But the land of Lemming is a better place! My broker has never mentioned the land of ICHRA so it must be not so good. After all, my broker always looks after my best interests because he loves me!” says the confused lemming, “He would never lead me down the wrong path!”
TO BE CONTINUED…………..”INTERVENTION – Destruction of A Myth & Freedom From Culthood”
The Land of ICHRA is peaceful and tranquil. Workers are productive and happy. Formerly docile lemmings are among the most industrious under new found freedoms never thought possible. For the first time they see something other than the ass in front of them. They see what lemmings don’t. And they like what they see.
But transitioning mind think is a hard thing to do. In the case of our regretful lemming who read the sign and took the road to the right, it was classic. “I want to go back!” screamed the lemming, “The Land of Lemming is a better place!”
“Call in the neuroplasticity team!” ordered the Welcoming Committee. And the process of myth destruction and freedom from cult think began.
