Have I Got a Deal for You

The average uninsured Massachusetts residents could obtain health care coverage for as little as $175 a month under the state’s insurance law, Gov. Deval Patrick announced Saturday as he released the results of negotiations with the state’s health insurers.

The lowest monthly premium is far lower than an earlier estimate of $380 a month suggested by some insurers.

Wow! That's less than half the other quotes. How did they do that?

The minimum plan detailed by Patrick would cover the majority of today’s uninsured, who are typically 37-years-old. It includes prescription drug coverage and covers basic medical care, such as emergency room visits and outpatient medical care.

Strip the benefits!

Kind of like offering a house for half the price. No problem as long as you don't need things like electricity, gas, heat, air, running water, indoor plumbing . . .

In other words, a wooden tent.

Addendum . . .

Here's a bit more for inquiring minds.

You get a doctor. You get to go for regular physicals. Your family gets to go and your children get to go for regular physicals. You get a certain amount of hospital coverage.

"Certain amount" of hospital coverage. Very specific. Wonder if carriers could get away with that kind of language in their policies.

Kinda doubt it.

The agency charged with implementing the health care reform law will decide on Thursday whether to permit plans that don’t cover pharmaceuticals. That would drop premiums even lower. It should be up to consumers to decide whether to buy a product with prescription coverage, or to pay less for a plan without it.

No Rx coverage.

Right.

What happens when you need Rx coverage?

if a 45-year-old wants to forgo chiropractic care or infertility treatment in favor of a lower-cost product, why shouldn’t they have that choice

Infertility treatment? Who opened that door?

The insurers get credit (at Patrick’s strong urging) for coming up with creative ways to bring down premium costs within the existing guidelines. But they could do even better if they weren’t working with one hand tied behind their backs.

Uh-huh, uh-huh.