Holy shit. Pres. Obama is ending health insurance discrimination against MEN?!

[Le Jacquelope]

Is he calling for health insurance companies to practice gender equity when it comes to rates?

Holy shit this is like cutting off Emperor Palpatine's legs. No longer will men be cursed with higher insurance rates for the mere crime of being born male.

What the fuck. If this passes I'm actually going to take up dancing, LOL.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090729/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_care_overhaul

In addition to a ban on insurance denial based on pre-existing conditions, the White House said industry would be required to renew any policy as long as the premiums are paid in full. Nor could insurers charge higher premiums because of gender, and they would be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on coverage.

Damn, I'm almost as energized about this as I was the day I went to vote for Obama.

I'm sending a hefty donation to the Democratic Party. TODAY.

 

[Loring2]

Resentment

You should never say bad words about peoples(sic) with black skin. Haven't you been taught that it's a sin? Ooops, sorry about that. Can't say sin either ... they teach about that stuff in the bible. Can't talk about that either because they mention something called god: see, I used a small "g" ... that's OK then isn't it ... small "g"? Can I say "nigger"? Ok, I won't say it again. What's a bible Father Obama? Please tell me more

 

[Liar]

How does US health insurance work? Do you have just one big insurance and premium for everything health care related, or are there different premiums for different problema, individually assessed?

Because there are gender differences related to the risk for different conditions.

Men are for instance more prone to cardio-vasular issues in their senior years than women. Whereas women are at higher risk for joint and back problems. Men gets dementia and alzheimers at a higher rate and at an earlier average age. Men and women have different base rates for metabolism which affect the risk for certain diseases in different ways. IIRC, women have higher risk of diabetes and men have higher risk of blood cholestorol issues.

Also, while folks with low pigment rates are at higher probability to develop melanoma. Is it racist to asses stuff like that in a calculation of risk?

 

[Liar]

And to Loring2: Huh?

 

[Le Jacquelope]

How does US health insurance work? Do you have just one big insurance and premium for everything health care related, or are there different premiums for different problema, individually assessed?

Because there are gender differences related to the risk for different conditions.

Men are for instance more prone to cardio-vasular issues in their senior years than women. Whereas women are at higher risk for joint and back problems. Men gets dementia and alzheimers at a higher rate and at an earlier average age. Men and women have different base rates for metabolism which affect the risk for certain diseases in different ways. IIRC, women have higher risk of diabetes and men have higher risk of blood cholestorol issues.

Every policy I've seen is fairly blanket. One big premium for everything, although there are also some riders, but I didn't see any riders that discriminated on the basis of gender.

I don't sell health insurance plans because it's too much effort getting people to change or buy plans. Auto policies? Commercial policies? No problem. Plus I think private health insurance is an outright scam. I base my business on not dicking people, or being an accomplice to it.

Also, while folks with low pigment rates are at higher probability to develop melanoma. Is it racist to asses stuff like that in a calculation of risk?

It's illegal to decide rates on the basis of race. Logically, it should also be illegal to do so on the basis of gender.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Is he calling for health insurance companies to practice gender equity when it comes to rates?

Holy shit this is like cutting off Emperor Palpatine's legs. No longer will men be cursed with higher insurance rates for the mere crime of being born male.

What the fuck. If this passes I'm actually going to take up dancing, LOL.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090729/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_care_overhaul


Damn, I'm almost as energized about this as I was the day I went to vote for Obama.

I'm sending a hefty donation to the Democratic Party. TODAY.

I'm puzzled about this, because I always thought that women were charged more because they tended to use more health care. When I worked for Blue Cross, more than thirty years ago, that was the case. I used to log in payments and, when the premium payment was for a man and a woman, it was broken down into two amounts, one for him and a larger one for her.

This seemed reasonable, because it was based on how much the service was used. For the same reason, men were charged higher automobile insurance premiums.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

I'm puzzled about this, because I always thought that women were charged more because they tended to use more health care. When I worked for Blue Cross, more than thirty years ago, that was the case. I used to log in payments and, when the premium payment was for a man and a woman, it was broken down into two amounts, one for him and a larger one for her.

This seemed reasonable, because it was based on how much the service was used. For the same reason, men were charged higher automobile insurance premiums.

Maybe that particular woman was charged more because she used it more. When I did sell health care plans and I had people with no previous issues, the husband would have the higher rate by default.

Then again, UnitedHealth and another insurer were claimed to ding women more than men.

I don't care if they charge women more than men - that just makes my case for gender equity in health insurance premiums more acceptable for those whose voices are taken more seriously in issues regarding discrimination...

 

[Boxlicker101]

Maybe that particular woman was charged more because she used it more. When I did sell health care plans and I had people with no previous issues, the husband would have the higher rate by default.

Then again, UnitedHealth and another insurer were claimed to ding women more than men.

I don't care if they charge women more than men - that just makes my case for gender equity in health insurance premiums more acceptable for those whose voices are taken more seriously in issues regarding discrimination...

Rates were not based on individuals; rates were based on what was included in the policy. Policy X, issued to a husband and wife, was broken down into two amounts, as I said. Policy Y was more expensive, but it was also broken down into unequal amounts, and the same for any policy.

Sometimes there were two separate checks, one from him and one from her, and hers was always about 10% higher.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Rates were not based on individuals; rates were based on what was included in the policy. Policy X, issued to a husband and wife, was broken down into two amounts, as I said. Policy Y was more expensive, but it was also broken down into unequal amounts, and the same for any policy.

Sometimes there were two separate checks, one from him and one from her, and hers was always about 10% higher.

Good. I mean, good as in if this is an industry-wide pattern then it should be easier to get women to line up behind the cause for gender equity in premiums.